Filner, a member of SDDC in years past, has held the congressional seat since 1992. He recently made headlines as one of the few members of Congress who voted to delay certification of the 2004 presidential election results in Congress, based on polling problems in Ohio. Other objectors in the House included Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., and Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio. The House voted 267-31 in favor of certifying the election. Senator Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., cast the lone vote in the Senate challenging certification.

“Washington doesn’t hear a lot of noise these days,” Filner told the club. “We have to figure out how to make more noise.”

After the 9/11 attacks, Filner was one of a handful of Congress members that objected to passage of the Patriot Act, a sweeping piece of legislation that, among other things, allows the FBI to access medical, library and student records without warrant or probable cause. Filner referred to it at the SDDC meeting as the “so-called Patriot Act.”

He cited veteran and student protests in the nation’s capital during the Vietnam War as one of history’s most effective ways of influencing a government that no longer listens to its constituency. “I’m talking about direct action in a way we haven’t seen before,” he said, adding, “We talk to ourselves too much,” and not enough to groups and organizations with differing political views.

An early co-sponsor of the Permanent Partners Immigration Act, a federal bill that would allow U.S. citizens to sponsor their same-sex partners for immigration purposes put forward last year, Filner told SDDC he plans to co-sponsor the bill again this year.

“People like Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin, if they need me, they know I’m there,” he added.

But Colin Rice, Assemblymember Juan Vargas’ chief of staff, told the club that Filner waffled on Defense of Marriage Act legislation, an important issue to the club.

In July 1996, Filner voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act, a decision that he told the club he has since come to view as a mistake.

Vargas, a fellow Democrat, is running against Filner for the 51st congressional seat.

Filner said Rice’s presence at the meeting violated campaign rules, because Rice is part of Vargas’ Assembly office staff, not campaign staff. “I’ve never had anybody in 25 years of being in office where a staff member gets up and tries to interrupt me,” he told the Gay & Lesbian Times, adding that his campaign will be filing charges over the incident.

Legally, Rice would be allowed to be at the meeting after normal working hours, Filner said, “but it’s not even a question of him being there, it’s acting as a spokesperson for Mr. Vargas while being paid by the taxpayers. That is highly questionable.”

Rice did not return a call placed by the Gay & Lesbian Times seeking comment.

When asked about Vargas’ stance on Assembly Bill 19, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act introduced into the Legislature Dec. 6, Rice told the club he was “not aware of that piece of legislation.”

“I can’t believe you’d come to the San Diego Democratic Club tonight and not know your boss’ position on the most important piece of legislation in Sacramento relating to the LGBT community,” one club member responded.

Margaret Moody, SDDC vice president of development, said after Vargas was first elected to city council he waffled on his stance regarding parental notification for minors’ abortions. “I wouldn’t trust him as far as I can throw a grand piano,” she said.

Vargas’ office did not return several calls placed by the Gay & Lesbian Times seeking to clarify Vargas’ stance on AB 19 and parental notification for minor abortions, as well as his record on previous candidate endorsements.

Vargas represents the 79th Assembly District, which includes National City, Coronado, Imperial Beach and parts of Chula Vista and San Diego.

“Juan has refused to debate me in any election he’s run in, so I’d be happy to debate him anytime if he wants to deal with any of those issues,” Filner said.

The club voted unanimously to give Filner the friendly incumbent endorsement, but not without a lengthy discussion about overriding club bylaws that require additional approval from the executive board prior to the endorsement becoming official.

“One of the reasons we created the friendly incumbent endorsement was to reward candidates who have been good on our issues,” said Jess Durfee, chair of the San Diego Democratic Party and a past SDDC president, during open debate before the vote. “Another was to discourage primary challenges within the Democratic Party…. We will see a primary battle here that may generate millions of dollars in resources wasted in a primary when we should be spending that money fighting Republican candidates.”

“As cynical as politics get, it really comes down to relationships with people and trust,” Filner said after receiving the endorsement. “And I think we will continue that trust.”

SDDC elected its 2005 officers at the meeting. Stephen Whitburn will once again serve as club president, Maria Plasencia as executive vice president, Margaret Moody as vice president for development, Jeri Dilno as vice president for political action, Brad Jacobson as secretary and Brogan Duffy as treasurer.

Whitburn recently announced he will run for San Diego City Council District 3 when Councilmember Toni Atkins vacates the seat.