PETE? OR DIANNE? : A Range of Voices Argues that California Does Have a Choice : Feinstein: Empathy and Iron Integrity

In an era when politicians are regarded with general cynicism and candidates are afflicted with homogenized similarity, Dianne Feinstein is a leader who is different. I am enthusiastic about her because she is a leader who will make a difference in California. She is strong and compassionate, visionary and pragmatic, a good manager who also manages to be caring.

For more than 20 years I have been her friend. We have agreed and disagreed, celebrated and commiserated, and sought one another’s counsel and opinion. A prime example of a contentious issue is capital punishment, which she supports and I oppose. But we can be honest and vulnerable with each other without compromising our principles or integrity. It is from such a platform that I can say I know Dianne Feinstein.

Dianne Feinstein does not play the game of politics-as-usual. I work with outsiders. In many ways I am an outsider myself. And I applaud the fact that throughout her career Dianne Feinstein has not been afraid to stand outside traditional party politics. Nor does she make decisions according to what is most expedient. She has a morality, integrity and conviction that’s not for sale. As a result, she has weathered criticism from many quarters. But she has stood her ground.

Dianne Feinstein is a woman who has endured the heat of electoral politics. She has a sense of herself and a sense of others. This empathy is a great asset, because the next governor of California must be able to create a climate in which diversity becomes an advantage that works for the betterment of all citizens.

As an African-American, my experience is rich with the emergence of great leadership that changed the face and history of America. Great leadership always makes the walls crumble, and this is the time for great leadership to emerge in the state of California. This is the time for all of us to break down the walls of inaction, indifference, ineffectiveness and indecision.

Dianne Feinstein is the one to provide this leadership. Dianne Feinstein will trumpet in a new time.