Seattle’s “Congressman for Life” Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA-07) will, apparently, defy his appellation and retire from the House without first dying.
McDermott is expected to announce his retirement on Monday. If KING 5’s sources are correct, that is.
The 79 year-old psychiatrist-turned-politician was first elected to the Washington state legislature, representing the 43 district, in 1970. He was elected to the U.S. House in 1988, taking office on Jan 3 of 1989.
McDermott had several causes in Congress including health care issues of all types and, generally, pissing off the Republican leadership. His battle against Newt Gingrich over Gingrich’s violation of a House Ethics committee agreement was epic (but cost McDermott a lot of money). McDermott also fought an unorthodox battle to strike the phrase “one nation under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance.
McDermott once showed up the the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally. A couple of College Republicans decided to stop by that same evening and pestered the Congressman. He largely ignored them. But, then again, he hasn’t been back.
Maybe he’ll have more time for recreational politics and beer next year.
I liked listening to him speak every time I watched him in TV. He held your interest in what he had to say. Good guy. Thanks Jim.
Nooooooooooo Baghdad Adelbert going to retire? What did Baghdad Adelbert do with the $5000 from Saddam apologist Shakir al-Khafaji for his “Legal Expense Trust”? Was the $5000 just what we actually knew about from the Ba’ath Party treasure trove we found or was it more Baghdad Adelbert?
Did Goldy ever ask Baghdad Adelbert about that?
– McDermott once showed up the the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally. A couple of College Republicans decided to stop by that same evening and pestered the Congressman. He largely ignored them. But, then again, he hasn’t been back.
Can’t stand being interrogated?
Probably the most amusing element of this story will be speculation over which “moderate” Republican the Seattle Times will endorse.
Running out of options. Badly damaged brand.
@2 Five thousand bucks? Are you kidding? Who cares about five thousand crummy little dollars? You can’t even buy 150 lattes with that. It wouldn’t keep a Capitol Hill office coffee fund solvent, let alone buy a congressman.
Good luck to an all around decent fellow who did a great job. He’ll be missed. And judging by his enemies, he was a fighter for good.
The Congressman was a good, moral and principled Representative and an all around great guy.
I brought my then high school freshman daughter to a Drinking Liberally where McDermott was going to show. He sauntered in, by his amiable self, hung out with the HA reprobates and was kind and interested in my daughter and what she thought. Turns out he used to live around the corner from me when I was in high school.
I hope we get as lucky this time around.
Another strange comment from R senile @4!
Still senile as ever!