An Honest Democrat

One of the challenges facing Barack is the fact that he's never fought for the causes which gained him the support of Democrats. He never put himself out in an attempt to end the war, for example, to impeach President Bush, or to push Global Warming.

Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan qualified Friday for a November showdown with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, collecting the signatures needed to get on the ballot as an independent candidate for Congress.

This is in keeping with the leaders of his party. They have not wanted to fight the Bush administration, as they expected that the GOP would crumble under its own weight. Their strategy has been proven correct.

"We're very excited," said Sheehan, 51, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq who is well-known for her protest outside President Bush's Texas ranch. "Now we have to get organized and regroup."

A thorn in the side of this failure of leadership would be a truth-teller. A real activist, willing to remind voters that Democrats have offered no leadership.

With her ballot spot guaranteed, Sheehan can focus on the fall campaign, where she will challenge Pelosi from the left, slamming the speaker for refusing to start impeachment proceedings against President Bush and not taking a stronger stance against the war in Iraq.

Could Cindy Sheehan be just what the doctor ordered to put Barack/Pelosi style fraud on the front burner?

"The next part is going to be exciting," she said. "I want at least one debate with all four candidates so that Nancy Pelosi has to answer for her record."

If there really is pent up demand for an end to business as usual in Washington, a real desire for change in America, isn't Barack at risk of becoming the symbol of what's wrong with Washington?

While Sheehan said Friday that she has raised more than $300,000 for the race, Pelosi had collected more than $2.3 million by the end of June and had $455,138 in the bank.

While 300K might not be enough money to run a strong traditional race against Pelosi, it's plenty of seed money to gain visibility enough for Sheehan to catch on - like Barack did - as an antidote to business as usual in Washington.

Cindy's access to November's ballot is evidence of growing discontent among San Francisco voters with the Democratically lead U.S. congress and its inability to end the war, hold the Bush administration accountable for unconstitutional acts, stimulate the economy, reform healthcare, reconsider trade agreements that harm American workers and the environment and cut ties to corporate lobbyists. The Sheehan campaign is offering a new vision for San Francisco and the nation.

It's fun to fantasize about. While Sheehan may be a nut, she's an honest ideologue, willing to put herself on the line for her liberal dogma. And there's a chance that a true agent of change could resonate with voters, and the media, and reveal Barack and Pelosi and the rest of the gang for the poseurs that they are.