Fernández and the Mexico City, PRD Tea Leaves

Here's what Jorge Fernández Menéndez takes from the Ebrard-AMLO spat over Iztapalapa:

Marcelo, however, despite resisting the "instructions" from López, ended up carrying them out. I imagine that he did so for a pair of very significant reason, more than, as has been said, simple subordination. First, so as to not destroy the PRD's increasingly fragile internal unity. Ebrard wants to be a presidential candidate, but he doesn't have a supporting party behind him. A few days ago we said that the mayor is much better evaluated by voters than López Obrador, but, within his party, the latter continues controlling a good part of the different wings...

[Break]

[S]ooner rather later Marcelo will have to go about constructing his own answers that focus more on the people than a few tribes that will only make him a candidate if it is unavoidable. That's why he must work toward the outside: inside, the hard-core PRD won't accept any other candidate but López, although that means they will continue swimming in the political margins and personal isolation. The style difference, the method of exercising power, even the administrative capacity of Ebrard, is far superior to his predecessor, but that's not what the tribes evaluate.

That independence should be accompanied by something more. Ebrard must show signs of authority and in the Batres case [the openly defiant member of Ebrard's cabinet] is paradigmatic in that respect. It's true that he has removed responsibilities and budget money, but the same group will manage 4 billion [presumably pesos, or about $3 billion] in Iztapalapa. We shouldn't forget that López Obrador's group thank that the Juanito case is the norm: the boss is the one who gives and takes no one can nor should they resist him, and they continue thinking that the government of Mexico City is theirs, they've only lent it out for six years.