That's Supporting the Troops?
If this article is indicative of the race, then I'd say that Baghdad Jim McDermott's
getting a run for his money from Steve Beren. After my interview with Steve a couple weeks ago, I can't say that that surprises me, though. Let's take a look at this Seattle interview:
A good example is retired Sen. John Breaux, (D-LA). Breaux's intellectual centrism made him a swing vote on most issues. A whip had to sound him out to know where he'd come down on an issue-by-issue basis. The House Democratic Whip knows where McDermott is and just keeps on going to the people that swing back and forth.
Another reason why McDermott isn't influential is because some of his policy beliefs are so far out there that, if they were put into legislation, they wouldn't gather 50 votes on the floor of the House. For instance, he used to be a proponent of the Canadian-style single-payer healthcare plan. That plan, if it were brought up in the House, would have Democrats fleeing for the tall grass faster than they ran when the Murtha "immediate redeployment" plan was put to a vote. I recall that one 'losing' by a 403-3 vote.
Mr. Beren takes McDermott to task on the issue of supporting the troops, saying
Think of it like Kerry saying in the final presidential debate that he's a religious man who takes his faith seriously but doesn't think it should inform any of his policy beliefs. As Democratic legislators remind us every presidential election, "faith without works is dead." I won't say that McDermott's beliefs are dead, though I won't guarantee that they aren't comatose.
Posted Wednesday, May 31, 2006 12:07 PM
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Steve Beren admitted to 34th District Republicans on May 16 that challenging Washington's "congressman for life" is a daunting task. But, Beren declared, "There's no candidate I'd rather run against than [Seventh District Democratic Rep.] Jim McDermott. In King County, in the Seventh District, for too long we've had a controversial, extremist congressman" who has given his constituents "a lack of representation."This rating isn't just Beren's opinion. According to Knowlegis' power rankings, Jim McDermott ranks 212th amongst House legislators. Breaking it down further, McDermott scores 1 point on legislation and 0 points on influence. He isn't influential because he's one of the most liberal legislators in the last quarter century. If there's anything that I've learned in watching politics, it's that conservatives and centrists have influence because their votes matter most.
A good example is retired Sen. John Breaux, (D-LA). Breaux's intellectual centrism made him a swing vote on most issues. A whip had to sound him out to know where he'd come down on an issue-by-issue basis. The House Democratic Whip knows where McDermott is and just keeps on going to the people that swing back and forth.
Another reason why McDermott isn't influential is because some of his policy beliefs are so far out there that, if they were put into legislation, they wouldn't gather 50 votes on the floor of the House. For instance, he used to be a proponent of the Canadian-style single-payer healthcare plan. That plan, if it were brought up in the House, would have Democrats fleeing for the tall grass faster than they ran when the Murtha "immediate redeployment" plan was put to a vote. I recall that one 'losing' by a 403-3 vote.
Mr. Beren takes McDermott to task on the issue of supporting the troops, saying
"He says he supports the troops but doesn't support the war on terror...That's like supporting fire fighters but letting the fire burn."I couldn't agree more. You can't separate what the military does from who they are. They're inseparable. Only can a looney leftist liberal differentiate.
Think of it like Kerry saying in the final presidential debate that he's a religious man who takes his faith seriously but doesn't think it should inform any of his policy beliefs. As Democratic legislators remind us every presidential election, "faith without works is dead." I won't say that McDermott's beliefs are dead, though I won't guarantee that they aren't comatose.
Beren added, "if ever there was a congressman who should pursue an exit strategy, it is Jim McDermott." He also criticized McDermott for saying that Iran is not a threat to the U.S., and for earlier statements that Afghanistan and Iraq were not threats.How on earth anyone with a recorded brainwave can say that Iran isn't a threat to the U.S. is beyond me. I know McDermott's brain is functioning because he's hosting a radio show this week. That doesn't mean, however, that his brain is functioning properly.
Posted Wednesday, May 31, 2006 12:07 PM
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