KQED’s Forum, in an ongoing series on primary coverage, is focusing on the non-major Democrats today.  In its first hour, Susan Rasky will be discussing the Democratic primary for governor.  In the second hour, the program will focus on the CA-06 primary.  Joe Nation and Lynn Woolsey are duking it out in a race I covered yesterday. 

For the audio, check out the podcast feed or the audio archive.

(updated – promoted by SFBrianCL)

UPDATE: Nathaniel (who did predictions for Constitutional Offices, the Assembly, and the Senate on Calitics) predicted a bunch of other races on dKos today.  In response to his prediction that Woolsey would trounce Nation, I did a little thinking.  In my comment, I said this:

It’s really too bad b/c I think Nation kicked her ass in the debate (it’s streamed online.  You can get more info on the race at Calitics.  He just seems a lot smarter than her.  Her basic argument is that I’m liberal as him, why lose the seniority?  Well, I think sometimes liberals should consider who will be most effective in addition to liberal values.  Look, Lynn Woolsey has been a good representative, but what are her big efforts that she’s given us?  Yes, I understand that she’s in the minority.  But at some point you need to look to build bridges to get things done.  I just think Joe Nation would be better at the job than she is.

And you said his career is over.  Really?  I think he’s a great legislator. I hope he can make a comeback from this race.  It was definitely bold (some would say presumptious) to try to run against Woolsey, but I don’t think it should kill his career.

So, I guess I support Nation, for similar reasons as the SF Chronicle. See the flip for more…

Joe Nation, a termed-out Assemblyman from Marin County, is challenging Lynn Woolsey, the 7-term incumbent, for CA-06.  The seat represents all of Marin County and most of Sonoma County.  However, unlike the Harman-Winograd race, Nation is not running to the left of Woolsey.  It is clear from her website, and her record, that Lynn Woolsey is a solid progressive:

The conversation reminded me why I love my job so much. It went beyond the need to fix potholes in Sonoma and Marin, to what we can do to heal the heart and soul of our nation. We agreed on many things: 
  * the moral imperative of bringing our troops home from Iraq;
  * stopping a president who believes he is above the law;
  * improving schools for all American children;
  * and making health care the birth- right of every American, not a privilege reserved just for the wealthy.(Woolsey For Congress)

Her issues page is chock full of examples of her progressive street cred.  But that’s not something Nation is arguing.  Sure, he’s pretty darn progressive himself, but I don’t think you could win an election by running to the left of Lynn Woolsey, even in Marin.  With the exception of castigating Woolsey for voting for No Child Left Behind and environmental issues, Nation hasn’t really said a whole lot that would disagree with Woolsey’s positions.  You can find a lot more about his position on his issues page.  He is running on the notion that Woolsey just isn’t that effective in Congress.  And it is somewhat true.  She is a solid progressive voice, but a voice without much gusto behind it.

But, normally such a challenge wouldn’t really be considered remarkable.  The incumbent would easily take the race, even if he or she wasn’t that effective.  However, Nation has gotten some traction.  It’s still an uphill battle for him, but picking up the endorsement of the San Francisco Chronicle will help him.

Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma, has served 14 years in the House of Representatives. She is a solidly reliable vote on the left — whether the issue is military policy or health care — but no one would regard her as one of the more dynamic or effective members of Congress from the Bay Area.
***
On the baseline issues — the Iraq war, abortion rights, environment — there is little distinction between Nation and Woolsey. But the differences in their grasps of public policy, and ability to formulate and articulate fresh ideas, is profound. … The comparison favors Nation, 49, who emerged from a crowd of 80 as one of the more thoughtful and effective members of the Assembly.
***
Woolsey, 68, has always counted on her “progressive” credentials and constituent work to keep her immune from a primary challenge. In this race, however, her stumbles on the home front have become focal points against her. Her contradictory statements about whether she lobbied for a Port Sonoma ferry terminal — a project loathed by environmentalists — suggest a deficiency in either her credibility or her attention span. Nation has also taken her to task for an act of Congress that cleared the way for a casino in Sonoma County. (SF Chron 5/24/06)

There are several great resources available for this race.  SmartVoter (a resource of the League of Women Voters) has a collection of some of these resources.  The two candidates debated.  I must say that Woolsey looked a bit peeved to be there.  She began her opening statement by saying “I love my job.”  It sounds a little bit self-serving to me.  That being said, it did appear that Nation had an excellent grasp on the issues.  She is a competent Congresswoman, but I can see why the Chronicle would think why would be more effective.

This could be an interesting race next Tuesday.