Jim McDermott Gets Skewered, Again

By NW Digest Team at June 25th, 2009.

Last week we detailed the latest in a series of recent controversies ensnaring Seattle’s 11-term U.S. Representative Jim McDermott. We have also noted the outrage by some members of Congress at several pork projects in the Northwest.

Now, McDermott is in the headlines again, or to be more accurate, making the front-page of the Seattle Times. What’s the long-time Congressman in the news for now?

A questionable earmark request for $250,000 that he submitted for one of Seattle’s most elite social clubs: The Rainier Club.

For his part, McDermott doesn’t appear to think making the “ask” was a big deal. But it sparked two high-profile Seattle Times newspaper stories (here and here).

The real searing on the grill, however, came from the paper’s editorial pages: “Shrug, Wink: Everybody Does It,” and “Money for the Rainier Club? Get Real Jim.” Some of the strongest admonishments:

WHAT is the matter with Rep. Jim McDermott? He proposes Congress earmark $250,000 in taxpayer money to the Rainier Club, so that it may fix its limestone windowsills. When the public hoots, the Seattle Democrat compares his proposal to a grant for the Seattle Art Museum or the University of Washington, and says, “This is not a ridiculous request.”

What bugs me is McDermott’s shrug. Everybody does it. It’s OK, line up at the federal trough. Rich, poor, private, public — it doesn’t matter. We all go for the bailout. Why not you, too?

McDermott spokesman Mike DeCesare defended his boss in an email reply to NWDIGEST’s request for an interview:

“We receive earmark (appropriations) requests from across the 7th congressional district and there is a process in DC for submittal and consideration to the appropriations subcommittee.”

If history is any measure, Seattle’s “Congressman-for-Life” will not be punished by voters for this latest revelation. As the Times editorial board concluded:

Either McDermott’s political cerebrum has fossilized after 11 terms in Congress, or, having won his seat with 84 percent of the vote, he doesn’t need to care.

Photo licensed under Creative Commons 2.0, Flickr.

Tags: featured, Jim McDermott, McDermott earmarks, Rainier Club earmark, Seattle, The Rainier Club