(US Rep Jim) McDermott endorses Dean, cites opposition to Iraq war

[pruner]

SEATTLE — U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott yesterday endorsed former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean in the crowded Democratic presidential race.

…

"What I'm interested in is someone who can get the progressive wing of the Democratic party energized," McDermott said. But he said Dean can appeal to a broad swath of voters.

…

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001760290_dige07m.html (last item at the bottom)

[CMT]

1. Jim McDermott

wow I hadn't expected him. I'm glad we have him though--he is a great progressive from Washington.

[Mairead]

2. And of course he forgot about the co-chair of the Progressive Caucus

who actually DID and DOES organise the progressive wing.

Amazing the way that works.

[clar]

3. You believe

that Kucinich is as electable as any other candidate. Most people, including Rep. McDermott evidently, don't.

[w4rma]

4. Note. The specific reason cited isn't 'electability'.

And of course both Dean and Kucinich stood against the Iraq war.

McDermott's support is based on Dean's ability to "energize" (and I would say, organize) progressives while also "appealing" to many non-progressives.

It is my observation that electability is a euphemism for competitive fund raising.

[Mairead]

6. And of course Dennis stood against the war long before Dean

and actually did the organising, which Dean did not.

Which suggests that Rep. McDermott's principal principle is 'sell out'.

(I quite agree with you that 'electability' is a euphemism for 'money' -- which indicates that some folk see no problem with elections-as-auctions)

[clar]

7. I find the "purity standard"

of many Kucinich supporters a little frightening. Because someone arrives at a conclusion that differs from yours, does not negate that person's history or necessarily mean that they're a sellout.

[Mairead]

11. It's one thing to say 'I endorse Dean because I like him'

And another to imply by omission that something is true when it's not. That's not 'purity' except if you feel that lies should be accorded the same value as truth.

McDermott is entitled to endorse whoever the hell he likes, but when he claims he's doing it because of X and Y, then the endorsement should be going to the one with the best claim to X and Y. If the reasons are mere excuses to justify his pre-determined choice, then he should at least pick credible ones, shouldn't he? What he actually did was lie. It's not 'purity' to object to that.

[helleborient]

12. It's not a lie to point out your reasons for support...

You might disagree with his opinion, but it's not a lie to express why you chose that candidate.

Al Sharpton and Carol Moseley Braun also express some of the same progressive ideals that fuel Dennis Kucinich's campaign...if someone said they supported Dennis because of his support for issues of importance to minorities, would they be lying because Al Sharpton or Carol Moseley Braun would have "better" claim to those issues?

I value Dennis Kucinich highly, but I don't understand why some of his supporters really do believe he has a monopoly on truth.

[veganwitch]

13. well, when you are the one consistantly speaking it..

you should be given the credit.

and in terms of sharpton and mosley-braun. dennis has the most to lose by taking the stances that he does. he is an elected official where as dean, al, and carol are not. dennis is at the will of the voting population (of his district) and yet that does not stop him from speaking his mind and the truth. look at how gore came out against bush and became more liberal in his stances when he was no longer at the whim of the voting population.

dennis continues to speak and work for the people, even when it is not popular (as with the Muny light incident) and that is why they, and I, respect him.

[helleborient]

15. That's all a worthwhile discussion...

But that doesn't mean Jim McDermott lied when he said why he supports Howard Dean...which was the original question.

I respect Dennis, too...no problem there.

[veganwitch]

17. i never implied that mcdermott lied

however, one should give credit where credit is due.

[helleborient]

18. That's why I said....

Which was the original question...look a little further up.

No, you didn't, but another DK supporter did.

[Mairead]

21. "It's not a lie to point out your reasons for support"

It is if your statement implies something false.

If some Dem says he endorses Bush 'because of his support for education' would you think him honest?

[veganwitch]

22. mcdermott wasnt lying...

just "omitting certain truthes" to quote one of my favourite movies, chicken run.

[veganwitch]

19. first the vegan police...

now the electability police.

for the first time in a long time, there is someone who is truly speaking and stands for all the democratic values that are supposed to be the basis of the democratic party. should we (kucinich supporters) not be excited and fight fiercely for someone who finally speaks what we all know.

people, especially progressives, are tired of middle of the road democrats. back in april/may time or newsweek did a cover story asking why they dont make democrats the way they used to, with a picture of FDR on the cover. finally we have a chance to vote for that democrat.

and as i work for dennis too many people are saying "i like him but...". he has the support of a lot of the people i talk to but they are unwilling (frightened?) to stand with him. i think i have the right to get a bit pissed off. im angry at the dems that "didnt like the war but still voted for it."

what is right isnt always popular, and what is popular isnt always right.

[ButterflyBlood]

8. sell out to what?

he's not gaining anything through this. He just can clearly see that Kucinich does't have a chance and he doesn't want to waste his superdelegate vote.

[Mairead]

24. I hope that as you grow older you learn to distinguish between

your unsupported opinion and fact. They really are different.

