The Seattle PI (to its credit) gives him that label.
Maybe you could call him Congressman McGrinch.
Rep. Jim McDermott supported House resolutions this fall to recognize the Islamic holiday of Ramadan and the festival of Diwali, celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains.
But the Washington Democrat drew the line at Christmas.
McDermott voted Tuesday against a resolution to recognize the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.
The resolution, sponsored by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, passed 372-9. Democrats cast all the nay votes.
The nine who cast "no" votes are all on the extreme left.
Cross posted at Jim Miller on Politics.
(More here.
In his official biography, McDermott says that he "attends St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle".)
Posted by Jim Miller at December 13, 2007 06:37 AM | Email ThisJim and Stalin would have been the best of buddies!
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on December 13, 2007 07:02 AMMickey D has got to be vulnerable this time around.
Posted by: swatter on December 13, 2007 08:12 AMCan't support a Christmas resolution because some Christians vote against my preferred legislation. This reasoning makes him look even smaller.
Of course, what about those that celebrate Ramadan but send their children out as suicide bombers, or as suicide bombers themselves, blow up other children?
Idiot.
2. I live in Seattle and love it. The reason that we have dolts like Mc Dermott, who is like Ted Kennedy, in for perpetuity is that no serious, well-funded candidate:
a. runs against him
b. has the time to campaign full time for the 18 months it would take to get his lame a$$ out.
3. Although, he caters to the Cindy Sheehan wing of the dem party, even many secular progressives say that he does nothing to help Seattle, like Norm Dicks does for Tacoma, Pierce County, and the state for that matter. Dicks seems to be a working congressperson, Mc Dermott, a frequent flyer diva.
4. God seems to have a sense of humor. Hope Boehner turns his lame a$$ over to collection.
:-)
It was a slam against Christianity pure and simple and a vote to separate Christianity from the state. I support the children's health care and I and several psoters went round and round on that issue, but if SouthernRoots is correct that he is linking this action to that piece of legislation, he has gone beyond being a secular progressive weasel to just plain a POS. My two cents.
Posted by: WVH on December 13, 2007 09:47 AMIf Congress had been spending its time monitoring all the pork, we wouldn't be in the financial mess that we are in. So, this seems to be no more of a waste of their time than what has been going on. Oh, by the way, aren't they on something like a three day work week?
Posted by: WVH on December 13, 2007 10:01 AMI have no qualm with him voting "no" in general. His reasoning doesn't make sense (although bonus points for referencing "the children" without irony), but, at the end of the day, I'm not going to get upset over a "no" vote on this legislative jetsam.
It doesn't make me think any better of Rep. McDermott, though.
Posted by: Benjamin Johnstone-Anderson on December 13, 2007 10:16 AMStatement by Steve Beren, 12/13/07
www.berenforcongress.com
www.steveberen.com
It is time for a new exit strategy, one that removes Jim McDermott from office. The time has come for McDermott to go.
Of course, this is the same McDermott who opposes our troops and opposes a victory strategy in the war against Islamic terrorism. And this is the same unethical McDermott who puts himself above the law and sees nothing wrong with wiretapping political opponents. So when McDermott opposes this resolution on Christmas, it's hardly surprising.
In a recent email message to his supporters regarding his ethics violations and his $800,000+ in fines and legal fees, McDermott said: "I have raised a significant amount of money to pay for legal expenses. However, the amount that has been set aside will not cover all costs and fees."
In the same message, McDermoot also stated: "With right-wing Republicans devoting so much effort to punishing me, I must be doing something right!"
No need for Republicans to do "negative campaigning" in Seattle - McDermott provides his own "negative attacks" against himself.
Steve Beren
www.berenforcongress.com
www.steveberen.com
Yes, he's good at spouting chapter and verse of the Good Book of the Church of the Left: antiwar (meaning anti-US-military, not anti-all-military), anti-Christian, anti-capitalist, anti-individual. But you get that by hanging with the campus and media and government liberals, who think that the 'smart' ones should call the tune for the rest of us to dance to, exchanging strokes with them, and holding one's nose at the unwashed.
Posted by: Insufficiently Sensitive on December 13, 2007 12:23 PMNice of his to pick up an endorsement from Esquire. However I think he'd probably do better in Seattle if he picked up an endorsement from GQ.
He also has the dubious honor of having one of the ugliest campaign websites I've ever seen. Seriously Steve, hire a web designer.
Good luck with that, Fred. You have clearly lost your grip on reality.
The 41st District should be grateful, however, that you have demonstrated your complete lack of principles prior to the next election.
Posted by: ewaggin on December 13, 2007 09:50 PMRepublicans in this state need to start functioning as a functional party and no extricate themselves from moderate Republicans, or they will be a minority for many years. Dino Rossi will hopefully spread that message when he runs again for Governor. The Democrats have their problems as well - they are just better at covering them up.
Posted by: KS on December 13, 2007 09:59 PMThere must have been a half dozen stories today about the democraps fighting amongst themselves, that even with their majority they can't get anything done, that GW continues to make them look like the Darwin monkeys they worship, that the Whoribillary is in meltdown, the surge is making bigger asses of them... it just goes on...
Behaviour like this just puts the icing on it.
America is at a crossroads over its definition: moral or amoral; continued leader or loser following the way of most failing socialist countries.
Bagdad Jimmy and his antics illustrate the choice clear for most Americans.
Seattle columnist Ralph Nichols, in the December 18 issue of the Highline Times, is the author of a column entitled "Time for McDermott to leave after disrespecting Christians and Christmas."
Excerpts from Nichols' column follow; the entire column is available online at http://www.highlinetimes.com/articles/2007/12/18/interact/columnists/column02.txt
U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, whose 7th Congressional District descends into the Highline area, last week continued his free-fall deeper into the abyss of the extreme left.... It is inexcusable ... to dismiss Christmas - AND Christians - on a political whim that smacks of bigotry. His actions disrespect the vast majority of people in Washington and throughout America who are Christians - and they disregard Christianity as a foundation of our country.
This is the same Rep. McDermott who spoke in support of the late Saddam Hussein before the Battle of Iraq began, and since then has withheld support for our troops while undermining their efforts to achieve military victory. And the same "Congressman for Life" who gave reporters illegally obtained wiretaps of political opponents' private conversations, and now owes more than $800,000 in fines and legal fees for his ethical misdoing.
"Like many liberals, McDermott struggles with the question of 'moral values' and 'faith voters,' but he really has no clue," said Steve Beren, his opponent in 2006....
His disrespect of Christians and one of our holiest days shows how out of touch with reality he really is. Clearly the time has come for him to be replaced.
The entire column by Ralph Nichols is available online at http://www.highlinetimes.com/articles/2007/12/18/interact/columnists/column02.txt
Posted by: Steve Beren on December 18, 2007 05:44 PM