Burglar tries to break in Judge Lillian Sing's car

Judge Lillian Sing got a taste of judicial medicine the other day when a convicted car burglar she was trying to help walked out of her San Francisco courtroom and, within minutes, was busted for allegedly breaking into her car.

Phillip Bernard was in Community Court on Tuesday for a check of his progress while on probation for an auto burglary conviction.

Bernard, who is homeless, had missed an earlier appearance and had failed to follow his probation requirements. "I wasn't too happy with him," Sing said.

But Community Court is set up to get people help, not send them to jail for minor infractions. So Sing let him off with a stern admonishment.

"I told him he had better get into a harm reduction program and get going with a job search," Sing said.

No sooner did Sing's gavel go down, however, than Bernard exited the Polk Street courtroom, went around to the alley in back, pulled out a weighted sock and smashed the rear passenger window of a car, police said.

As fate would have it, a couple of beat cops were passing by. They nabbed Bernard, ran the car's plate and bingo - up popped the judge's name.

"He did it right under my nose," Sing said.

Bernard, 32, is now back behind bars, facing another auto burglary charge.

His next court date is Tuesday, this time in Superior Court.

As for this validating those who say Community Court is just a revolving door for petty criminals like Bernard?

"He's just one of 1,600 we deal with," Sing said. "Most of them do really well."

Maybe - but this is the one who is going to be remembered.

Giant moment: If President Obama isn't a closet Giants fan, he certainly plays the part well.

Giants legend Willie Mays told the crowd at Obama's fundraiser the other day at the Merchants Exchange Building that he had always wanted to ride on Air Force One. After the president took office, No. 24 asked his attorney, Jeff Bleich - a major Democratic donor and now ambassador to Australia - to lobby the White House.

"Five minutes later," Mays told the crowd, he got a call. "It was so quick."

When he took to the podium, Obama said, "It is true that they provide me with this really nice plane in this job. But as cool as Air Force One is, it is much cooler when Willie Mays is with you on the plane."

More proof of the president's orange-and-black cred: As Obama was saying hello to the assembled VIPs, he leaned over and whispered into Giants President Larry Baer's ear, "So, has (Tim) Lincecum figured it out?"

Quick cash: President Obama's quick stop for cash may have been a little too quick.

Our backroom spies tell us the event at the Merchants Exchange Building, for which organizers had only a week to prepare, was a bit loose.

"I had four big donors come up to me and ask, 'Who do I give my check to?' " said one VIP in attendance. "And then they walked out with the checks still in their pockets."

Up in smoke: No one is conceding publicly, but backers of Proposition 29, the buck-a-pack tax on smokes, say they realize the odds are against them when it comes to overcoming the opposition's razor-thin lead in the continuing vote count.

It all comes down to vote-heavy Los Angeles - which went "no" after weeks of saturation bombing of TV ads by Big Tobacco.

What really hurt for proponents, however, was the lack of any last-minute support to try to beat back the $40 million-plus "no" campaign.

"We thought we'd get a couple of really big hitters from the health or hospital groups to help in the end, but nobody signed any checks," said former state Senate leader Don Perata.

"If we had, we could have won."

Brown vs. Newsom: In the ever-simmering game of one-upmanship between Gov. Jerry Brown and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, score one for Newsom.

Early on in the race for San Diego mayor, Newsom endorsed the Democrat, Rep. Bob Filner - sending out tweets on his behalf and even hosting a get-out-the-vote rally.

The governor gave a hand to Republican-turned-independent Nathan Fletcher. Although he stopped short of an endorsement, Brown did praise Fletcher in a robo call that went to Democrats.

On Tuesday, it was Newsom's pick who emerged the winner to face a Republican in the fall.

Brown's political adviser Steve Glazer brushed off the scorekeeping as "petty games."

Despite the election loss, he said, "the governor is willing to defend members of either party who cast tough votes to balance the budget and close tax loopholes."

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