Hooray!

Yesterday's elections were the first I have been excited about since 1998 (and I was in high school back then). The Democrats took the House and apparently the Senate as well, while Republicans failed to gain a single House or Senate seat, or governorship; finally again there will be a Californian (Nancy Pelosi) of major importance in national politics. In great news for conservation, Richard Pombo, the anti-Endangered Species Act congressman from just over the hills has been decisively booted from the House, and Proposition 90 (which would have prevented a lot of land conservation in California) failed. California now has a Democratic secretary of state to oversee voting procedures. John Garamendi was able to beat back Tom McClintock, who is far too conservative for our state, for lieutenant governor.

In Berkeley we voted to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050; to urge the House of Representatives to impeach Bush and Cheney; and Measure I, which would have pushed our rent higher, has been defeated. Apparently in Santa Cruz they have effectively legalized marijuana.

And to top it all off, Rumsfeld resigned today. Too little, too late, but things just keep getting better.

Everybody in Berkeley was in very good spirits today.

I'm going down to LA tomorrow with Zack to see Dan for the weekend.