Keefer interviewed by Chronicle editorial board

Krissy Keefer, Green Party candidate for the 8th Congressional District (right),
fields questions from San Francisco Chronicle editorial staffers Rachel Gordon,
Marshall Kilduff and John Diaz about her grassroots campaign to unseat incumbent Minority Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Photo(s) by Luke Thomas

By Luke Thomas

October 12, 2006

Krissy Keefer - Green Party candidate for the 8th Congressional District seat, a mother and an artist - presented her campaign candidacy for congress to the editorial board of San Francisco's largest daily, The San Francisco Chronicle, yesterday.

Keefer's platform includes an immediate phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, and ending global warming.

The Chronicle, known for its editorial support for Pelosi, took the extraordinary step of holding an editorial interview with Pelosi's closest contender, seemingly keen to understand the growing threat Keefer is posing to Pelosi and the Democratic Party, and the impact her grassroots candidacy is having on the political think across the United States.

The Chronicle's editorial board consisted of editorial scribes Marshall Kilduff, John Diaz, and senior political reporter Rachel Gordon.

Rachel Gordon, Marshall Kilduff and John Diaz.

During initial exchanges Keefer pressed the board to consider hosting a debate between all the candidates running for Pelosi's seat. Pelosi has so far been unresponsive to all candidate requests to debate the issues.

The board's response: They are focusing on state-wide races and not on the most important race facing San Francisco constituents largely at odds with Pelosi's tacit support for sustaining the war and for voting against the Kyoto Protocol.

John Diaz echoed his concern that Pelosi, despite her war-support voting record, could become the next Speaker of the House if Democrats win back congress in November, suggesting this is the only reason why voters should vote for Pelosi.

John Diaz

Keefer responded saying, "It is clear that the voters of San Francisco want leadership in Washington DC, leadership that reflects their values, leadership that is not navigating the middle of the road in the hopes of career advancement."

Diaz followed Keefer's response asking which party Keefer would align with in congress if she were to unseat Pelosi.

Keefer identified several Democrats she respects, Democrats Keefer said she would target to form coalitions around mutual platforms.

"Barbara Lee of Oakland and Lynn Woolsey of the North Bay have both voted against war appropriations. They reflect their anti-war constituents unlike Pelosi," Keefer stated.

"We are spending about $246 million every day, $10 million every hour on this war. That's money that could be reinvested into our social infrastructure, our schools, our parks, health care, and research and development of alternative forms of energy," Keefer added.

In a follow up interview by phone Keefer told Fog City Journal, "Voters are thinking about a world their children and their grand children will inherit.

"Voters are finally seeing through the deceptions perpetrated by a handful of neocons hell-bent on the domination of oil rich nations, oil paid for with the blood of our children, our brothers and sisters, and the countless innocent civilians caught in the cross-hairs of a misguided war based on false pretenses and lies.

"People want to live a simple life with peace and security. They want to raise their families in a world at peace. They want a world they can live in without fear of terrorism at every turn and without the threat of global destruction as a result of war and global warming.

"Is this too much to ask of our representative?"

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