PD Editorial: House seats

There's seldom any surprise in North Coast congressional elections.

Democrats enjoy large majorities in the 1st and 6th congressional districts, and Reps. Mike Thompson and Lynn Woolsey have built significant seniority in the House.

Thompson, a St. Helena Democrat seeking a sixth term, sits on the Ways and Means Committee, which writes tax law, and he's a strong advocate of California's wine industry.

Woolsey, a Petaluma Democrat, is running for a ninth term and chairs the workplace protections subcommittee of the Education and Labor Committee and serves on the Science and Technology Committee, where she promotes conservation and alternative energy.

We were disappointed with their waffling on the Wall Street bailout. And we think Thompson should be embarrassed by his role in creating a new tax break for NASCAR speedways, which found its way into the final bill.

But, on balance, we think Thompson and Woolsey reflect the views of most voters in their respective districts and have delivered on local needs, such as aid for salmon fishermen and flood control in Petaluma.

Thompson is opposed by Zane Starkwolf of Davis, the co-founder of a medical technology company who bills himself as a green Republican. While we appreciate his mix of fiscal conservatism and environmental awareness, he doesn't offer a strong enough case for unseating Thompson.

Mike Halliwell of Cotati, a retired Long Beach State University professor, is again Woolsey's Republican challenger. He speaks with passion for breast cancer research and against single-payer health insurance, but he's less focused on other issues facing Congress.

A challenging agenda awaits the 111th Congress -- re-energizing the U.S. economy and providing oversight for the bailout, withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq and stabilizing Afghanistan, plus climate change and a transition to a new administration in the White House.

We think North Coast voters will be best served by re-electing Mike Thompson and Lynn Woolsey to the House.