May 30, 2008

2 strong bids for Congress:

Incumbent needs time to learn ropes in the Capitol

Editorial

Simple common sense dictates that Jackie Speier be given the Democratic nomination for the 12th Congressional District seat she won in a landslide just last month. She is, after all, still learning the ropes and remains the most seasoned candidate in the race, with 18 years in the state Legislature.

Speier deserves the opportunity to follow through on promises to stay true to her constituency while pushing consumer issues and a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

Her initial weeks in Congress show she could benefit from some seasoning, however.

She helped endear herself to war critics when, right after being sworn in, she called for an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq, riling Republicans in the audience. This underscored her reputation as a maverick, though some of her opponents question the timing of those remarks.

Shortly after stirring the pot, Speier fell into line behind Speaker Nancy Pelosi in voting for a controversial $300 billion farm bill, which she later admitted was a mistake given the generous subsidies agribusinesses enjoy. She noted that she is just getting started in Congress, which she described as an inauspicious time to buck party leadership. Is Washington wearing down the maverick from California, already?

This early in the game, it's fair to call this a learning experience and hope she does indeed take something from it.

Speier has a lot of work to do, juggling the needs of her district and the requirements of a political life in the Capitol. Hopefully she will balance the two while she pursues an ambitious agenda. We think Democrats should offer her that chance Tuesday.