Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has directed the chamber’s sergeant at arms to end the centuries-old rule requiring male U.S. Senators to wear a suit and tie on the Senate floor, with members of the upper house to wear modest business attire. This move was clearly made by Schumer to relieve pressure on Frankensteinian Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa), who has been violating the Senate Dress code and appearing in shorts, T-shirts, and hooded sweatshirts since he returned from a hospitalization for depression. He had been criticized and mocked as a result—as he should be.
The King’s Pass, Rationalization #11 on the List, is a corrosively backwards reaction by organizations to unethical conduct that violates organization norms and values, the value in this case being “respect”—respect for the institution, respect for the public, respect for the United States of America. If the organization’s (company’s, institution’s, industry’s, government’s, sports team’s…etc.) member who is breaching norms, rules, laws and values is deemed sufficiently powerful, important or popular, the rules and norms are not enforced when the King’s Pass strikes. When the most prominent member of a hierarchy is allowed to violate standards of conduct, the conduct of those of lower status will deteriorate in response: this is what “the fish rots from the head down” means, with the head in this case being a brain-damaged one.
It is a slippery slope exemplified; it is how cultures and societies rot. The most prominent members of any group must be role models: their duty is to use their status and visibility to make their organization better, not worse. They must be Cal Ripken, not Barry Bonds.
Both political parties, professional sports team, Hollywood, the justice system and other major cultural influencers have been serial wielders of “The King’s Pass,” with such ethics corrupters as Ted Kennedy, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Clarence Thomas, the George Floyd rioters and too many star actors and singers to list making the U.S. more corrupt, rude, ugly, irresponsible, and stoned as time goes on. Compared to what many of them have done to societal standards, Schumer’s pandering to Fetterman seems trivial, but that’s another classic and oft-cited Ethics Alarms rationalization at work: Rationalization #22, The Comparative Virtue Excuse, or “There are worse things.” Making certain that the public sees its elected officials displaying dignity and respect for their crucial responsibilities is not trivial. Trust in our government institutions is at a dangerous all-time nadir, for obvious reasons. And the Leader of the Senate picks now to take standards of respect down another step, all to accommodate a single slob.
By the way, did you know that two Harvard scholars say that Donald Trump endangers democracy because he violates democratic norms?
Here is what may be the “best” part, a King’s Pass smoking gun. The Senate’s new dress code—pants optional, bikinis welcome—only applied to the Senators. Senate staff and interns still have to dress respectfully, because laws are for the little people.
Perfect.
And will somebody tell those three stick-in-the-muds in the photo above to get with the program?
Ethics Alarms 
Vote for abortion and you can do whatever the hell else you want. It is critical that John FetterWOMAN continue to be a strong progressive voice for choice and reproductive Rights.
Fetterthing IS about as good an argument as you might get for post-birth abortion.
What a revoltin’ development!
I am not sure why Fetterman’s stroke is a driving factor in relaxing the rules. Fetterman has been dressing like that for a long time. Jerks, all of them.
jvb
Also not sure why they chose to change the rules for all senators. If a stroke and/or depression somehow makes it critical for Sen. Fetterman to come to work dressed as he does, why not just grant him a medical exemption and leave the dress code in place?
“why not just grant him a medical exemption and leave the dress code in place?”
Simple; that makes too much sense.
Except I am not aware of a medical condition that forces anyone to dress like a slob in the workplace. At his fattest, I’m sure Rep. Nadler would have been more comfy in a muumuu, but that’s hardly a medical necessity.
Is Arrested Development a recognized medical condition?
What’s Lefty’s next move in this ongoing effort to deep-six norms, values, and decorum; allowing…nay encouraging…p!$$ing and $#!tting in the aisles and/or the theft of any attendees’ or chambers’ property under $1000?
Exactly! Even if Senator Fetterman needed help dressing each day, surely the dresser could pull a coat, slacks, shirt and a pre-tied tied from the closet and help him out. If he doesn’t need help, how much longer does it take to dress in a suit?…3 minutes?
Dressing like that is an embarrassment to the Senate, and I don’t care what the malady is. Sen. Feinstein manages to look work-appropriate every day.
This slippery slope began when teachers were allowed to dress like their adolescent “friends/students” who were previously allowed to dress to “express themselves” any way they wanted.
Mr. Scala’s ( 7th grade) social studies teacher at JHS 218) demanded a shirt and tie for guys and a dress or skirt for gals. You were required to bring your own pen/pencil which he deemed equivalently necessary as to your father’s toolbox was to him when he went off to work.
Fetterthing may believe he’s gone off and joined the circus. He may not be far wrong.
That photo looks as if a character from Beavis and Butthead has been photoshopped into it.
How is John Fetterman so important he needs to be bent over backwards for? Is there no one anywhere in D.C. or the country that can’t simply tell him to shape up? What does he have on these guys?
Fat drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
By the way, I wish someone would tell Kyrsten Sinema to dress less like a cocktail waitress.
And Fetterman is hilarious in the picture. He looks as if he’s concentrating and saying to himself, “This is my serious face.”
Dang, I didn’t see this post earlier, which is why I mentioned Fetterman in another post’s comment.
Thank you Jack for once again making me shout, “YEAH, WHAT HE SAID, YOU ASSHOLES!”
I wish I could articulate my feelings clearly, but I do not have that gift.
Anyway – I’d be depressed too if I wore that asinine get-up in public. How in the hell can you feel good about yourself dressed in a hoodie, gym shorts, sneakers and BLACK SOCKS? And, why are you dressed like that, ever?
I hope I don’t go to hell [just add a few more years of purgatory to my already lengthy sentence] for cutting on this fool as much as I do. I have no sympathy and it brings out the worst in me.
JL