Rep. Steve Cohen Wants Marsha Blackburn to Kill Herself

[Kingpoleon]

Oh dear. This doesn't look like going high to me...

I'm sick of going high, and look where it's gotten us. To swing voters and soft supporters, it looks weak. I'd rather that the Democratic slogan for 2020 be "Ivanka is a C[inks]t" than ever hear "WHEN THEY GO LOW, WE GO HIGH" again.

The core of your party is not the DNC heads - it’s the hundreds of Democrats who called a rape victim of a Democrat who happened to support Trump a b*tch, a wh*re, a pig, a sl*t, and other names. Why? Because she made a Facebook post referring to Trump’s victory as a victory for, “My decades-long struggle against my rapist and the women who intimidated me into staying quiet.”

[7,052,770]

Oh dear. This doesn't look like going high to me...

I'm sick of going high, and look where it's gotten us. To swing voters and soft supporters, it looks weak. I'd rather that the Democratic slogan for 2020 be "Ivanka is a C[inks]t" than ever hear "WHEN THEY GO LOW, WE GO HIGH" again.

The core of your party is not the DNC heads - it’s the hundreds of Democrats who called a rape victim of a Democrat who happened to support Trump a b*tch, a wh*re, a pig, a sl*t, and other names. Why? Because she made a Facebook post referring to Trump’s victory as a victory for, “My decades-long struggle against my rapist and the women who intimidated me into staying quiet.”

That's a little disingenuous. If there were evidence that Bill actually raped that woman, his support from feminists and liberals would evaporate. Right or wrong, the people who criticize her do not believe her allegations.

[Calthrina950]

Same, Congressman.

Are you actually saying that you agree with Cohen that Marsha Blackburn should kill herself? That is a horrifying low to reach in American political discourse, calling for the death of people just because they happen to belong to an opposing political party. It reminds one of what was done in dictatorships in the last century. While I don't like Marsha Blackburn, I don't think jokes of this nature should be taken lightly.

[Calthrina950]

Wow. A lot of criticism being thrown at the author of this thread, who has been on this Forum less than 6 months. Calling someone a "snowflake" is certainly criticism. So is implying one should not have even bothered to post a particular news item. Obviously it affected him enough to post it.

I googled "steve cohen marsha blackburn" News and found that all-- yes-- all of the news stories about this are from right-wing media outlets (including Fox News, the most mainstream of all of these). (In case you haven't guessed it by now, I find this fact to be very disturbing). The only exception was The Tennessean, which is an outlet of USA Today and which I consider relatively unbiased.

Here it is:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/tn-elections/2018/08/09/steve-cohen-under-fire-wishing-marsha-blackburn-would-jump-off-memphis-bridge/953300002/

While it is true (as I stated earlier) that people do make mistakes and say things they don't really mean, especially in the heat of passion, this comment was uttered by an elected member of the US House. At a prayer breakfast. At a time when suicide is at an all-time high.

I believe Cohen should apologize (if he hasn't already). He has already made it clear he wishes Blackburn no harm. Then, he should be forgiven, and we should move on.

I agree with everything in this post. Once again, people on this forum have resorted to ad hominem attacks in responding to another person. And once again, people are attempting to justify the statements made by this congressman just because he is on their side of the political spectrum.

[Kingpoleon]

Oh dear. This doesn't look like going high to me...

I'm sick of going high, and look where it's gotten us. To swing voters and soft supporters, it looks weak. I'd rather that the Democratic slogan for 2020 be "Ivanka is a C[inks]t" than ever hear "WHEN THEY GO LOW, WE GO HIGH" again.

The core of your party is not the DNC heads - it’s the hundreds of Democrats who called a rape victim of a Democrat who happened to support Trump a b*tch, a wh*re, a pig, a sl*t, and other names. Why? Because she made a Facebook post referring to Trump’s victory as a victory for, “My decades-long struggle against my rapist and the women who intimidated me into staying quiet.”

That's a little disingenuous. If there were evidence that Bill actually raped that woman, his support from feminists and liberals would evaporate. Right or wrong, the people who criticize her do not believe her allegations.

“Hey take it easy, Miss! They’re just criticizing you because they don’t believe it! Criticism usually involves the use deplorable sexist slurs, right?”

Or maybe it’s the way I’ve seen Democrats use similar slurs against my pro-SSM, pro-abortion Republican mother. There are very few people it’s harder to be politically than female Republicans, many of whom are regularly called sexist slurs.

In short, not believing a woman Lisa Myers called the “most credible person I’ve ever met or seen” is one thing. Calling her such names? Unacceptable, and common practice among many Democrats.

