About that disappointing Democrat of yours...

I'm luckier than most Democrats. My own personal Congressman, Jim McDermott, is a liberal legend, a champion of working families, national President of Americans for Democratic Action and the co-author of single payer health care legislation. The list goes on and, well, obviously, I feel very well represented.

It's a nice feeling. I've spent too many years of my life in districts represented by entrenched Republicans, meaning I wasn't much represented by my Representative at all. It's not just blue folk in red districts that feel unrepresented, though. I know some of y'all have a Blue Dog or some other incarnation of what you think of as Republican-lite on your ballot, and some of y'all ain't at all delighted with the prospect of voting for the right label on the wrong person, someone who makes a partisan claim to your allegiance at election time but will almost certainly disappoint you on the House floor come legislation time. There are no doubt more than a few of you are pining for a Jim McDermott to vote for.

Well, when you vote for your somewhat disappointing Democrat, whoever that might be, you're also voting to retain the majority that makes it possible for Jim McDermott to be the chair of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support. Because of our Democratic majority - because of your periodically disappointing Democrat - Jim McDermott is able to apply his progressive priorities and the budgeting skills he honed as Chair of the Ways & Means committee in the Washington State Senate to meeting the needs of the neediest of us on behalf of all of us.

Jim's not just my own personal Congressman. He's a subcommittee Chair. Our subcommitee chair. Your subcommittee chair. Only, though, because of our Democratic majority which your Democratic member of Congress, even if he or she is the bluest of dogs, is part of.

That's right, if you were wondering if it was worth holding your nose and voting for someone who doesn't seem to remember what a Democrat is from time to time, or practically all the time, well, you can cast that vote with pride and confidence. When you vote for your Democrat, you're voting to re-elect Jim McDermott to his chairmanship.

That matters, and it's something you should be enthusiastic about.