Nothing really changes in San Francisco politics. We just rearrange the seating arrangements. And now is a good time to check the place cards.

You’ll remember that back in 2015, Chinatown power broker Rose Pak wanted Mayor Ed Lee to appoint Pak favorite Cindy Wu to the Board of Supervisors from District Three. Her plan was that Wu would replace former Supervisor David Chiu, who had been elected to the state Assembly.

Lee went with Julie Christensen instead. That would have been fine if former board President Aaron Peskin hadn’t reviewed the city bylaws and confirmed he could run for supervisor again after sitting out four years.

Christensen served out the rest of Chiu’s term, but the Peskin juggernaut knocked off her off in November. Peskin became the D3 supervisor again, and except for some leftover hard feelings from Pak, that seemed to be that.

Not so fast. For starters, Wu, a planning commissioner, is back in play. She’s just been elected to the Democratic Country Central Committee and is getting a strong push from Peskin and Pak to become the committee’s chair. That would put her in a power position in the influential organization.

“I would hope she’d win,” Pak said. “She’s smart, she’s a woman, and she’s a minority. Why shouldn’t she?’

We will know Wednesday, when the committee members are scheduled to vote. Insiders say it’s between Wu and Keith Baraka, who can match Wu for politically correct San Francisco credentials: He’s a gay, African American firefighter.

But wait, there’s more. Wu has moved to District Six, and although she told me it was for lower rent, insiders smirk at the idea. D6 is represented by Supervisor Jane Kim, and Pak and Peskin are pushing Kim in her state Senate battle with Supervisor Scott Wiener.

Whoever wins, Lee will appoint the successor. He’d love to go with a moderate, of course, to tip the board’s balance of power. Right now, the board is generally split 6-5 toward the progressive wing, with Kim among the six.

Drive to recall mayor

Of course, the mayor’s life will be calmer in the short term if Wiener wins. Lee could appoint a moderate replacement, which would be fine with Wiener’s District Eight, which votes mostly middle of the road.

But if Kim wins, Lee is going to get lots of pressure from Pak to make it right this time and pick Wu. He can defy her, but that didn’t work out so well last time.

All of which, believe it or not, leads to last week’s announcement of an attempt to recall Lee. Granted, the group behind it is small and quixotic, and its prospects are slim. But Lee’s supporters are taking no chances.

Since Friday they have held two rallies — each some 200 attendees strong — supporting Lee. There’s another one planned before Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.

And one of the major organizers is ... wait for it ... Pak.

“The recall is a waste of time, a waste of money and a waste of resources,” she said. “I want this recall dead on the tracks before it gets any traction. They’re crazy. We just elected the guy six months ago. No elected city official is going to support them. And I want them to know that early.”

But, I asked, aren’t you and the mayor feuding?

“I’m not a moron,” Pak said. “You have to separate the issues. Everybody knows I had a major disagreement with the mayor. But I know everyone understands he is the first Chinese American mayor ever elected in a major city.”

Pak insists she’s always been supportive of Lee. She says she raised $350,000 for his re-election in November and has mobilized an impressive cross-section of political heavy hitters to bludgeon a recall. Supervisor David Campos, a regular Lee critic, spoke up loudly at the Sunday rally, and Pak says Supervisors John Avalos, Eric Mar and Malia Cohen are on board, too.

Peskin’s authority

So, I asked, does that mean that if Kim wins the state Senate seat, you’d expect the mayor to repay this support by appointing Wu?

Pak didn’t answer. She just laughed and laughed.

Meanwhile, you have to think that for a wily political insider like Peskin, this is great fun. He’s controlling the board agenda, and he’s smart enough to stand aside and let the termed-out far-left types, Avalos and Campos, handle the divisive proposals.

“It’s all sleight of hand,” said a City Hall official. “Peskin is behind the scenes.”

And yet, as the wheeling and dealing plays out, at City Hall they’re saying they haven’t seen such a progressive power play since the last time Peskin was on the board.

All that’s missing is Chris Daly.

C.W. Nevius is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. His columns appear Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Email: cwnevius@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @cwnevius