The WaPo had an article about how

The stakes in the (MS-)1st District special election couldn't be higher, strategically or symbolically. The loss of a traditionally GOP seat to a Democrat would be the third in a special election this spring and the second in the Deep South after the May 3 victory of Rep. Don Cazayoux (D-La.).

No kidding, we've got the bastards on the run, and now's not the time to let up.

For months now, I've been looking at the CA-08's Nancy Pelosi as having a free ride. She was totally unassailable in her sinecure as elected Rep. of the CA-08, and subsequently, Speaker of the House. Her seat is safer than safe, safer than money in the bank, especially these days. The odds of a progressive revolt in the House, deposing both Pelosi and Hoyer, are laughable to nil. The only progressive way to challenge Nancy-Dear was She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-(here).

Then, within the last week or two, I had an Obi-Wan moment.

Yoda: Told you I did. Reckless is he. Now, matters are worse.
Obi-Wan: That boy is our last hope.
Yoda: No. There is another.

No kidding. Super Tuesday, I posted a joke diary that started with:

   A Jewish man and a Chinese man were conversing. The Jewish man commented upon what a wise people the Chinese are.

   "Yes," replied the Chinese man, "Our culture is over 4,000 years old. But, you Jews are a very wise people, too."

   The Jewish man replied, "Yes, our culture is over 5,000 years old."

   The Chinese man was incredulous, "That's impossible, he replied. Where did your people eat for a thousand years?"

Turns out in Israel yesterday, you couldn't buy egg rolls. In two weeks, no sushi for you!

Earlier today, Asinus Asinum Fricat posted a cheap joke diary, just to occupy us for a little while. This, IMHO, is a good idea. I was going to diary about how I'd voted for Edwards yesterday, but this is better. Go ahead, be politically incorrect, be rude, be whatever, but be funny.

Here we go.

A Jewish man and a Chinese man were conversing. The Jewish man commented upon what a wise people the Chinese are.

"Yes," replied the Chinese man, "Our culture is over 4,000 years old. But, you Jews are a very wise people, too."

The Jewish man replied, "Yes, our culture is over 5,000 years old."

The Chinese man was incredulous, "That's impossible, he replied. Where did your people eat for a thousand years?"

Disclaimer: I have never been in the military. I would be a really bad candidate for military service. I could not hit the broad-side of a barn with a shotgun if I was inside the barn at the time. No military officer in their right mind would issue me a weapon except perhaps a slingshot. Not a real sling; the kind with rubber bands.

Hi there!

I don't want to get anyone upset, and, yes, I'm a fascist, controlling, creativity-stifling SOB, (and sadistic, too, if anyone needs an unconventional dating experience...) but I'd like to ask that some of you pay a little more attention to tagging. Why? I'm glad you asked....

Tags are the kossian equivalent of the Index in the back of a book. Tags help organize the Daily Kos library. What's in it foru you? Tags help other people find your work. So, when November 5, 2008 rolls around, and [insert your candidate's name] wins, everyone can do a tag search, and find all the stuff you, and everyone else has written about your candidate!!! Or for all the machinations around the election, they can search 2008 elections, and see all the dirty tricks that [not your candidate] tried to pull. People writing diaries years from now will be able to find your wise counsel, in this most critical of times, if you take a moment or two to tag carefully.

Nancy Pelosi, at this point in time will be re-elected in 2008 without significant opposition. She has no primary challenger, the Republican candidate in 2006 did not break 11%. She-who-must-not-be-named has name recognition (except here), but little else.

Let me say that I think Nancy Pelosi was a fine Representative for the district. I used to live there, and if I still lived there, I would vote for her again to represent the CA-08. However, as Speaker of the House, she has been a disappointment. That's my nice word, she's been an abject failure, a shanda, a betrayer of the Constitution to which she swore her oath.

There is an opening for someone to run for Representative to the US House in 2008, for the 8th congressional district of the State of California. The district covers most of the City and County of San Francisco, California.

Notice: This is a temporary position, expires on June 3, 2008, with an option to renew. Full requirements list here.  Successful candidate must have extensive fund raising skills, and be comfortable speaking in public. Candidate must speak English, with Italian, Spanish or Chinese a plus. (English requirement waived if your father is a former President and former head of the CIA.)

You must be familiar with, and willing to relocate to, the CA-08. Interested? Keep reading.

On Friday's front page, kos pointed out that

We don't have much power. In fact, we have very little.

As we've learned this year, Democrats in DC are more afraid of David Broder, Joe Klein, and Mr. 24%, than they are of their constituents. They are more concerned with Beltway opinion than they are with the national consensus. They are happier dealing with lobbyists than they are dealing with real people. They are more concerned with avoiding criticism than they are of delivering campaign promises.

(snip)  

And they know damn well we'd rather hold our nose and vote for them than risk an even viler Republican slip in their stead.

So what does that leave us? Well, we have one tool at our disposal, our only way to influence the behavior of our elected officials:

We can primary them

Good enough. But then there's Nancy Pelosi's district, the California 8th. So far, there is no Democratic primary challenger to Nancy. There are two Rs running, a potential Green (not Matt Gonzalez, thank G-d), and she-who-must-not-be-named-here, running as an Independent. All this comes together after the jump.  

Just for fun, don't follow the links, yet. Time Magazine had a cover story that asked "Is the U.S. Going Broke?" The anti-war movement was gaining strength in the United States. And Republicans didn't like veterans for peace, much. There were people who believed crap like this:

Skepticism and cynicism are widespread in America. The people are skeptical of platforms filled with political platitudes—of promises made by opportunistic politicians.

The people are cynical about the idea that a rosy future is just around the corner.

And is it any wonder that the people are skeptical and cynical of the whole political process?

Our traditions, our history, our Constitution, our lives, all say that America belongs to its people.

But the people no longer believe it.

They feel that the government is run for the privileged few rather than for the many-and they are right. (all emphasis mine)

Guess who they were?

Hi! This is just a few quick pick pictures orf the SF chapter(?) of the peace rallys that happened nation-wide today. Just a few pictures and impressions, starting with She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

link

The guy with the Cindy Congress sign is Brad Newsham, heroic Green-cab driver (it's a Prieus!) who does this for us.

More, but not too many, after the break

Do you contribute to political campaigns? Not the "umbrella" groups like the DNC, DCCC, DSCC, etc. but to a specific candidates. If you never have and never will, this diary is not for you. Everybody else, follow me....

WinSmith's Diary/rant on Friday, asks

To quote the great Bluto Blutarski, what the fuck happened to the Daily Kos I used to know?  Where's the guts, you pansies?  Where's the spirit?...(snip)...But the amount of whiny diaries because the apparently superhuman Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi can't transform a broken Washington media establishment that lies and covers for a systemic broken republican party is like complaining that your doctor can't cure your cancer inside of three weeks...(snip)...But to quit the democratic party because they don't move fast enough? To see all the posts about how people aren't giving any more money to democrats? Or going to not vote in 2008?

Is WinSmith right? Are we just a bunch of whiney liberals? Are we now a part of the problem? I wanted a poll to find out, but I needed more content, so...

Hi all!

Well, I thought this would have been diaried here already. Beach Impeach III was a rousing success. Just shows you what can be done with a little creativity and about a thousand of your closest friends and total strangers. This time Brad Newsham outdid himself. We started with IMPEACH!