[Badger]

When I read the thread title and then noticed it's author, I thought to myself, I wonder how bad yellow hammer grossly exaggerated or probably even outright lied here.

Then I read the thread. Not disappointed or surprised in the least.

I don't understand how nothing more than a direct quote can be a "lie." Please inform me.

Whoops! I skimmed the tweet at a traffic light put my tablet down when the light turned green, thus missing Cohen's 4 word addendum to his tweet. My bad.

[|˶˙ᵕ˙ )ﾉﾞ]

Anyone have a tape of Cohen saying this?

I dont believe the #FakeNews media

Link to it is in the original post.

I listened to the link but I still dont believe the #FakeNews media...can you send Steve Cohen to my house to confirm that was what he said? You can never be too sure with this #FakeNews media

[Dr. Arch]

This is unequivocally the wrong way to go, but it's the outcome when one party's leader goes full dumpster fire discourse and the other tries to stick to civil discourse, only for the former to win an election and not be held accountable by their constituents afterward and for the latter to lose.

I only wish we can have a modicum of civility and rational discourse in the near future.

[Sir Mohamed]

Such comments are just stupid. I'm the last one who is against attacking opponents with sarcasm, especially Trump, but these kinds of remarks are just very low. But LOL at Republicans' fake outrage who applaud TRUMP and his pathetic insults.

[Hammy]

This is unequivocally the wrong way to go, but it's the outcome when one party's leader goes full dumpster fire discourse and the other tries to stick to civil discourse, only for the former to win an election and not be held accountable by their constituents afterward and for the latter to lose.

I only wish we can have a modicum of civility and rational discourse in the near future.

The reason this doesn't have consequences for the GOP is because they're a cult with zero ethics, something the Democratic party should really stop striving to be like. Most Dem voters have ethics, and that goes to another reason Trump won--Dem voters didn't show up because their candidates are increasingly acting like petty children who throw tantrums because their older sibling can be mean and they can't. This guy should resign because the party doesn't need this sort of cancerous mentality in it, unless they enjoy large swaths of voters seeing them as no different from the GOP.

[136or142]

This is unequivocally the wrong way to go, but it's the outcome when one party's leader goes full dumpster fire discourse and the other tries to stick to civil discourse, only for the former to win an election and not be held accountable by their constituents afterward and for the latter to lose.

I only wish we can have a modicum of civility and rational discourse in the near future.

The reason this doesn't have consequences for the GOP is because they're a cult with zero ethics, something the Democratic party should really stop striving to be like. Most Dem voters have ethics, and that goes to another reason Trump won--Dem voters didn't show up because their candidates are increasingly acting like petty children who throw tantrums because their older sibling can be mean and they can't. This guy should resign because the party doesn't need this sort of cancerous mentality in it, unless they enjoy large swaths of voters seeing them as no different from the GOP.

Steve Cohen is one of the best members of the House. He can be blunt and abrasive at times but to resign for making a joke in poor taste in completely disproportionate.

[Take your vitamins and say your prayers, Brother!]

Oh dear. This doesn't look like going high to me...

I'm sick of going high, and look where it's gotten us. To swing voters and soft supporters, it looks weak. I'd rather that the Democratic slogan for 2020 be "Ivanka is a C[inks]t" than ever hear "WHEN THEY GO LOW, WE GO HIGH" again.

The core of your party is not the DNC heads - it’s the hundreds of Democrats who called a rape victim of a Democrat who happened to support Trump a b*tch, a wh*re, a pig, a sl*t, and other names. Why? Because she made a Facebook post referring to Trump’s victory as a victory for, “My decades-long struggle against my rapist and the women who intimidated me into staying quiet.”

That's a little disingenuous. If there were evidence that Bill actually raped that woman, his support from feminists and liberals would evaporate. Right or wrong, the people who criticize her do not believe her allegations.

“Hey take it easy, Miss! They’re just criticizing you because they don’t believe it! Criticism usually involves the use deplorable sexist slurs, right?”

Or maybe it’s the way I’ve seen Democrats use similar slurs against my pro-SSM, pro-abortion Republican mother. There are very few people it’s harder to be politically than female Republicans, many of whom are regularly called sexist slurs.

In short, not believing a woman Lisa Myers called the “most credible person I’ve ever met or seen” is one thing. Calling her such names? Unacceptable, and common practice among many Democrats.

That's what has a number of posters all in a tizzy over Yellowhammer; he points out the double standard in conduct.  And there are any number of examples.

Believe, unconditionally, every #MeToo accuser . . . except Juanita Broaddrick?

