Popular North Bay Dems Battle For Seat

May 31 - KGO (KGO) -- In Marin and Sonoma counties, two popular Democrats are going at each other for a congressional seat that is so solidly Democratic, Republicans run as a lark. Incumbent Lynn Woolsey is running against termed out Assemblyman Joe Nation. It's a case of left versus lefter.

On a lot of the big issues, Joe Nation and Lynn Woolsey aren't that far apart. Woolsey insist there is a big difference on the war. So we asked Nation where he stands.

Joe Nation, congressional candidate: "My position is withdraw all of our troops over the next 18 months. I think that's realistic. I think we'd have most of them home by the end of this year and the rest of them, essentially all of them, by the end of next year."

Nation criticizes Woolsey for advocating immediate withdrawal saying we need to give Iraqis time to get the country together. Woolsey's response&

Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Santa Rosa: "They're not getting themselves together. It's obvious it's getting worse, not better. Our very presence is causing the insurgency, giving the insurgency cause for the damage they're doing."

Woolsey sparked the first congressional debate on the war. She got national attention when she gave Cindy Sheehan a pass to the president's State of the Union address. Sheehan was subsequently arrested.

Nation doesn't have those anti-war credentials, but he does call the Iraq war the biggest foreign policy mistake of his lifetime. He says the biggest difference between himself and Woolsey is job performance.

Joe Nation: "In her now 14 years in Congress, she's had one bill signed into law. One."

Rep. Lynn Woolsey: "He has no idea what performance is in the House of Representatives."

Woolsey says it's unfair to judge her performance on the number of bills she's authored. Republicans control the House and have for 12 of her 14 years.

Rep. Lynn Woolsey: "You introduce legislation and then you find the vehicle that it can fit into."

She takes credit for twice saving the Two Rock Coast Guard Base from closing, restoring wetlands at Hamilton Air Field and creating a nationwide school breakfast program. This week the California Head Start Association gave her an award for years of service.

Nation has guided dozens of bills though the State Legislature on class size reduction, on supporting gay marriage and raising the alarm about global warming.

Joe Nation: "The number one bill on the environmental score card sheet last year was a bill that I wrote on global warming which gives consumers more information on green house gas emission from cars."

Nation accuses Woolsey of supporting a controversial ferry terminal in Port Sonoma.

Joe Nation: "Lynn Woolsey steered $20 million of pork to one of her biggest campaign contributors, period."

Woolsey correctly points out her letter of support never asked specifically for funding.

Rep. Lynn Woolsey: "Mark, that's not my project."

She'd rather talk about her supporters, among them Senator Barbara Boxer.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California: "She's a woman of courage. Lynn isn't someone who gets out and says 'how's the wind blowing today, I think I'll do that, I think I'll be this.'"

Joe Nation has an equally long list of endorsements. But most Bay Area members of Congress are lining up behind Woolsey, with one notable exception.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California: "I know them both so I decided I will stay out of that one and the people of Marin will make up their mind."

On endorsements, we found a very interesting one. Two years ago when incumbent Lynn Woolsey was running for re-election, Assemblyman Joe Nation endorsed her. Nation told me this morning that he really didn't like Woolsey, he just thought she was better than the man who was running against her at the time.

The biggest difference between Joe Nation and Lynn Woolsey may be the way they are presenting themselves in this campaign. Read more about the differences between the two candidates in The Back Story.

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