Evidence of this fact for the Democratic Party was last week's memorial pep rally for the late Sen. Paul Wellstone.

Evidence of this fact for the GOP, locally at least, comes in the form of a door-hanger the San Diego County Republican Party was handing out last week. It's what you would expect from any political party -- a list of candidates for all manner of offices from Governor to the local school board.

And that's where they get stupid. For the Grossmont Union High School Board, the Republican Party is handing out a recipe for disaster -- leaving even die-hard Republicans to shake their heads in disgust.

The local GOP suggests a vote for: Gary Cass (the man who, in a Falwell-like pronouncement, said the Santana High School shooting nearly two years ago was God's judgment on the evil public schools -- by the way, he's an incumbent);

Evelyn Wills who, much like Cass, constantly worries about all of the homosexual-indoctrination going on in the public schools. (In my four-years of public school education in the Grossmont District, homosexuality was mentioned exactly once. I think it went like this: "Willa Cather was a lesbian.");

Finally there is Jim Kelly, a former county school board member who was ousted, basically, for being an idiot. To receive certain federal grants, county school districts need the approval of the county school board. Kelly would often vote against these grants on the basis of his belief that the federal government had no business funding education. Of course, this completely ignores the fact that this is a way to get some of those tax dollars back in the schools -- and just who is he to overrule the local school boards? So much for "local control."

In short, if you live in East San Diego County and are going out to vote -- don't vote for these losers -- it would be a disaster.

The Evil Teachers Union (TM) suggests a vote for Avant, Crooks and Stine.

The right-wing San Diego Union-Tribune editorial page suggests a vote for Avant, Crooks and McGeorge.

Personally, I'll be going with the ETU's recommendations -- otherwise I'd likely be disowned -- but, whatever you do, don't take the GOP's suggestions when it comes to the school board race. I'm just wondering who the idiot is who made that call.