Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m old-fashioned about a lot of things. One of them is expecting respect and decorum in certain situations, such as when conducting the nation’s business in the US House and Senate. I expect neat, businesslike attire for those participating. But the Senate has just adopted a new dress code or, more specifically, abandoned its dress code. Reportedly this is to accommodate one man, Sen. John Fetterman, Democrat from Pennsylvania. He prefers to wear sweatshirts, hoodies, shorts, and the like, and does so as he conducts business at the Capitol. To date he has been casting his votes from a doorway rather than the Senate floor. But now he can schlep to his desk wearing whatever he wants — and so can everyone else.
I’ve been cutting the man a lot of slack until now. He’s been ill, recovering from a stroke. And yet he managed to get through a campaign and election. Good for him. Now he should don a suit and get down to business. But no, apparently his casual attire is a personal preference that he intends to continue.
So, no more slack. Not in my book. Dress like you mean it. Dress like you take your job seriously and respect the institution. Please. Because I can’t bear having to agree with — ugh —Marjorie Taylor Greene who posted:
“The Senate no longer enforcing a dress code for Senators to appease Fetterman is disgraceful. Dress code is one of society’s standards that set etiquette and respect for our institutions. Stop lowering the bar!”
Photo: Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA). (Credit: Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
I’m obliged to agree in entirety with this post, Colorado. Makes me unhappy to have to do so, but Fetterman’s wish to “be himself” is OTT.
I assumed during his campaign that the casual clothes were due to his being sick, or recovering, or whatever. Now that he’s in Washington, however … Hmm, I wonder what his constituents think.
Yeah, but don’t you think that it is disingenuous for MTG to invoke “etiquette and respect for our institutions” after carrying on in a openly disrespectful and disruptive manner during the state of the union? I suspect that what is going on with Fetterman has to do with depression, and it may be gracious to accommodate him for awhile.
I was about to say MTG is “the worst.” But our Lauren Boebert is challenging her for that title. They are both colossal embarrassments, IMHO. As for Fetterman, I just read an item in the Philadelphia Inquirer that says in PA, his supporters are accustomed to his casual dress and notes that although he dresses that way around the Capitol, he wears a suit in the Senate chamber. So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see who blinks first, Fetterman or the Senate. (I don’t know what the Senate’s new “relaxed” dress code says.)
The Boebert incident is pretty much off the charts. I about spit out my coffee when I found out that this happened at a matinee full of young people with their parents. Their behavior is so bad I think that is the point. It is about the drama; they have no interest in seriously doing the job that they were elected to office for.
I’ve seen the video a bunch of times but didn’t realize it was a matinee. Ugh. That woman is such a disgrace to the voters, her office, the state, and women everywhere. I was crushed to see her re-elected by a mere 500+ votes, after a recount.
The other video that isn’t shown on the news is her stuffing her boobs back into her dress in the hallway. In what world would it be appropriate to wear a dress like that to a Beetlejuice matinee? I was a high school teacher; she seems like one of my out-of-control, I’m the center-of-the-universe drama queen kids to me.
She’s disgusting. Period. And I don’t think much of any guy who would spend time with her.
Clowns. Not funny, but clowns all around.
Not only lacking respect for their positions also but self-respect.