by ortcutt [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

(This is more of a quick hit than a diary, but I thought this news was just too juicy to ignore.)

It looks like Jackie Speier is pretty seriously considering running in CA-12 against Tom Lantos.

Demo derby: Former state Sen. Jackie Speier has just signed Mayor Gavin Newsom's onetime campaign manager Alex Tourk to help launch her still-unofficial campaign to unseat Peninsula Congressman Tom Lantos in next June's Democratic primary.

"She hasn't declared yet, but she asked me to join her team - and I'm honored to be part of it," Tourk said Friday. "And I'm confident when people are reminded of her record and talk to her one-on-one in house meetings, there will be no doubt her time is now."

(Matier and Ross)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/...

Tourk was Gavin Newsom's campaign manager and deputy chief of staff ... until it was revealed that Newsom was sleeping with Tourk's wife, Ruby Rippey-Tourk.  I don't know much about Tourk but he has a reputation for being a skilled political consultant so this is another sign that Speier is getting closer to running for CA-12.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

I had a hearty chuckle over the weekend reading the San Francisco Chronicle's editorial page editor, John Diaz, finding himself caught in the web he's weaved about "Sacramento politicians" dragging their feet on redistricting and election reform. Apparently the system we have in place is working in the Bay Area, and Diaz isn't quite sure how to deal with it.
 
Diaz reports that there are two hotly-contested Democratic primaries on the horizon: the much talked about face-off between Sen. Carole Migden and Assemblyman Mark Leno (with the possibility of the entry of former Assemblymember Joe Nation) as well as a potential donnybrook between incumbent Congressman Tom Lantos and former State Senator Jackie Speier. Indeed, these are looking like contests where Democrats will have to choose between outstanding candidates in safe Democratic districts.
 
Not that redistricting would change a thing. The Bay Area is solid Democratic; no possible map redrawing is going to change that. Yet Diaz constantly moans in his editorials about how redistricting is going to be the be-all and end-all that will change California politics.
 
Yet right in his own backyard there are two major challenges in the making.
 

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Former State Senator Jackie Speier is Exhibit A for why California's term limits law needs to be reformed.

The popular Bay Area legislator was one of the most effective in the California legislature, writing laws to protect privacy, advance women's rights, and help consumers. Yet just as she was in her prime, she was forced out of office by term limits.

In 2006, she finished a strong second in a three-way battle for LG behind the eventual winner, John Garamendi. Impressive as she was on the stump, Speier came up short in both name ID and money against Garamendi. Her campaign hasn't ended: Speier wrote a book and has been active in Democratic politics, particularly in building a network of strong women supporters.

Now it appears that Speier will take a shot at long-time incumbent Congressman Tom Lantos and face the same obstacles as she did in the LG primary.

For starters, Lantos is extremely tight with Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Speaker doesn't take kindly to primary challenges to incumbent Democrats. They drain campaign cash that would otherwise be used against Republicans. On top of that, Lantos is a key Pelosi ally, and is a powerful voice in the Democratic majority's foreign policy strategy and a recognized Bush critic.

There's more...

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by Carole Dorshkind [courtesy of Blog for America]

On Friday six peace-loving, dedicated San Mateo County (CA) Democracy for America members visited Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA 12), Chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee, to ask him to continue to support the efforts to get out of Iraq.

Check out the excellent diary created by one of the group on Daily Kos and find out why we're watching  for Lantos' wink: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/31/172930/691

Give us a wink Congressman Lantos! Our SMCDFA Visit by Heather in SFBay Fri Aug 31, 2007 at 08:05:50 PM PDT

According to Tom Lantos, he told us he's going to have one of the busiest Congressional schedules he's had in his career this next week.

The question is, busy or not, will it be as productive as we hope?

Oh that, and will I really be able to tell if the Congressman winks?