Ronald Reagan made the cut, Bill Bradley and Jim Bunning were pretty good senators…Jack Kemp served western NY for decades after a winning career in pro football. Historians won’t spend a lot of time writing about the congressional accomplishments of Sonny Bono or Al Franken, and Jesse Ventura will be better remembered for the laughs he generated at the Minnesota State House than for the legislation he signed. And it’s a good bet that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s deployment of little Arnold in the direction of his cleaning lady and the love child she bore terminated his political career. So, clearly, the record is spotty at best when it comes to the stars of Hollywood and pro sports. Segueing into politics, which brings us to Kevin Johnson, a very good basketball player who admirably poured some of his hard earned hard core wealth into hard hit communities in his home town; bringing hope to oak park. So when 2008 rolled around…despite some troubling stories about alleged relationships with some teenaged girls from Phoenix to Sacramento, the dowdy ineffectual Heather Fargo was too easy a target and the young, handsome, energetic former NBA star returned home to become Sacramento’s mayor.

For the most part, Johnson’s been a two issue mayor and he hasn’t been very good at either. Yes, he tried to secure the long term future of the NBA Kings in Sacramento - an effort that was supported in this corner and elsewhere. But somewhere between hope and gullibility, his honor found himself brainwashed by Moe, Larry and Joe Maloof, and was left holding the bag when the world learned the boys behind the Kings weren’t quite paupers on the food stamp recipient list, but nowhere near ready to crack the starting line up of NBA billionaires. Since then, Johnson’s taken a bride and a taken a lot of planes, campaigning for his hero Barack Obama. But to the people of Sacramento, KJ - little Barack as he likes to call himself - his honor to others might as well be in the federal witness protection program.

This year he’s missed seven city council meetings and has rarely shown any interest or leadership on any issue that didn’t involve a sports complex or the possibility of a federal check. City manager John Shirey is running things and doing a good job of it. Johnson is, right now, a non entity, a celebrity figure head whose hopes to change the city charter to reflect more power in the mayor's office looks as likely this year as the Maloof's buying out Warren Buffet. The would-be strong mayor is breaking the cardinal rule of politics and life. Fifty percent of life is just showing up. Give KJ an F on that one.