Now no reasonable person would have viewed Cohen's comment as a call for Blackburn to kill herself.  Cohen's making an over-the-top joke (which I somehow doubt amused Phil Bredesen, whose campaign doesn't need "help" like this).  Do people need to drop everything to spank Steve Cohen?  Of course not; there are more important things to note.  Trump goes over the top on a daily basis, so I'm not going to whine about Cohen.  I'll let Phil Bredesen wring Cohen's neck (figuratively speaking, of course) for making his campaign that much tougher.  But I really don't mind people pointing out selective outrage as an issue, and I'm not real impressed with the "contribution" all of the "tut-tutters" claim to have made to our politics.

[Take your vitamins and say your prayers, Brother!]

This is unequivocally the wrong way to go, but it's the outcome when one party's leader goes full dumpster fire discourse and the other tries to stick to civil discourse, only for the former to win an election and not be held accountable by their constituents afterward and for the latter to lose.

I only wish we can have a modicum of civility and rational discourse in the near future.

The reason this doesn't have consequences for the GOP is because they're a cult with zero ethics, something the Democratic party should really stop striving to be like. Most Dem voters have ethics, and that goes to another reason Trump won--Dem voters didn't show up because their candidates are increasingly acting like petty children who throw tantrums because their older sibling can be mean and they can't. This guy should resign because the party doesn't need this sort of cancerous mentality in it, unless they enjoy large swaths of voters seeing them as no different from the GOP.

Steve Cohen is one of the best members of the House. He can be blunt and abrasive at times but to resign for making a joke in poor taste in completely disproportionate.

I don't know if he's one of the "best"; he's for all the social liberalism I abhor.  But he does represent a predominantly black district which has its share of black leftists resentful that he holds a "black" seat, so he caters to a far more leftist constituency than most.  I'm sure he's worse on abortion than Marsha Blackburn, but I'm sure he's better on income inequality. 

If the voters want Steve Cohen fired, they can fire him.  They get the opportunity every two (2) years to do so.

[Brittain33]

People: please don't abet the "whataboutism" in this thread. It will go away if not fed.

[136or142]

People: please don't abet the "whataboutism" in this thread. It will go away if not fed.

This isn't just about 'whataboutism' this is more about Republicans (maybe not so much here) trying to force Democrats to cower.  I refer you back to the 2004 Democratic Nomination Convention when for some reason John Kerry and the others in the Democratic leadership promised to not say anything negative about George W Bush.

[Brittain33]

People: please don't abet the "whataboutism" in this thread. It will go away if not fed.

This isn't just about 'whataboutism' this is more about Republicans (maybe not so much here) trying to force Democrats to cower.  I refer you back to the 2004 Democratic Nomination Convention when for some reason John Kerry and the others in the Democratic leadership promised to not say anything negative about George W Bush.

Yeah, there's the thread where people pretend they are outraged by Cohen's comment (although I agree, he shouldn't have said it), and then there's the whataboutist effort to make this about Juanita Broaddrick.

[136or142]

People: please don't abet the "whataboutism" in this thread. It will go away if not fed.

This isn't just about 'whataboutism' this is more about Republicans (maybe not so much here) trying to force Democrats to cower.  I refer you back to the 2004 Democratic Nomination Convention when for some reason John Kerry and the others in the Democratic leadership promised to not say anything negative about George W Bush.

Yeah, there's the thread where people pretend they are outraged by Cohen's comment (although I agree, he shouldn't have said it), and then there's the whataboutist effort to make this about Juanita Broaddrick.

Ah I see what you mean.

[°Leprechaun's Rainbow]

Trump has said worse, and he's not resigning as far as I know.

[Hammy]

This is unequivocally the wrong way to go, but it's the outcome when one party's leader goes full dumpster fire discourse and the other tries to stick to civil discourse, only for the former to win an election and not be held accountable by their constituents afterward and for the latter to lose.

I only wish we can have a modicum of civility and rational discourse in the near future.

The reason this doesn't have consequences for the GOP is because they're a cult with zero ethics, something the Democratic party should really stop striving to be like. Most Dem voters have ethics, and that goes to another reason Trump won--Dem voters didn't show up because their candidates are increasingly acting like petty children who throw tantrums because their older sibling can be mean and they can't. This guy should resign because the party doesn't need this sort of cancerous mentality in it, unless they enjoy large swaths of voters seeing them as no different from the GOP.

Steve Cohen is one of the best members of the House. He can be blunt and abrasive at times but to resign for making a joke in poor taste in completely disproportionate.

