COURT JESTERINGS

With h brown

Photo(s) by Luke Thomas

Court Jester seeks Amnesty International
intervention in Wolf case

By h. brown

March 20, 2007

Does Josh need Amnesty International?

(will they move him to Guantanomo?)

Josh Wolf is a political prisoner within his own country. That is a fact. He is held because of his political beliefs. No other reason.

So, what do you do when there can be no justice from your own government? You seek it through the World Court. But first, through publicity from Amnesty International.

The Bush administration locked him up. Bush's Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales personally signed the order to arrest Josh. This is the same Alberto Gonzales who wrote a legal rationalization supporting the right of the Bush administration to move anyone they want from country to country and torture them in secret prisons.

This is the same Alberto Gonzales who just fired 8 federal district attorneys generals for political purposes. What are you gonna do? Appeal to the Supreme Court, perhaps? It's stacked and votes along party lines. There is, in fact, no ultimate justice in today's continuum of American jurisprudence.

Are you listening? Your president is doing this and no one is calling for his impeachment? Certainly not Nancy Pelosi. Or, Harry Reid. Where does one turn?

Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Peaceful protest

Starting today, Josh's mom and dad will welcome fellow well-wishers to their vigil in front of the Federal building on Larkin at Golden Gate. The 24/7 demonstration will evolve into a mother's hunger strike if Josh is not released. We may need, as mentioned, Amnesty International on this one and it could end up with the Attorney General of the United States indicted by the World Court. These people make Nixon look like a bleeding-heart liberal.

I'm dusting off my 'Free Josh' sign and heading over there and if you value freedom of the press and have a few minutes, it is your duty as an American to come by and hang out. Realize what you're up against.

You will be photographed and catalogued by the FBI. Homeland Security probably already has a file on you. This is not your father's America. This is Bushland. They'd kill you if they could. The last demonstration I attended in front of that building featured a security force with only half of the guards wearing ID's. Look for the ones without ID's. They'll be the first to snap a visor down and start whacking grandmothers with billy clubs.

If you have a camera, take pics of the cops. Particularly the ones who don't have any identification. It's illegal for them to not have any identifying numbers. Some of them will put tape on their badge numbers. Watch out for these pricks. They have decided in advance that they are going to bust some skulls and they are too cowardly to do it with their family names over their breast pocket.

Danny Glover for Mayor

Jesus Christ, does this one have legs!?! The unapologetic AIPAC forces are out from New York to San Francisco to smother this babyin its crib before it even gets its first bottle. Go Danny go.

Danny Glover

The Gonzalez forces hate the idea. The Newsom people must have run a poll because they are approaching apoplexy. Let me say a few words about this subject.

Idea came from 'Wish you were dead'

Political junkies in town are divided upon the idea of Glover running for Mayor. Half of them are Downtwon hacks terrified of the prospect. The other half are trying to take credit for the idea.

We'll deal with the first half of the mob later. As regards the origination of the idea (listen up, Danny) … it came from an anonymous poster who titles himself: 'Wish you were dead'. He began pushing your name for public office last year when Sarah Lipson announced she wouldn't run for re-election to the School Board. Clearly, that wouldn't have been a position from which you can have maximum impact. 'Wish' prefers to remain anonymous.

Mirkarimi to call Press hearing?

The Josh Wolf Vigil began an hour or so ago in front of the Federal Building at Larkin and Golden Gate. I brought the subject up with D-5's Supervisor, Ross Mirkarimi at his monthly art opening in his office last Friday. I noted that with the entire argument of Josh's imprisonment revolving around the definition of 'journalist' in today's America, that it might be a good idea to have another hearing on the topic.

Ross agreed but noted that the last hearing was before the Rules Committee and that Rules Chair, Tom Ammiano would have to call up the item. So, Tom, how about it?

I intend to bring up the topic of the federal shield law at the hearing, should it occur. My concern is that, as presently defined, the law does not cover unpaid online journalists who could still be locked up by the likes of Judge William Alsup. Federal law should not enshrine the idea that the likes of Ken Garcia and Pat Murphy - paid by Downtown interests and are totally biased - are legitimate journalists who can keep their sources private, … but that writers such as myself who are unpaid (and, admittedly, nevertheless of a totally biased point of view) … should have to give up Eileen Left's real name.

At any rate, I call upon the good Supervisor Mirkarimi to make note of the Wolf family's continuing vigil for Josh's release when he makes his 'Roll Call for Introductions' presentation before the Full Board at Tuesday's meeting.

Odds and ends and odd ends

Salon on Friday was alive with ideas growing like fungi in the warm sun. An 'associate' ("I used to work for Kamala, but I don't now.") of D.A., Kamala Harris, showed up for the 2nd time in 3 weeks and sat next to our roiling group to listen. She'd been pointed out to me a couple of weeks ago but I didn't say anything to her. I mean, shit, you don't have to spy on us. Just show up and sit at the table with us. I'll out her by name if she shows up again.

Gonzo roomie, Jimmy Dorenkott showed up at the Mirkarimi event, soused, angry, threatening and unkempt. Christ, it was like looking in the mirror.

So, Dorenkott threatened Marc Salomon (which he's done before) and trembled with rage until calmed by the 'Persian Colossus' himself. Email contacts with Gonzalez requesting he rein in this present-day, Luca Brazzi heard Matt reply that: "Jim is his own man.". Sure, and Jennifer Siebel didn't get her ideas about Ruby Tourk from Gavin. Poor form. Kind of fun, though. Look for a repeat side-show at noon today when all sides of the conflict (has to do with feminism and equal billing for women) will gather in front of the aforementioned Federal Building to either implore the new House Speaker to push for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, … or, perhaps, the Greens will just roll on the ground and fight with each other.

Glover for Mayor.

h. brown is a 62 year-old keeper of sfbulldog.com, an eclectic site featuring a half dozen City Hall denizens. h is a former sailor, firefighter, teacher, nightclub owner, and a hard-living satirical muckraker. Email h at h@ludd.net.

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