And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Luke 2:10

U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, whose 7th Congressional District descends into the Highline area, last week continued his free-fall deeper into the abyss of the extreme left.

Earlier this year, Rep. McDermott supported House resolutions to recognize the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and the festival of Diwali, observed by Hindus and Sikhs.

But he drew the line at Christmas, joining eight other ultra-liberal congressmen in voting against a resolution that recognizes the importance of Christmas and Christianity in America and Western Civilization.

"Christmas is really about children," he said later. "A children's holiday, if you will."

No, Rep. McDermott, that is not what Christmas is really about. Not to millions of Christians who celebrate the birth of "a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

It is inexcusable for someone who identifies himself as a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, despite the fact it is one of the most liberal parishes in the Diocese of Olympia, to dismiss Christmas-and Christians-on a political whim that smacks of bigotry.

His actions disrespect the vast majority of people in Washington and throughout America who are Christians-and they disregard Christianity as a foundation of our country.

This is the same Rep. McDermott who spoke in support of the late Saddam Hussein before the Battle of Iraq began, and since then has withheld support for our troops while undermining their efforts to achieve military victory.

And the same "Congressman for Life" who gave reporters illegally obtained wiretaps of political opponents' private conversations, and now owes more than $800,000 in fines and legal fees for his ethical misdoing.

"Like many liberals, McDermott struggles with the question of 'moral values' and 'faith voters,' but he really has no clue," said Steve Beren, his opponent in 2006 and announced challenger next year.

Rep. McDermott's congressional record and rantings prompted the following post on www.soundpolitics.com: "He's the best advertisement against liberalism there could possibly be."

His disrespect of Christians and one of our holiest days shows how out of touch with reality he really is.

Clearly the time has come for him to be replaced.

The recently released 2007 Legislative Ratings by the Washington Conservative Union held no real surprises. Yet its ranking of Highline-area legislators was astounding.

Rep. Eileen Cody, D-West Seattle (District 34), and Rep. Bob Hasagawa, D-Renton (District 11), both recorded zeros for their votes on 13 bills used by the WCU to evaluate state lawmakers.

Rep. Joe McDermott, D-West Seattle (District 34), and Rep. Zach Hudgins, D-Renton (District 11), both scored 1 percent.

McDermott is now a state senator, replacing Erik Poulsen, D-West Seattle, who resigned earlier this fall. Based on her votes in the recent special legislative session, his replacement in the House-Rep. Sharon Nelson, D-Vashon-may not rank that high in 2008.

Rep. Shay Schual-Berke, D-Normandy Park, who asks the public for confidence in her "good faith" efforts to effect "progressive" tax reform, and Rep. Dave Upthegrove, D-Des Moines, both achieved a whopping 4 percent. (They represent District 33.)

Our state senators did only slightly better with their votes on 15 bills.

Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines (District 34), scored 17 percent; (former) Sen. Poulsen, 15 percent; and Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Seattle (District 11), 9 percent.

WCU ratings are based on legislative action that:

Promotes strong families.

Promotes responsible, taxpayer friendly fiscal policies.

Maintains a responsible criminal justice system.

Fosters a sound educational system for Washington's youth.

Assures limited government, deregulation and privatization.

Recognizes constitutional protections.

(Detailed information on both the ratings and the legislative criteria is at www.washingtonconservativeunion.org/ratings/html.)

At first glance, these rankings of local legislators reflect the political makeup of the Highline area.

But do they really?

If pressed on specifics, would voters say their lawmakers actually are voting for what they believe, issue after issue?

Or has perception, based too much on headlines and sound bites, become reality?

Now this final, yet important, note: Have yourself a very Merry Christmas. And, as Tiny Tim said, "God bless us, every one."

The views of Ralph Nichols are his own, and do not necessarily reflect those of Robinson Newspapers. He can be reached at ralphn@robinsonnews.com or 206-388-1857.