If he's one of the best members of the house than the entire Dem caucus should resign. If we're going to have people that act like Republicans, and then have people defend this "because republicans do worse", for one you're letting Republicans dictate what is okay (and in effect legitimizing what they're doing) and second, validating all the people who didn't vote in 2016 because they saw both sides as the same.

[IceSpear]

This is unequivocally the wrong way to go, but it's the outcome when one party's leader goes full dumpster fire discourse and the other tries to stick to civil discourse, only for the former to win an election and not be held accountable by their constituents afterward and for the latter to lose.

I only wish we can have a modicum of civility and rational discourse in the near future.

The reason this doesn't have consequences for the GOP is because they're a cult with zero ethics, something the Democratic party should really stop striving to be like. Most Dem voters have ethics, and that goes to another reason Trump won--Dem voters didn't show up because their candidates are increasingly acting like petty children who throw tantrums because their older sibling can be mean and they can't. This guy should resign because the party doesn't need this sort of cancerous mentality in it, unless they enjoy large swaths of voters seeing them as no different from the GOP.

Steve Cohen is one of the best members of the House. He can be blunt and abrasive at times but to resign for making a joke in poor taste in completely disproportionate.

If he's one of the best members of the house than the entire Dem caucus should resign. If we're going to have people that act like Republicans, and then have people defend this "because republicans do worse", for one you're letting Republicans dictate what is okay (and in effect legitimizing what they're doing) and second, validating all the people who didn't vote in 2016 because they saw both sides as the same.

Pretty sure that would be their own fault for making false equivalencies then. If you're going to preach about how Democrats are as bad as Republicans even when they're not, then you have no right to whine if they actually do end up becoming just as bad.

[Hammy]

This is unequivocally the wrong way to go, but it's the outcome when one party's leader goes full dumpster fire discourse and the other tries to stick to civil discourse, only for the former to win an election and not be held accountable by their constituents afterward and for the latter to lose.

I only wish we can have a modicum of civility and rational discourse in the near future.

The reason this doesn't have consequences for the GOP is because they're a cult with zero ethics, something the Democratic party should really stop striving to be like. Most Dem voters have ethics, and that goes to another reason Trump won--Dem voters didn't show up because their candidates are increasingly acting like petty children who throw tantrums because their older sibling can be mean and they can't. This guy should resign because the party doesn't need this sort of cancerous mentality in it, unless they enjoy large swaths of voters seeing them as no different from the GOP.

Steve Cohen is one of the best members of the House. He can be blunt and abrasive at times but to resign for making a joke in poor taste in completely disproportionate.

If he's one of the best members of the house than the entire Dem caucus should resign. If we're going to have people that act like Republicans, and then have people defend this "because republicans do worse", for one you're letting Republicans dictate what is okay (and in effect legitimizing what they're doing) and second, validating all the people who didn't vote in 2016 because they saw both sides as the same.

Pretty sure that would be their own fault for making false equivalencies then. If you're going to preach about how Democrats are as bad as Republicans even when they're not, then you have no right to whine if they actually do end up becoming just as bad.

Oh, I agree 100% and am of the old thinking that you shouldn't complain about the outcome if you don't vote. But I also think the Dems (and the left in general) are legitimizing the Republican brand of "discourse" with things like this--and in the end all that's accomplished is a competition to see how awful of a human you can be. Dems and other left-leaners need to grow a spine and call this out when it's coming from our side instead of defending it.

[here2view]

Nobody actually cares about this kind of stuff, whether it's Cohen or Trump, people just pretend to out of some delusion it will help them politically.

x100

[IceSpear]

This is unequivocally the wrong way to go, but it's the outcome when one party's leader goes full dumpster fire discourse and the other tries to stick to civil discourse, only for the former to win an election and not be held accountable by their constituents afterward and for the latter to lose.

I only wish we can have a modicum of civility and rational discourse in the near future.

The reason this doesn't have consequences for the GOP is because they're a cult with zero ethics, something the Democratic party should really stop striving to be like. Most Dem voters have ethics, and that goes to another reason Trump won--Dem voters didn't show up because their candidates are increasingly acting like petty children who throw tantrums because their older sibling can be mean and they can't. This guy should resign because the party doesn't need this sort of cancerous mentality in it, unless they enjoy large swaths of voters seeing them as no different from the GOP.

Steve Cohen is one of the best members of the House. He can be blunt and abrasive at times but to resign for making a joke in poor taste in completely disproportionate.

If he's one of the best members of the house than the entire Dem caucus should resign. If we're going to have people that act like Republicans, and then have people defend this "because republicans do worse", for one you're letting Republicans dictate what is okay (and in effect legitimizing what they're doing) and second, validating all the people who didn't vote in 2016 because they saw both sides as the same.