[w4rma]

10. Kucinich did very good work against the war

However, McDermott's disagreement with you, Mairead, on who to support in the Democratic primary does not in any way say that his "principal prinnciple is 'sell out'". That's an extremely closed minded and rigid attitude, IMHO.

You make another logical fallacy here by saying, basically:
You agree that 'electability' is a euphemism for 'money', therefore "some folk" (the people who agree with you that 'electability is a euphemism for 'money'?) see no problem with elections-as-auctions)

Ignoring your statement. I'm just going to give you my observation of the situation:

I would like to implement public funded elections. Until publically funded elections are implemented 'electability' will always be a euphemism for competitive fund raising. Short of a military coup or clandestine cheating at the polls, both of which I would *extremely* and *strongly* *oppose*, folks must work within the system to change the system and that means that folks must raise enough funds to be competitive.

It's a statement of the reality of the current system and situation.

[eridani]

30. Indeed

I used to have a congressperson called Jim McDermott. He was courageous enough to go to Baghdad and suffer the resulting slings and arrows of some pretty vicious assaults on his character and patriotism. He was one of the initiators of the house bill to establish Medicare for all and a good friend of one of its most vigorous co-sponsors and advocates, Dennis Kucinich. Who are you and what did you do with Jim?

8,000 doctors have advocated single payer health care in a national medical journal, and candidate Dr. Dean was not among them. The July Pew foundation survey found that 72% of the public suports repeal of the Bush tax cuts if the money were to be used for universal health care. That was 82% of self-identified Democrats and 51% of Republicans. Republicans! How mainstream is that? Yet Dean lacks the courage to to come out in favor of this eminently sensible policy that the former Jim McDermott has been supporting for many years.

I'm not impressed with Dean's Vermont performance which left 5% of its population uninsured, since I grew up with parents in that 5%. Sick enough that when they worked, they were their own employers, as no one would hire them. Of course there was no insurance, because insurance companies usually refuse to insure sick people. A program insuring kids would have been useless for us, because us rugrats were healthy--it was our PARENTS' sickness that forced us onto a household budget that was less than welfare grants after medical bills were paid. And the 95% of Vermonters who think they are covered may or may not be. With private insurance you have to get sick to find out, and 80% of them aren't going to.

Will you please untie Jim McDermott and let him out of the closet so he can endorse Dennis Kucinich, the only candidate who has actually spelled out a plan for universal health care? See http://www.kucinich.us/ and
http://www.kucinich-washington.org/

[Larkspur]

5. This is an excellent endorsement!

Thanks, Rep McDermott.

[LuminousX]

9. WooHoo!

For awhile I really thought the tide had turned against Dean. Now that the initial groundswell of Clark support is levelling off, Dean's campaign is once again making great progress!

This is just the kind of news I needed to boost my day!

[janx]

14. Well Luminous, it's only going to get even better!

And now that the recall junk is waning, this should become more evident.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

16. I live in California, but..

I choose to see today as a good day, the day that we refocus our energies on 2004 and take a lesson from Arnie: the people want change, and they want a leader who seems to be for the people. (Of course they also want an idiot movie star, but not much we can do about that now.)

Think positive. Work hard.

[helleborient]

20. And realize the world can be...

Motivated by hope and not dominated by violence, whether it's war, harrassment, or general thuggish behavior.

[DJcairo]

23. Jim McDermott divides party over war vote

Not helpful.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

26. Yeah, that silly little issue: WAR.

How petty can people get?

[Rose Siding]

27. Divides which party?

snip>
"Polls last winter showed that public support for the president's decision to go to war in Iraq was sharply divided along partisan lines, with broad indications of reluctance. Now there are growing doubts about whether the results were worth the loss of life and other costs involved. Only 41 percent said it was, while 53 percent said it was not."

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/03/national/03POLL.html?pagewanted=1

[sandnsea]

28. McDermott???

No, he isn't anywhere near powerful enough to divide the party. I love my own Congressman who was totally anti-war, but he isn't even powerful enough to divide the party. Besides, most of America would see an enorsement from McDermott in about as good a light as an endorsement from LaRouche. Left wing liberal wacko who dissed America in enemy territory. People around here need to expand their horizons I think.

[killbotfactory]

29. Why even bother with these votes at all?

G.I. JFK is the rightful heir to the democratic nomination and everybody knows it! Anyone who would adopt a position which contradicts G.I. JFK is a republican plant.

[govegan]

25. Although I am disappointed at Jim's choice......

I realize that he often does a great job representing those of us in his district.

Personally, Kucinich seems a far better choice, but other prominent Seattle progressives, such as KIRO radio host Mike Webb, seem to be smitten by the Dean candidacy.

I wouldn't want McDermott to look bad by switching, but I plan to voice my concerns to him. When Kucinich finally pulls ahead, I am sure there will be a convenient time for all of those Dean supporters to get with the better choice.

[CWebster]

31. Because Dean says things like

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/1009-02.htm