Stop the Theatrics
It is a simple question “Doesn’t America Deserve Better?” One must look at one individual as of late to ponder that question. That would be Steve Cohen who is a Democratic Congressman from Tennessee. You know the guy, the one that prefers theatrics over actually executing policy.
Just look back to September 2013, Rep Cohen thought it was important to tweet a political cartoon. This cartoon followed the Navy Yard shootings. In his tweet, his cartoon suggested that the NRA was the ones at fault for the Navy Yard shootings. Doesn’t that sound familiar? Someone else besides the trigger puller being responsible. Pass that blame for political agenda, just read that playbook step by step. You know the Democratic playbook. He is a good poster boy for the playbook. He seems to jump at opportunities to divert attention at crisis times.
Even Douglas Heye, a former CNN writer described him as this, “Just when you think our politics can’t get any dumber, along comes a congressman with some chicken.” This is referring to Rep. Cohen who showed up to the House Judiciary Committee hearing with the intent of mocking Attorney General William Barr, who did not show up to the hearing. Just what we expect from an elected official, always taking the high road.
Steve Cohen (D) Congressman from Tennessee came out publicly and exposed his wisdom, “the guard is 90 some odd percent, I believe male, ah only about 20% white males voted for Biden. You have to figure that in the Guard which is predominately more conservative, and I see that on my social media and we know it. There are probably only 25% that are people protecting us voted for Biden the other 75% are in the class, that would be, the large class of folks that might want to do something.”
What is ironic, since the 110 thCongress, which ran from 3 January 2007 to 2 January 2009, Cohen was the primary sponsor of 8 bills that became law. Of those 8, 3 of them were titled, “National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act of …” (you put the year of either 2011, 2015, 2019 in there). He got rather good at extending the relief every few years for Guardsmen and Reservists. Another two bills were renaming Post Offices.
Pushing a narrative of conspiracy regarding to the National Guard members going to DC, that the professional Guardsmen overall majority cannot vote for one person and protect another is frankly sad and despicable. Even though out of 25,000 guard members serving at the Capitol, 12 were pulled for potential issues with previous texts in their past and only 2 of the 12 of the members that were pulled had inappropriate comments regarding the riots at the Capitol. So that is 2 out of 25,000, hardly how Rep Cohen explained in his thoughts. The way he presented his thoughts, a sitting Congressional leaders’ thought, on the Guard, that majority of our Guardsmen are only capable of defending those they vote for and the majority “might want to do something.” Hmmmmm, if we did a percentage on this it comes out to .008% of the Guardsmen in DC had potential issues, definitely not an adequate representation of Guardsmen and definitely not the picture Cohen painted. So, let me dive into Guardsmen.
I served next to National Guardsmen in Desert Storm. I served with Guardsmen in my subordinate units in Iraq in 2011 and in Afghanistan in 2012 as well. I saw people from the Guard that were Bankers, Stockbrokers, Businessmen, School Teachers, Principals, Preachers, Nurses, Doctors, Lawyers, Major Plant Managers, Distribution Hub Facilitators, Physical Trainers, Sports Teams Physical Therapists, Police Officers, and the list goes on and on. I saw great Americans in the National Guard from all regions of America. There were some that had some challenges but honestly when you have large number of people, what group does not. The National Guard’s challenges were no different than the Active Duty. But I did not find a single sole searching for uprising, insurrection, or anything that Congressman Cohen alluded to which garnered attention. Their challenges which more in line with all other Soldiers, having too much time on their hands and leading to some form Jack-assery or the proper term shenanigans.
Now as we witnessed there were no issues with the inauguration as Congressman Cohen would allude to. From my understanding Congressman Cohen serves on the following House Committees — Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Committee on Science Space and Technology, and Committee on Judiciary. I have yet to see him ever serve on the Committee of Intelligence, Emerging Threats and Capabilities. Oh, there is so many jokes I could go into on that one but nor does he serve on the following Committees — Committee of Military Personnel, Committee of Readiness, Committee of Strategic Forces and so on. I think you get the point. He does not seem to be the expert on military matters; he is just spitting out verbiage for political fodder. It is right to voice his un-authoritative opinion on this for it he does seem to be the subject matter expert. You know everyone has the right to speak their voice but like the ole saying goes, anyone can show their butt just the wiser chooses not to. Apparently, he is not the wiser, maybe as an elected official it would be wiser to be silent for a moment.
Let us also not forget Congressman Cohen’s jump to conclusion comments on fellow Congresswoman Lauren Boebert in an interview to CNN regarding the Capitol riots. “Only thing that I’ve seen, Congressman [John] Yarmuth refreshed my recollection yesterday, we saw Boebert taking a group of people for a tour sometime after [3 Jan ] and before [6 Jan] and she had a large group with her. Now whether there were people that were involved in the insurrection or not, I do not know. … But it is pretty clear that her team is the team-she’s not on the home team. She was with the visitors.” Yep, just out of the Democratic playbook, plant that seed of doubt about a new Congresswoman from the other side of the aisle. Hopefully, we can get the media to go full blown all in on that seed and help it blossom into something big. That is deliberately deceptive and maybe a little more measuring of his comments would have served our country better.
What is nice about this, is the freshman Congresswoman did not shy away from this, unlike Cohen who likes to allude to things. Boebert went straight to the juggler. “During your interview on CNN today, you made false, slanderous statements that have threatened the safety of my family, my staff and me,” Boebert wrote in a letter to Cohen. “It’s unfortunate that you have connected my family being in D.C. for my swearing-in with the Capitol riots … I have never given a tour of the U.S. Capitol to any outside group.” So, my question is do you believe a Freshman Congresswoman Boebert or do you believe a seasoned legislator that has a history of exacerbating the truth? Hmmmm, this is not political it is about honesty. I believe Congresswoman Boebert.
I also believe we should get a little better conduct from our legislators. Congressman Cohen reminds us that theatrics, political statements, political jabs, fodder and turning crisis events for political gain seem to be more important than executing party free legislation for the good of the country. I simply ask, “Doesn’t America Deserve Better?”
The Vet
Originally published at https://shop.thecoachandthevet.com on January 21, 2021.
