September 1, 2008 5:00 PM

Amy Goodman of Democracy Now Arrested

The logic of preventive war has been extended to preventive arrest and detention to squelch political protect and media coverage. Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, a frequent recipient of Working Assets/CREDO philanthropy and among the best journalists currently practicing, has been arrested in St. Paul for her attempted coverage of the Republican National Convention. Details are available at the Pacifica Network's election site.

The initial report is that she was arrested for "probably cause for riot", which is transparently laughable, but simply shows that an Administration which selects those who can attend its campaign events is now selecting those allowed to cover it.

UPDATE: Democracy Now is urging those concerned about repression of the press to contact the office of St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman at 651-266-8535 to demand the immediate release of Goodman and all other jailed journalists.

UPDATE2: The mail box for this phone number is now full. Am searching for alternatives. Seems likely the relevant officials are Federal, not local. The White House comment line is 202-456-1111, but does not take voice mail and is open from 9-5 East Coast time during regular working days.