Diane Watson

Diane Watson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 33rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office June 5, 2001
Preceded by	Julian Dixon
Personal details
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	none
Residence	Los Angeles, California

Diane Edith Watson PhD (born November 12 1933), American politician, has been a member of the United States House of Representatives since 2001, representing the 33rd District of California (map). Her district is located entirely in Los Angeles County and includes some wealthy neighborhoods such as Los Feliz. She recently ran unopposed in the 2006 Congressional mid-term elections.

Life before Congress

Born in Los Angeles, California, Watson was educated at Los Angeles City College, the University of California, Los Angeles (BA, 1956), California State University, Los Angeles (MS, 1987), and Claremont Graduate University (PhD, 1987). She also attended the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Watson was a psychologist, a faculty member at California State University, a health occupation specialist with the Bureau of Industrial Education of the California Department of Education, a member of the California State Senate and United States Ambassador to Micronesia before entering the House.

Committee Assignments

• Foreign Affairs Committee
  • Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health
  • Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Environment
• Oversight and Government Reform Committee
  • Subcommittee on Domestic Policy
• Chair of the Congressional Entertainment Industries Caucus
• Co-chair of the Congressional Korea Caucus
• Co-chair of the U.S.-UK Caucus

Views in Congress

Congresswoman Watson supports military withdrawal from Iraq [1], opposes media consolidation [2], supports expanding welfare coverage [3] and opposes President Bush's plans for Social Security [4].

Watson has opposed tax cuts by saying that they are unaffordable.

In 2006, the National Journal ranked Watson as the most liberal member of Congress.

She was one of the 31 members of the House who voted not to count the electoral votes from Ohio in the United States presidential election, 2004. [5]

In the National Journals 2006 release of their composite liberal index, Watson scored as the most liberal member of either house, with a score of 97.7[6]

Support of Clinton over Obama

While Watson's district went overwhelmingly for Illinois Senator Barack Obama by a margin of 61-29 over New York Senator and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton on the February 5, 2008 Democratic Presidential Primaries, Watson, as a superdelegate, has refused to reconsider her support for Clinton, a move that has resulted in criticism and disappointment from many of her constituents who supported Obama.

When asked by one constituent, Watson replied “Hillary is the now…the future is Obama,” she said. “He’s going to lead all the youth and by that time when we’re gone, you know, he and others in his same age bracket, those much younger, they will take over, and they then will be part of the ingredients, so this country can live up to its promises.” [7]

Watson has claimed to have received "threatening e-mails" and replies "But I don’t intimidate. I can hold the ground. … I would lose my seat over my principles." The deadline to file as a primary challenger was March 7, 2008 and there are three people aiming to take her seat. Mervin Leon Evans, Felicia Ford, both of whom are Democrats, and David C. Crowley, II, a Republican.[8] [9]

Rep. Diane Watson with Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony

External links

• U.S. Congresswoman Diane Watson official House site
• Huffington Post: Rep. Diane Watson blog entries by the congresswoman
• United States Congress. "Diane Watson (id: w000794)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Federal Election Commission — Diane E E Watson campaign finance reports and data
• On the Issues — Diane Watson issue positions and quotes
• OpenSecrets.org — Diane E. Watson campaign contributions
• Project Vote Smart — Representative Diane E. Watson (CA) profile
• SourceWatch Congresspedia — Diane Watson profile
• Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Diane Watson voting record
• Hundreds attend PLP fundraiser The Royal Gazette, January 15, 2007