Cindy Sheehan, the San Francisco-based anti-war advocate campaigning to unseat Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), personally attended the Judiciary Committee’s hearing on Friday into alleged abuse of power by President Bush.

Sheehan said Friday’s was only “a baby step” in the right direction of holding President Bush accountable for the war in Iraq.

“There should definitely be impeachment hearings,” Sheehan said.

She speculated that Pelosi had a change of heart in allowing the hearing to proceed because Sheehan’s campaign is gaining momentum back in their liberal district.

“I just got enough signatures to get on the ballot, donations are pouring in,” Sheehan said.

San Francisco residents are “disappointed and disgusted, if not outright outraged” by Pelosi’s decisions to advance bills that continue funding the Iraq War and that allow the Bush administration to continue conducting wiretapping of terrorist suspects.

Sheehan recalled sitting in the office of Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) last summer with other protesters to urge him to hold impeachment hearings. She said Conyers “has wanted to do hearings” but has been blocked by Pelosi.

The irony of Friday’s hearing is that “if this had happened last year, I wouldn’t be running against her now,” she said.