From the outset of the primary campaign, folks at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have said they are agnostic about the Democratic candidates in the June 5 primary in the 26th Congressional District. It appears they've now found religion.

In an email to Democratic donors over the weekend (subject line: "My frield Julia"), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi appealed for contributions to help out Assemblywoman Julia Brownley. From the tone of it -- and, granted, these appeals are always worded in a manner designed to alarm like-minded folks enough to pull out their debit cards -- it appears Pelosi and the Democratic congressional leadership have become seriously concerned about the possibility that independent Linda Parks could finish first or second in the primary.

"Only the top two, regardless of party, get to go on. Julia is running against two well-funded opponents - an extremist Republican, and a Republican-turned-independent.If we don't act, there could be two Republicans and no Democrats on the ballot this fall," the letter reads.

The DCCC has already spent money on the campaign, funding a mailer that attacked Parks. The change in attitude about Brownley -- essentially going public with the not-so-secret detail that they'd like her to be the Democratic candidate -- means that the congressional Democratic leadership may also be spending in the future to promote Brownley. Or perhaps, a more likely scenario: Producing mail that directly contrasts Brownley and Parks.