The Speaker of the House wields far more power than the Majority Leader of the Senate and is easily the most powerful figure on Capitol Hill. The Speaker is third in line for Presidential succession. So the constituents of the Speaker have a powerful influence on the government. The phrase "San Francisco values" applied to Nancy Pelosi was successfully wielded by the GOP, causing Nancy Pelosi to vanish from the public eye as a campaigner. Dan Riehl spotted the San Francisco Chronicle's  selection of ordinary folks to speak out on  the Kerry flap.  Q: Should Kerry apologize? Amy Altschul, OaklandWhy should a person apologize for telling the truth? The truth is, for those who are not educated, the military is one of their only outlets. This does not mean the people are stupid, it means they are uneducated. Their lack of education often means the military, which currently means Iraq. Vernon Burton, San LeandroFor what? Telling the truth? If a few more so—called...(Read Full Post)