SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Doris Matsui announced Wednesday she will seek the congressional seat held for 26 years by her late husband. She immediately received the endorsement of Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi.
Posted on 01/13/2005 7:25:22 PM PST by crushelits
Matsui Seeks Late Husband's House Seat
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Doris Matsui announced Wednesday she will seek the congressional seat held for 26 years by her late husband. She immediately received the endorsement of Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi.
With her family by her side just four days after burying Rep. Robert T. Matsui (news, bio, voting record), Doris Matsui said, "I am asking those who supported him to now support me."
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (news - web sites) has set a March 8 primary election and May 3 special election to choose a new congressman for the Democratic-leaning district. The second election will be held only if no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the primary vote.
In a speech at her family's Sacramento home, Matsui sounded campaign themes: opposing President Bush (news - web sites)'s plans to privatize Social Security (news - web sites), expanding health care coverage for children and increasing federal spending on stem cell research.
Matsui said stem cell research offers hope for the disease that caused her husband's death Jan. 1 — pneumonia brought on by myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare form of bone marrow disease.
"Now I have joined the ranks of the hundreds of thousands of Americans nationwide for whom this is personal," she said, criticizing Bush's limited federal funding of stem cell experiments. Matsui is an experienced Washington lobbyist and former Clinton White House official, and Pelosi, D-Calif., noted her credentials in giving her endorsement.
"Doris has advocated for the people of Sacramento for more than 25 years," Pelosi said in a statement.
At least two other Sacramento Democrats are reportedly thinking about running: state Sen. Deborah Ortiz and Grantland Johnson, a cabinet member under former Gov. Gray Davis (news - web sites).
Twice in recent years, Californians have elected spouses to replace their late husbands: Rep. Lois Capps (news, bio, voting record), a Santa Barbara-area Democrat, and Republican Rep. Mary Bono (news, bio, voting record) of Palm Springs.
The democrat hacks are shameless.
*** Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has set a March 8 primary election and May 3 special election to choose a new congressman for the Democratic-leaning district. The second election will be held only if no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the primary vote.***
Color me confused.
Funny how the widows of deceased Democrat senators and congressmen are entitled to their seats, but if Jeb Bush--probably the best available candidate to replace W--were to run for the presidency, imagine the screams of nepotism that would emanate from the same news writers who treat these familial ambitions so sympathetically and tenderly.
Do ALL Dem wives have taxpayer-funded jobs in DC? That shouldn't be allowed.
DO THEY?
It's disgraceful how proponents of embryonic stem cell research are falsely raising the hopes of the sick and afflicted.
ESCR hasn't produced results - hasn't even come close.
All the while, these "doctors" and scientists are lining their own pockets...
I initially felt the same outrage when I read the story.
But think about it for a moment. If this woman is not qualified to run for a seat in the United States House of Representatives, who is?
The US House is not comprised of those of royal blood. They are...or, are supposed to be representative of the makeup of their constituency. In this day and age, we have gone far afield from the original intent of populating that body with actual representatives rather than lawyers and other reprobates not worthy of our votes.
It shouldn't be allowed? 99% of the folks on FR are either conservative or libertarian. I would think that, despite the stench of nepotism, most would agree that a company should be able to hire someone, regardless of what someone's spouse does for a living.
Virtually a guaranteed winner.
I think I saw a stat...67 of 68 widows win their dead husbands seat when they run.
yep. either way a liberal democrat is gonna win this seat. might as well be the widow.
You know, you're right. I just get riled when it's assumed the job should be handed to them because their spouse served.
I'm just in a bad mood tonight.I started off the day on a Kerry thread gritting my teeth so long, I had a raging headache most of the day.
Not nepotism -- Dynasty. That's what the Bush's are afraid of.
-PJ
Another Insta-Widow-Pol. Just what we need.
-PJ
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