Pretty sure that would be their own fault for making false equivalencies then. If you're going to preach about how Democrats are as bad as Republicans even when they're not, then you have no right to whine if they actually do end up becoming just as bad.

Oh, I agree 100% and am of the old thinking that you shouldn't complain about the outcome if you don't vote. But I also think the Dems (and the left in general) are legitimizing the Republican brand of "discourse" with things like this--and in the end all that's accomplished is a competition to see how awful of a human you can be. Dems and other left-leaners need to grow a spine and call this out when it's coming from our side instead of defending it.

Politicians as a whole would care more if the voters had any standards. See my sig. You get the government you deserve. The blame lies squarely on the voters (and as you said, the nonvoters.)

[Hammy]

This is unequivocally the wrong way to go, but it's the outcome when one party's leader goes full dumpster fire discourse and the other tries to stick to civil discourse, only for the former to win an election and not be held accountable by their constituents afterward and for the latter to lose.

I only wish we can have a modicum of civility and rational discourse in the near future.

The reason this doesn't have consequences for the GOP is because they're a cult with zero ethics, something the Democratic party should really stop striving to be like. Most Dem voters have ethics, and that goes to another reason Trump won--Dem voters didn't show up because their candidates are increasingly acting like petty children who throw tantrums because their older sibling can be mean and they can't. This guy should resign because the party doesn't need this sort of cancerous mentality in it, unless they enjoy large swaths of voters seeing them as no different from the GOP.

Steve Cohen is one of the best members of the House. He can be blunt and abrasive at times but to resign for making a joke in poor taste in completely disproportionate.

If he's one of the best members of the house than the entire Dem caucus should resign. If we're going to have people that act like Republicans, and then have people defend this "because republicans do worse", for one you're letting Republicans dictate what is okay (and in effect legitimizing what they're doing) and second, validating all the people who didn't vote in 2016 because they saw both sides as the same.

Pretty sure that would be their own fault for making false equivalencies then. If you're going to preach about how Democrats are as bad as Republicans even when they're not, then you have no right to whine if they actually do end up becoming just as bad.

Oh, I agree 100% and am of the old thinking that you shouldn't complain about the outcome if you don't vote. But I also think the Dems (and the left in general) are legitimizing the Republican brand of "discourse" with things like this--and in the end all that's accomplished is a competition to see how awful of a human you can be. Dems and other left-leaners need to grow a spine and call this out when it's coming from our side instead of defending it.

Politicians as a whole would care more if the voters had any standards. See my sig. You get the government you deserve. The blame lies squarely on the voters (and as you said, the nonvoters.)

The problem lies in Dems thinking this is the way to go to win--the ethicless GOP cult goes that way because their voters will do whatever they want them to. Dems are never going to gain these voters so it's unproductive at best to act this way just because the other side does.

[136or142]

This is unequivocally the wrong way to go, but it's the outcome when one party's leader goes full dumpster fire discourse and the other tries to stick to civil discourse, only for the former to win an election and not be held accountable by their constituents afterward and for the latter to lose.

I only wish we can have a modicum of civility and rational discourse in the near future.

The reason this doesn't have consequences for the GOP is because they're a cult with zero ethics, something the Democratic party should really stop striving to be like. Most Dem voters have ethics, and that goes to another reason Trump won--Dem voters didn't show up because their candidates are increasingly acting like petty children who throw tantrums because their older sibling can be mean and they can't. This guy should resign because the party doesn't need this sort of cancerous mentality in it, unless they enjoy large swaths of voters seeing them as no different from the GOP.

Steve Cohen is one of the best members of the House. He can be blunt and abrasive at times but to resign for making a joke in poor taste in completely disproportionate.

If he's one of the best members of the house than the entire Dem caucus should resign. If we're going to have people that act like Republicans, and then have people defend this "because republicans do worse", for one you're letting Republicans dictate what is okay (and in effect legitimizing what they're doing) and second, validating all the people who didn't vote in 2016 because they saw both sides as the same.

Pretty sure that would be their own fault for making false equivalencies then. If you're going to preach about how Democrats are as bad as Republicans even when they're not, then you have no right to whine if they actually do end up becoming just as bad.

Oh, I agree 100% and am of the old thinking that you shouldn't complain about the outcome if you don't vote. But I also think the Dems (and the left in general) are legitimizing the Republican brand of "discourse" with things like this--and in the end all that's accomplished is a competition to see how awful of a human you can be. Dems and other left-leaners need to grow a spine and call this out when it's coming from our side instead of defending it.

Calling him out is one thing, asking him to resign or insisting he resign is quite another.