The backlash has started. A few are livid over Barack Obama's surreptitious statements about the poor, armed, and God-fearing that he made over at the Getty manse; others are going into hysterics over ABC's treatment of Barack Obama during the this week's debate. (Actually, some of it was inanely amusing, which, most important of all, made for fantastic television. Check out Ms. Nash McCabe of Pennsylvania [at 1:46] asking Obama if he "believes in......

With regard to the SFBG vs. SF Weekly (VVM) lawsuit -- you know, the one where the Guardian sued the Weekly and its parent company for predatory pricing practices? where the Guardian's Publisher, Bruce Brugmann, claimed that the competition was so unreasonable that it could force the Guardian out of business? -- our sources confirm that: Word just came that Guardian won the lawsuit and were awarded 6.3 million [the Gate is claiming $15M]......

Photo by Andy Sternberg/LAist A posthumous tribute wall dedicated to singer/songwriter Elliot Smith sat defaced by graffiti for months on end -- LAist said enough, so did the fans and city council.SFist was surprised to learn that chronic presidential candidate Ralph Nader picked former San Francisco Supervisor Matt Gonzalez as his running mate.Phillyist explored the possibilities of green cleaning.In the latest edition of Reel Toronto, a bi-weekly feature looking at films shot in Toronto......

We overheard the following (drunk) remark at our corner store today: He kicked Gavin's butt now, right? Hooooo! Interesting. While Gonzalez has no chance of winning, at least not during this year's election, which is more important, ego-wise: Ralph Nader choosing Matt as his running mate, or Newsom still kicking it as mayor of SF? Can Gonzalez, who was defeated by Newsom many moons ago, now piss farther than Gavin?......

Usually when a Presidential candidate announces his VP choice it's either to try and help him win some state or area that could help him win or to try and strengthen an apparent weakness. For example, Bill Clinton chose Al Gore to help him try and win the south. And in 2000, George Bush selected Dick Cheney to help alleviate concerns about his lack of experience and evilness. So with that, we announce that Ralph Nader's choice as his Vice President is our very own Matt Gonzalez....

Ralph Nader announced yesterday that he will take yet another tireless stab at the Oval Office, this time running as an Independent in the 2008 presidential election. Oh joy. Prattling on endlessly about how the Democratic and Republican candidates aren't addressing the issues, and blah blah, who cares, this will be his fifth attempt at snatching the title President of the United States of American. What with a black man, Barack Obama, in the......

It's not too late to see the Green Presidential Debate that Matters...

The Chron, giving you the news from the animal point of view! They settled the Alameda County garbage strike lockout! After a nine-hour mediation, Oakland mayor Ron Dellums announced late yesterday night that all the parties had managed to resolve the four-week dispute. No one can disclose the details, but the union will vote on whether to accept the proposal this Saturday. If the union approves the deal, regular garbage pickup could resume as early......

SFist Jon's away this weekend, so you're stuck with us! --Yahoo's Jerry Yang is donating $75 million to Stanford. Does that mean he'll get fewer calls from the alumni giving committee.... or more? --SFPartyParty's offering a bottle of wine to the (over-21) author of the funniest email to Gavin Newsom about his cancellation of the How Weird electronica/peace Street Fair. Meanwhile, Left in SF spreads the word about a How Weird letter writing campaign.......

Ralph Nader is in town this week to promote his new book, The Seventeen Traditions. He did an interview with KGO radio criticizing Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi and 2008 Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton. ...

-It looks like it's a bad time to try and fly east. -Taxi Commission hires a private dick. ...

Last week's winner, the Bay Guardian. Tim Redmond handicaps the SF mayor's race (they're becoming disenchanted with Matt Gonzalez?). It's the all Chris Daly news section: Chris on the How Weird Street Faire, Chris on campaign finance reform, Chris and the ethics commission. Why didn't they also ask Chris for a quote on the Mission street cleaning proposal? Cover article: "Where do stolen bikes go? Can they find their way home? Back to the open......

Today is the President's State of the Union speech, which basically means staying completely away from the TV or the non-Lindsey Lohan obsessed internets for the night lest we get over-run with a tidal wave of bile that these things cause. We hear this year's speech is going to be a doozy too-- while W. shreds the constitution, all the Republicans in congress will sit back and smoke cigars lit by $100 bills given to them by Jack Abramoff. Which raises the question of what to do? Well, there's always NetFlix, of course, as well as good old TiVo. It's also a good night to go to the movies and while Brokeback Mountain is all too obvious of a choice, not to mention something we've all seen by now, we'd like to suggest the Underworld: Evolution as there's something appropriate about watching a blood-drenched movie featuring both Vampires, Werewolves and Kate Beckinsale in a black leather outfit. Ba Bow! ...

Ralph Nader may have recently swung by and accused college students of not doing enough to get actively politically, but a bunch of Stanford students seem to be rising to the challenge. Led by Walter Haas, son of well-known Bay Area philanthropist Walter Haas, the group of Stanford students are rallying for a cause SFist can easily get behind, changing the closing time of bars from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. Haas is trying to rally a bunch of organizations to support him by claiming that letting bars serve drinks past 2 will actually save lives. ...

Speaking of Ralph Nader, looks like his options in California are running out. Last night the state Green Party executive committee, in an 11-7 vote, rejected Nader's request that the party hold its own nominating convention, which may have led to Nader's being on the ballot for President under the Green banner rather than David Cobb, who took the nomination in the national party convention in Milwaukee two months ago....

The Daily Californian reports today that longtime Berkeley City Councilmember Maudelle Shirek failed to gather enough valid signatures to get on the ballot in November. This right on the heels of Ralph Nader's failure to gather enough valid signatures to get on the California statewide ballot for the same election....