March 18, 2008
Breaking News: Mayor Newsom Snubs Olympic Torch Naysayers
The battle to keep the Olympic torch from hitting the streets of San Francisco is looking grim. Yesterday outside City Hall, around 40 people rallying for a free Tibet/damning the Olympic flame were allegedly "snubbed" by Mayor Gavin Newsom. Ouch. According to KCBS:
Nearly three dozen protestors stood outside City Hall Monday, hoping to enlist the mayor's support in pressuring Beijing to stop the military crackdown on dissidents in Tibet. But Newsom entered the building without stopping to meet with them."He just walked right past us and he just ignored us completely," said one protester.
Eh. The mayor probably must walk past a protest per week getting into City Hall. All things considered, they shouldn't take it too personally.
KCBS goes on to lavish praise on the Gav, saying "he is as concerned about human rights violations in Tibet as anyone...but has never scheduled a sit down in the middle of a protest when he has a city to run."
Well then.
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Newsom doesn't have the ballz to stand up to Rose Pak and her political machine. Too bad the Feds don't make her register as a foreign agent,because she does a lot of lobbying for the PRC. He's looking forward to running for governor in 2010 and doesn't want to piss off one of CA's major trading partners.
Not to be on topic here, but did anyone else notice that the NY Times had seven (7!) articles about Tibet today? I don't think I've ever seen them dedicate so much ink to one subject in a good 5 years.
Darfur!
Gavin "runs the city"??? That is news to me.
Until we take care of our own mess in Iraq, it is completely hypocritical to protest China's forcible occupation of a foreign country and the brutalization of its citizenry.
hmm... coming on 5 year anniversary of an illegal war that targets innocents on accident vs. 500 years of brutal repression of a specific minority that is doing nothing but peaceful protest.
You're right, Chris. Absolute apples to apples.
Plus, the people advocating for Tibet totally support the occupation of Iraq. Hell, Bush probably even asked them for permission beforehand.
"So, you guys are like the experts on protesting forcible occupations of a foreign country and the brutalization of its citizenry. Here's what I have planned for Iraq, does it sound like something you would hate?"
"Nah, it's cool."
Reason 342 why I voted for that naked yoga guy and not Newsom.
Maybe Newsom can carry the torch in his new Tesla.
http://valleywag.com/369458/gavin-newsom-soon-to-be-driving-tesla-roadster
If we're lucky, while trying to avoid a pothole, he'll run over Rose Pak.