Purple Filner eaters

Does icPurple, that so-called independent expenditure committee set up by La Jolla computer mega-millionaire Ted Waitt to back Nathan Fletcher’s run for mayor last year, have a big future? Ex-Assemblyman Fletcher, who switched from Republican to Independent to Democrat over the past year, is being touted by Obama campaign money bundler Christine Forester as a candidate for mayor if Democrat Bob Filner vacates the position. Fletcher now works for Qualcomm, founded by million-dollar-plus Obama donor Irwin Jacobs.

Last week Forester dispatched an email to her backers touting Fletcher’s purported popularity in an opinion survey and dissing a possible GOP rival: “According to the just-released KGTV10 News/U-T poll’s the choice of a new Mayor is quite clear — that is if/when our current one resigns or is recalled.” She continued, “With acknowledged discipline, Republicans will likely vote for Carl DeMaio in spite of the fact that many do not favor him, aware that a DeMaio administration will engender serious problems for our City — albeit of a different nature than Bob Filner’s.

“If we, Democrats, Independents and disenfranchised Republicans split our vote among several candidates, we will ensure a DeMaio victory.” She ends with a nod to Fletcher’s key special-interest backers: “Let us focus on informing the nation of San Diego’s invaluable contribution to creativity and innovation and to the recovering economy via our thriving high-tech, biotech, wireless tech, medical sciences, business, industries and academia.”

The icPurple committee, which has been moribund for months, might just play a major role in the Fletcher revival strategy; though, according to a campaign filing posted online last week by the Federal Election Commission, its current cash balance is just $9.68. Minor operating overhead of about $200 was covered by Avalon Capital Group, Waitt’s investment arm. Last year’s big-money donors to the PAC included genome king Craig Venter ($10,000); border-development maven Malin Burnham ($25,000); Qualcomm executive vice president Margaret Johnson of Rancho Santa Fe ($1500); Dennis Cruzan, onetime real-estate sidekick to Padres owner John Moores ($1000); Ace Parking’s Keith Jones ($1000); Dane Chapin of Zephyr Partners ($5000); La Jolla real estate woman Nancy Saikhon Borrelli ($5000); CONNECT CEO Duane Roth ($1500); and Michael Barone of Intercare Insurance Solutions ($1500). Waitt personally gave a total of $400,000. If Filner is ousted, many of them are believed to be ready to ante up plenty more for icPurple’s pro-Fletcher cause.