CRUDE HOUSE REPUBLICANS GIVE JACKIE SPEIER A TASTE OF WASHINGTON ON HER FIRST DAY IN CONGRESS

California has a new congresswoman and she's off to a great start. Jackie Speier won a landslide special election victory Tuesday and is already in DC working. Right after being sworn in she took the floor for her maiden speech. Predictably, she spoke about Bush's war against Iraq-- flipping out many of her Republican colleagues who decided it would be a good time to remind everyone that they don't believe in evolution, mostly because they're side of the species never went through it. Several Republicans booed and hissed and generally acted like chimpanzees. Reportedly, the loudest boo-er was Darrell Issa, last in the news for denigrating the victims of 9/11. Apparently leading the booing was a way to get back into the good graces of his pitiful and shrinking caucus. If you'd like to watch the whole thing on video, it's here and it's interesting-- from swearing in to Pelosi asking the chimps to try behaving like gentlemen.

It is clear that, as today's San Francisco Chronicle points out, "she would not be afraid to make waves in Washington." Jackie, interviewed on the phone, told them that "The truth is, I think it was a minority of Republicans that were booing-- and they represent a minority of Americans who still support the war."