McDermott backs Bush impeachment

After months of consideration, U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, said Tuesday he signed on to an effort to impeach President Bush because he believes in holding leaders accountable.

McDermott, who is up for re-election to his 10th congressional term this year, is the eighth member of the U.S. House to sign on to the impeachment resolution.

It accuses the Bush administration of more than a dozen impeachable acts, including misleading the American public about Iraq, spying on American citizens and trying to "destroy Medicare."

The Democratic leadership in Congress has said an impeachment battle is too distracting.

"I fully understand the gut-wrenching consequences such a national debate could precipitate," McDermott said in a speech Tuesday. "Yet, there is one fact we cannot overlook or escape. America cannot regain its moral leadership in the world if America cannot hold its leaders accountable for their actions at home."

McDermott is the most liberal member of Washington's congressional delegation and has opposed the Iraq war since before the 2003 invasion.

But his most liberal critics have questioned why McDermott hadn't already signed on to the resolution, which is co-authored by Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio.

"I think it's a little late in the game," said Mark Goldman, a Vashon Island Independent who challenged McDermott in last month's primary election.

"By now I would think that he's seen the evidence," Goldman said. "I would have thought he would have seen it a long time ago. ... Sometimes people all of a sudden get some insight."

McDermott spokesman Mike DeCesare said the congressman has been considering the Kucinich bill, reading books and "deliberating." He finally decided to support impeachment, even if Bush's term in office is nearly over, DeCesare said.

"A lot of people said, 'Look he's going to be out of office soon, so what difference does it make?' And Jim weighed that factor, but again, it came back to, how can we ask the world to be accountable if we ourselves are unwilling to be accountable?" DeCesare said.

Steve Beren, the Republican whom McDermott will face in November, said the impeachment effort is a political ploy by the "fringe left."

But Beren said he could find enough ammunition for his own impeachment effort — of McDermott.

"It's ludicrous for someone who is like McDermott — so dishonest, so unethical and so corrupt himself, to talk about the issue of accountability in government," Beren said.

Emily Heffter: 206-464-8246 or eheffter@seattletimes.com