There are indeed lessons to be learned here - I'm proud Barbara is my Senator - her votes in the Senate are always progressive and liberal.
Okay, so she's from the Bay Area (Marin county to be exact) - but she has to win all over the State - and southern California can be, and is, much more conservative.
Barbara is tough - she is much tougher than most of the Dem males in the Senate. She is also smarter than most of the both Dem AND Repug males in the Senate. She does her homework.

Boxer is right now (Friday, November 19) leading an effort to prevent an abortion restriction provision being added to the omnibus spending bill. More here.

Let Barbara know you appreciate this fight. Here is the contact info.

Anyone care to guess how Sen. Boxer would fare in a head-to-head with Suzy Terrell in Louisiana?

Barbara Boxer is no fiery politician, in fact she is one of California's biggest political woosies. I happily voted for the Green Party candidate running against her. The lesson for Natl Democratic Leadership here is not to use her as a role model for any candidates, unless failure is a virtue. There are many people who support abortion rights and healthcare but are leaders, unlike Boxer.

Boxer, just this past year, was an original sponsor of the senate bill that authorized financial sanctions against Syria if they didn't follow the Bush adminstrations demands of how they should act and behave in the Middle East. BIG BAD SYRIA, exisiting next to nuclear armed Israel. It passed and was voted into law. Its just another Iraq replay that will harm the commom citizens of Syria just like it did in Iraq. Boxer is not a leader, she is a jellyfish, no backbone. Guess when we attack Syria we can say the sanctions didn't make them feel enough pain in their nation and follow our description of correct foreign policy in the way the Bushies want. Thanks Barbara Boxer.

If she's that kind of pushover for Bush foreign policy that she would sponsor economic sanctions against evil Syria, well you're right Pessimist, she just what the Democratic Leadership should pay attention to.
I've been a liberal all my life and have voted that way, but Pessy this story of adulation is really half baked. WAKE UP!

It's one thing to think Bush foreign policy is idiotic. It's another to pretend as if Syria is a benevolent nation.

I think that there's a pretty simple explanation for Boxer's numbers: There was only ONE nationwide election, so of course the next big vote-getter would be from a big state that leans heavily in one direction or other. Nobody running for Senate in Texas? Doesn't leave many other possibilities, does it?

I have a lot of issues with the people who want us to ditch liberalism entirely, but to read Boxer's "success" as a message that we have huge reserves of untapped liberal potential seems flatly insane.

Get real.

I've voted for Boxer for Senate 3 times, holding my nose each time I did so. I always vote against her in primaries.

Blah. Even many liberals find Boxer off-putting.

I posted the first comment here - and I must say, that in one single afternoon, I have changed my mind about Senator Boxer.
She refused to kill the bill (the one which contained the anti-abortion language that had been stealthily inserted into the bill at the last minute). The fact that the matter will be reconsidered again no later than April 30th does not impress me at all - it is obvious what will happen then.
On Monday morning, I will call both her local number and her DC number, and will use strong language to let her know what I thought of her action (or inaction).
This will not be a momentary snit on my part - It was extremely important that all Dems exhibit spine in this session - Senator Boxer will no longer be getting any praise or support from me.
I'm thoroughly disgusted.