While a few blogs and media outlets in San Francisco continued wringing their hands over Da Mayor's involvement in any potential backroom deals and shady political goings-on surrounding Ed Lee's rise to the mayor's office, the real Willie Brown scandal was raging in Colorado where the Mayor's cold remarks and sub-par review of Aspen's Ajax Tavern left some folks in the resort town feeling chilly. Enter: ASPENGATE.
As we mentioned last week the former Mayor didn't seem to thrilled about his holiday in the Rockies, which he called a "big mistake" when he revisited his trip in this week's Willie's World column. One sticking point for the incredibly rich (judging from his shoes) former mayor was Aspen's expensive lodging options: as he says, "there ain't no Motel 6's or Embassy Suites in Aspen" and hotel rooms will set you back 2 grand a night. We can sympathize with Willie a little bit on this one - Embassy Suites, after all, does offer reasonable weekly rates and a superb omelet bar in the morning - but we should also remember we're talking about arguably the most popular resort town in the Rockies over the busiest holiday week of the year.
After dropping his Amex Black card at the Aspen St. Regis, Willie pulled the race card on the staff of Ajax Tavern who sat him "back by the kitchen" even though there were only two other parties in the restaurant. Speaking of the seating snafu he explains: "I don't think it's a stretch to say discrimination is still very much alive in the snowy white hills of Aspen." Burn! Nobody puts Willie in a corner!