Lynn Woolsey

WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) can tighten the screws on her members, but it doesn't always work - even amongst members of her own California caucus.

Earlier this week, Pelosi sent an e-mail to her Democratic caucus identifying some 30 members who have been tardy in paying their dues to the party's House campaign arm this cycle.

The message was loud and clear: Badger away.

"Enclosed, please find a list of our colleagues who have only fulfilled 50 percent or less of their dues obligations," Pelosi and her fellow Democratic House leaders wrote in the e-mail. "Please encourage them to be a part of the team. The number of seats we gain will depend on the resources we have to compete in these closing days."

Three of four members of Congress from the Bay Area reversed their votes on the $700 billion Wall Street bailout package approved by the House on Friday.

Citing improvements in the rescue bill, U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), Lynn Woolsey (D-San Rafael) and Mike Thompson (D-Napa) all decided in the end to support the controversial bailout that bit the Congressional dust during its first vote Monday.

Only Congressman Pete Stark (D-Fremont) held his ground on the bill, saying it was a bad deal for the American people.

Friday's vote saw the measure pass by a comfortable 263 to 171.

Here is Lee's speech from the House floor, explaining her reasoning:

U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) and Pete Stark (D-Fremont) said they weren't buying what President Bush or House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was selling Monday on the proposed $700 billion Wall Street bailout plan and were among four members of the Bay Area's Congressional Delegation to vote against the controversial measure.

Joining them in rebellion were U.S. Reps. Lynn Woolsey (D-San Rafael) and Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Napa.)

The so-called Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 lost in the House by just 28 votes, 205 to 228.

In a startling turn of events, Democratic U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey today announced her endorsement of Assemblyman Mark Leno in District 3 after endorsing incumbent state Senator Carole Migden earlier in the same primary campaign.

But a spokesperson for Woolsey told PolitickerCA.com that she was not withdrawing her support form Migden. Rather she is offering a “co-endorsement.”

“As the race tightens, Congresswoman Woolsey believes that the number one priority is ensuring that the district continues to be represented by a progressive voice in Sacramento.  While Lynn continues to support Senator Migden, she believes that Mark Leno has the experience and vision needed to bring about the kind of change that Marin and Sonoma voters are looking for,” said Woolsey spokesman Chris Shields.

Obama delegate Norman Solomon hails from Marin County’s 6th Congressional District, a Democratic stronghold where Barack Obama support is 20 points ahead of Hillary Clinton’s front-yard signs.

“The largest margin for Obama in the state,” said Solomon, a longtime left-of-center writer and activist who was named one of three Obama delegates from U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey’s 6th District in the Democratic Party’s April 13 statewide caucuses.