When Assemblyman Mark Leno announced that he was challenging Senator Carole Migden for her Senate seat I could not have been happier. In fact, I think most everyone in Sacramento that has ever been in one of her committee rooms was thrilled. It was going to be great political theater.
We were finally going to have a real knock down drag out battle by the Bay. It was going to be political WWE.
When Migden got slammed for risking the lives of other drivers on the freeway I really thought it was over. Then she comes back with the big L word. And the word is not "Lesbian". It is "Leukemia". Timing is everything.
In a one on one race with Migden and Leno — I like Leno’s chances. He is every bit as liberal only he is much nicer. That is not saying much. Leno had done a great job of gathering up all of the anti-Migden forces until others started having the same idea.
"Another clinging on to glory days" Alioto jumped into the race. He divides the anti-Migden forces once. Now Joe Nation has opened an account. He is a former Assemblyman from Marin County that might make a play for the Marin County part of the district. He would divide the anti-Migden forces again..and almost certainly hand her re-election.
This is the lame part. Nation opened an exploratory committee. This guy spent six years in the Assembly and has a Ph.D. from RAND. He knows if he is running or not. Suck it up and make a decision one way or the other. An exploratory committee is lame. Pathetic actually.
We need to know if he is going to run so we can figure out if Migden will be around for four more years. "Another clinging on to glory days" Alioto already makes things tough on Leno. Nation finishes this potentially awesome race.