When once and again San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin announced his run to reclaim his Board seat last spring, some asked how he could do that, given that he's already served the legally-allowed two-terms in office. However, since San Francisco's city charter only prevents two consecutive terms, nothing prevented Peskin from mounting his successful return, nor would it prevent, say, Willie Brown (or Gavin Newsom, etc etc) from ending up back in Room 200. But now a group of unnamed pals of Ed Lee are rumored to be working to lock this down to a lifetime two terms, all to send a message to SF's revived progressive forces.

According to the SF Chron's Matier and Ross, "City Hall sources on the second floor" say that the charter amendment intended for the November ballot is currently "being floated around" by "a group that hasn't identified itself" but "appears to have the fingerprints of a cadre of business-friendly loyalists to Mayor Ed Lee."

It would seek to limit members of the Board of Supes or the Mayor to two consecutive life-time terms per seat — so, at the very most, you could be supe for two terms, then mayor for two more, period.

M&R say that the measure would prevent "do-overs down the road for soon-to-be-termed-out Supervisor John Avalos, or the loser of the upcoming contest between Supervisors Scott Wiener and Jane Kim for the state Senate," as well as "disqualify the likes of former Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier should she contemplate a return to the Marina district seat held by Mark Farrell, who is eyeing a run for mayor in three years."

The shadowy alleged Friends of Ed are hoping, M&R say, "to send a message to Peskin and his newly energized board progressives not to get too carried away with any of the ballot reforms they've being contemplating."

Though, if I know Peskin (and I think I do), it's exactly this kind of stuff that gets him even more riled up. Backfire in 3, 2, 1...