The one member of Congress willing to admit nonbelief

The Secular Coalition of America is throwing its support behind the one member of Congress who has expressed a willingness to be identified as not having a belief in God or gods.

It's Rep. Pete Stark (D-California, District 13, which covers the east Bay--Oakland, Fremont, Alameda, Union City, etc.).

Stark, born in 1931, was first elected to Congress in 1973. He earned a B.S. in general engineering from MIT in 1953 and an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley in 1960. Prior to entering politics, he served in the Air Force and was a bank executive.

He is currently a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and chairman of the Health subcommittee.

He's pro-choice, anti-war, he opposed making the USA PATRIOT Act permanent, he supports medical marijuana, opposes the death penalty, and opposes Internet gambling bans.

He's unfortunately also a big advocate of regulation, opposes free trade, advocates gun control, supports network neutrality, and appears to oppose both legal and tax reform.

A list of his positions on issues as of 2000 may be found here.

His Wikipedia entry gives the following ratings that he's received from various groups on the basis of his voting record, from Project Vote Smart:

• American Civil Liberties Union-100% for 2003-2004.
• Americans for Democratic Action-90% for 2004 and 2005.
• AFL-CIO-93% in 2005.
• Drum Major Institute-100% for 2003-2005
• League of Conservation Voters-100% for 2005.
• NARAL Pro-Choice America-100% for 2003-2005.
• National Education Association-100% for 2005.
• National Journal-Composite liberal score of 98% for 2005 and 91% for 2003.
• National Organization for Women-100% for 2005.
• Population Connection-100% for 2000-2005.
• Republican Liberty Caucus-41% for 2005.

The Center for Public Integrity's "Well Connected" project has a record of contributions Stark has received from media companies.

(Via Pharyngula.)

UPDATE: Wonkette offers snarky comment.