(cross-posted at MyDD)

We may have gotten beaten in the two congressional special elections that were held yesterday, but there was one little election here in California where the good guys won...and won big.

Private mercenary firm Blackwater USA is best known for the private armies it has deployed in Iraq and the lack of accountability and oversight that have come with that. But less is known about their activities here in the US, for instance, where this private army is trained.

Right now, Blackwater has two training facilities, one in Moyock, North Carolina -- the home of their headquarters, as well as 100 miles west of Chicago, a facility referred to creepily as Blackwater North. Well guess what, Blackwater is expanding...or at least they'd like to.

Starting around the middle of last year, Blackwater began to lay the groundwork for building a third training camp in the tiny rural town of Potrero in San Diego County, California. The proposed facility would be housed on 824 acres in the pristine Round Potrero Valley and is in danger of turning this peaceful wilderness into a private army training zone.

Well, their plans may have just gotten a little more difficult.

Late last year, after Blackwater had spent months stealthily lobbying local officials, the local planning group (an advisory body) approved the Blackwater West proposal. Once local residents and activists got wind of Blackwater's infiltration into their tiny peaceful town, they launched a grassroots effort to block Blackwater. First they circulated a petition to the fewer than 500 registered voters in Potrero to keep Blackwater out and even launched recall of the members of the planning board who voted in favor of Blackwater. Last night the returns came in and the results were overwhelming.

Julia at calitics has the details:

The recall was an overwhelming success.  All five members of the Planning Group who voted to approve Blackwater's plans were recalled by unbelievable margins.  The election will be certified within two days and the Save Potero slate will take office, hopefully in time for their Thursday meeting.

Keep in mind that Bush won by 25.8% in 2008.  Everybody was recalled by over 60% of the vote.  Gordon Hammers, who has been the most vocal Blackwater supporter and served as chair of the group, was recalled by nearly 70% of the vote.

Just an incredible victory.  They did a phenomenal job on GOTV, getting 160 or so out of the 190 who signed the original petition against Blackwater to turn in their ballots.

My friends at the Courage Campaign (for whom I do part time work) headed up the GOTV effort and have been instrumental in getting the word out and building support for this local effort. From this little people-powered revolution has come the first electoral referendum on Blackwater, and the vote is clear: Blackwater, get the hell out!

Yesterday's recall was only the first step. Another vote on Blackwater West will be held, but as it is only advisory, a resounding NO! from the local board will not be able in itself to block the facility; that lies in the hands of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. From what I've heard, as of right now, the board would approve the facility, but the vote won't be until some time next year as Blackwater jumps through more re-zoning and environmental impact report hoops. In the meantime, Courage Campaign has set its sights on the Board of Supes and you can be sure they're taking note of the fact that every pro-Blackwater planning group member was recalled yesterday.

To find out more about this effort and to join the fight to keep Blackwater out of California's pristine wilderness, head on over to BlockBlackwater.com where you can also watch a great video featuring accidental activist and, as of yesterday, new chair of the Potrero Planning Group, Carl Meyer.