In the wake of his sock puppetry on the websites of SFist and ABC7, many have argued that Peter Ragone should be fired (here at Calitics, at BeyondChron and at the SF Bay Guardian).  That didn’t happen, and yesterday, Ragone was promoted by new Newsom chief of staff Phil Ginsberg. (h/t Left in SF and SF Bay Guardian.)

Peter Ragone, the mayor’s press secretary, gets a new title: director of communications and planning.

“This is all Phil’s structure,” Ragone said, referring to Ginsberg and describing the moves as routine when a new chief of staff takes over. (SF Chronicle 2/9/07)

So, Ragone uses sock puppets all over the Internet, and then lies to reporters about it, and then gets a promotion?  Throw in the fact that he was also deceptive (some would say lying here too) about the alcohol story, and you have a “director of communications and planning” that reporters don’t trust.  But sure, why not promote him?