WA State's most loved and liberal house member, Rep. Jim McDermott, M.D.,

[pnwmom]

has been physically threatened by an enraged Bernie supporter.

Rep. McDermott told investigators he had armed himself against potential threats -- with a shovel he carried to work and hid behind some flags.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/crime/article/Threatened-Rep-Jim-McDermott-armed-himself-7381914.php

Charges: Bernie Sanders supporter threatened to cut out Seattle congressman’s tongue

A Seattle man accused of threatening to cut out U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott’s tongue now faces felony charges.

King County prosecutors claim Jasper K. Bell made the threat because he was upset that McDermott, D-Seattle, was supporting Hilary Clinton for president. Currently jailed, Bell, 27, has been charged with intimidating a public servant and telephone harassment.

Bell had been fixated on McDermott for some time before the April 22 incident that saw him charged, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Susan Storey said in court paper. Bell is alleged to have made threatening calls to McDermott before arriving at his Seattle office that day.

“In one phone call he demanded the congressman’s home address and threatened to cut his tongue out,” Storey said in charging papers. “In another call he stated that the congressman would not be safe, even after he retires.”

McDermott, a long-serving liberal, announced in January that he would be retiring after 14 terms in Congress. A competitive primary contest is underway for the seat representing Washington’s deep-blue 7th District.

[Trust Buster]

1. Sad, what people won't do for money.

[pnwmom]

2. No one paid this man to make violent threats. n/t

[Trust Buster]

5. $18 trillion in new spending was that guy's motivation IMO.

[seabeyond]

9. You waited to pounce on that. Not surprised you can dismiss threatening another.

[Armstead]

3. He's obviously got mental problems

And now we're going to generalize about all Sanders supporters

[pnwmom]

6. Super delegates like Jim McDermott are being harassed everywhere, but it's rare to this extreme. n/t

[Armstead]

7. There are people who either have mental problems or are just jerks in all walks of life

[seabeyond]

12. I haven't heard this phenomon in the past. Why only now and only Sanders supporters one might ponder

[Armstead]

15. I've heard it in many situations from time immemorial

90 percent of the people who support Sanders are like 90 percent of the people who support Clinton. It's just a handy meme to marginalize them.

There is also the youth element in Sanders. Young people tend to be a little more forward in their behavior than older ones.

Remember the Chicago Democratic Convention? Remember the SDS?A few obnoxious Sanders supporters is nothing compared to the Baby Boomers when we were young.

[seabeyond]

18. Ok I agree and thanks for those reminders but don't minimize this behavior. Thuggery/bullying.

[Armstead]

19. I'm opposed to thuggery and bullying wherever it comes from

Including Sanders supporters.

But the vast majority of the people who support Sanders are perfectly nice and normal. (With the usual variations you'll find in any group of people -- especially millions of people.)

[seabeyond]

21. I never argued otherwise though. There is that anger element though and it has been fed.

[Armstead]

23. There is..also hope and upbeat side too

But there's anger and there's anger.

Most people will speak up, but keep within the bounds of good behavior (at least as much as the passionate supporters of any candidate do.)

[morningfog]

4. That guy is nuts.

[Cha]

8. Stupid asshole. Thank you for supporting Hillary Rep McDermott

[ismnotwasm]

10. He's my Rep.

Love the guy. This shit pisses me off.

[pnwmom]

11. He's a great guy. We're going to miss him. n/t

[JaneyVee]

13. Jesus Christ.

[snowy owl]

14. McDermott supported Clinton? Didn't realize. Can't believe it. Puts the lie to all McD. stood for.

I've always just taken it for granted McDermott was as progressive as Bernie. What in the world has gotten into him? I'm shocked. Kind of wish I didn't know this. Good thing he's not running again. I wouldn't vote for him now.

[Kittycat]

31. Money? Who knows what else. The guy who threatened him

Sounds like he needs mental services. I hope he's able to get it. I wonder if it was available to him/if he had an unmet need prior to this? Terrible that he threatened McDermott like that though.

As for McDermott, real shame that he didn't wait to support his state.

[Lucinda]

16. Disgusting. n/t

[leftofcool]

17. Sounds like Trump supporters

[rhett o rick]

20. This shouldn't happen to anyone. Trying to smear all Sanders supporters with this is low and

underhanded. What we've come to expect.

[Andy823]

22. Funny thing is

The OP never once said anything about "all" of Sanders supporters were like this guy, now did she? Stop with the victim card thing, it's really getting old.

[pnwmom]

24. Who is doing that? Anyone who knows Jim McDermott is loving the part where he brought a shovel

instead of a gun for self-protection.

[PowerToThePeople]

25. I support McDermott against all personal threats

I do not support his supporting of Hillary when our state was solidly pro-Bernie.

As a Washington resident I will work to remove him from office if he casts his superdelegate vote for Hillary.

[pnwmom]

26. Our state wasn't solidly behind Bernie. The caucuses were, and less than 6% of us attended.

Are you aware that we haven't had our primary yet? Many more voters will participate and we will have a much better idea of who the state backs.

[PowerToThePeople]

29. Primary caucus was 75% Bernie

I think it is safe to say we are pro Bernie.

[pnwmom]

32. That wasn't a "primary caucus." It was the caucus. And we will have the primary -- the primary

that the voters strongly chose INSTEAD of caucuses -- in May.

[PowerToThePeople]

33. Thanks

I thought it was strange when some family members who didn't caucus were telling me they were looking forward to voting for Bernie.

Now I understand.

I await my mailin ballot with glee.

[Unicorn]

27. And this is posted because all of us Sanders supporters threaten to cut out people's tongues

Actually, it sounds like this is a crazy person who needs a mental eval, not a hit on the head with a shovel - which is illegal in WA State.

[pnwmom]

28. Jim McDermott wouldn't have broken any law if he defended himself with a shovel. And anyone

who knows him loves the idea that he brought a shovel to work instead of a gun.

It's so Jim.

[Unicorn]

34. It's a bad path. The mental guy needs an eval, not a weapon to be used on him.

People who are truly dangerous shouldn't be loose.

[pnwmom]

35. Jim wouldn't have known what the guy looked like. If Jim suddenly get attacked, he wanted

something to defend himself with.

As it is, he did call the police when the guy showed up and started harassing him, and Jim didn't have to use the shovel.

[LenaBaby61]

30. Thank Goodness ....

Disagreement is one thing, but to threaten someone with bodily harm by saying you're going to cut their tongue out, then continue to threaten the person after you threatened them with bodily harm is a whole other matter. This person threatening McDermott obviously has a mental problem, and McDermott had better get a security detail for a while even though he's retiring and even though this person sits in jail where he belongs and hopefully being evaluated mentally/emotionally.

[KingFlorez]

36. Sick

I can't even fathom what makes anyone want to go this far.

[DesertRat]

37. That's terrible