San Francisco Diary--Journal Of An Exile

Another week, another alternate reality. San Francisco is never inconsistent. Whatever you would expect a normal town to do, you can be pretty sure San Francisco will do the opposite. I think the thing that amazes me is The City's amazing ability not only to face the same situations as other cities and come up with weirdly different solutions, but also its ability to search and find problems to be solved that nobody previously knew existed.

Note: We've spent a little time on a couple of our articles discussing Obama's Nobel Peace Prize. But San Francisco's opinion (as mentioned above), though not shocking, is a bit skewed from the overall American opinion. As you would expect, there was some exhilaration among the disciples. The rest of the reactions ranged from surprise to anger (but not conservative anger). The most common response to reporters' polls was confusion as to why he would get the prize this early and with no accomplishments. Many responders added the specfic reasons for their surprise. One said: "Why now, when Guantanamo remains open and troop levels have dropped significantly in Iraq and have grown in Afghanistan?" Are you starting to get the drift?

San Francisco Supervisor John Avalos introduced a resolution urging the United States federal government to end the U. S. Military occupation of Afghanistan while providing humanitarian aid to support the recovery of the country from the effects of the war. So you would be guessing properly if he is angry about Obama getting a peace award while America is conducting a war, any war, for any reason, at any time, in any place. That was the typical angry reaction in San Francisco.

NOTE: The National Republican Congressional Committee issued a press release which said: "If Nancy Pelosi's failed economic policies are any indicator of the effect she may have on Afghanistan, taxpayers can only hope [General] McChrystal is able to put her in her place." San Fran Nan responded with her usual brilliance and humility, responding with feminist non-sequiturs rather than actual argument: "It is really sad, they really don't understand how inappropriate that is. I am in my place. I am the Speaker of the House, the first woman Speaker of the House, and I am in my place because the House of Representatives voted me there. But that language isn't something I've heard in decades." Obviously, the Committee's comment was talking about putting women in their place. It couldn't have been about putting idiots in their place.

Nancy is also probably unaware that there is a major defection in the California Congressional delegation. Former San Francisco Mayor and current senior Senator from California Dianne Feinstein has come out in support of McChrystal and the troop surge with 40,000 new troops. She has chided the Messiah for his indecision, adding that he is endangering not only the war, but the lives of American military men and women as well as Afghan civilians.

Note: It's been a very gay week in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Former San Francisco Supervisor and current State Assembly"man" Tom Ammiano attended a Democratic fundraiser at San Francisco's famous Fairmont Hotel to which Governor Schwarzenneger was invited as a guest honorary speaker. While he was speaking, Ammiano repeatedly yelled "you lie." Ammiano finally got up, and in his best drama queen fashion, stormed out of the room while loudly proclaiming "he can kiss my ass." Knowing all about Ammiano, "kiss" was probably not the appropriate verb, but that's another story for another time.

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, known for his outspoken talk, is lambasting what he calls "highly inappropriate" behavior by San Francisco Democrats who were so openly hostile to the Governator. Brown elaborated that both the Governor and former President Clinton were invited to the fundraiser by the hosts, the organizers of the event. Clinton was unable to attend.

Note: The uncivilized behavior followed the Governor's earlier signature on a bill creating a state day to honor the slain San Francisco gay supervisor Harvey Milk Day. Ahnuld must not have heard the expression "no good deed goes unpunished." Ammiano was Milk's disciple and successor as the "Mayor of the Castro." None of that seemed to matter to the little twerp when there was an opportunity to act out. He occasionally forgets that once he was elected to public office his former career as a standup shock comic was supposed to be left behind. Democratic State Senator Mark Leno, also a graduate of the Castro Club, was appalled, and thanked the Governor for revisiting the Milk bill and deciding to sign it rather than veto it.

Note: Leno sponsored another gay rights bill which the Governor also signed. The Governor was under heavy pressure from multiple conservative and family groups not to sign the bill. But Mr. Maria Shriver seems to have gotten in touch with his gay side. For those who don't know, in upholding Proposition 8, the California Supreme Court held that all California gay marriages performed between its earlier decision upholding gay marriage and its subsequent ruling upholding Proposition 8's prohibition of gay marriage remained valid. That was a period of approximately five months. The bill provides two things: Gay couples who were married out of state will have their marriages recognized in California if the out-of-state marriage took place during that interim period. Those performed after Proposition 8 was upheld will not be treated as marriages, but will receive all the recognition California law gives to domestic partnerships.

The Governor would have been completely within his rights vetoing the bill, and would have suffered no serious political damage. He's a lame duck, and hasn't shown any desire to seek further political office. What political support that he still had from conservatives disappeared with the stroke of his pen on that bill. None of this had any effect on queen bee Ammiano.

Note: San Francisco had a large weekend rally to correspond with the one in DC requesting Obama to start doing something about his promises concerning gay marriage and gays in the military. Just like the confusion about Obama's peace prize, there seemed to be a large degree of mystification about why Obama continues to be paralyzed with indecision about the gay community's demands. But they just love the big lug. So a common remark was "I'd like to see it happen faster," said marcher Drew Wilhite who came to the event from Fresno. "But I understand that social change takes time." Wilhite maintains that Obama's unaltered lack of action is "a great start." Toward what, he wasn't entirely sure. He just likes presidential vows.

The event was preceded by a march across the Golden Gate Bridge which ended up at the demonstration in City Hall Plaza. Marcher Nell Barnes, also of Fresno, was not as kind as Wilhite. She said: "It's interesting to me that a man who comes from an oppressed race doesn't just do it, with a swipe of the pen." Barnes has not figured out that Obama is only half-black, and is therefore also half white oppressor. His measures will always be half-measures at best, and more likely simply half-assed.