The recent controversy over the removal of the U.S. Senate's dress code for members continues to be an issue. The change was made to accommodate Sen. John Fetterman, who has indicated that he could slip back into clinical depression if he isn't allowed to wear a hoodie and gym shorts to work at what was once one of the world's most respected institutions. 

Fetterman appeared on Joy Reid's insane asylum on Tuesday to double down, and in doing so he took a shot at Ted Cruz. 

.@JohnFetterman⁩: “⁦@tedcruz⁩ could show up dressed like Spiderman & I would be a-OK w/ that. I do think we have more important kinds of things to be worrying about, you know, whether it’s gold bars in a mattress or whether it’s the shutdown or the impeachment” pic.twitter.com/Fkt1AhTNiL

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 27, 2023

Let's start with Reid's silly framing. She brings up Sen. Kyrsten Sinema as some kind of proof that it's fine to have no standards at all in the Senate. As far as I'm aware, Sinema has never worn shorts and a tank top into the chamber. Rather, she's worn some colorful dresses. And you know what? Left-wingers have criticized her for it. Yet, here's Reid pretending like puffy sleeves on a formal outfit are the equivalent of dressing like a hobo.

Returning to Fetterman, I know he has trouble processing following the massive stroke that has left him unable to carry out his basic duties, but perhaps someone should introduce him to the concept of a false dichotomy. The choices are not to have a dress code or to deal with Bob Menendez's corruption. It's like saying that I can't drive a car because I need to eat an orange. The two are completely unrelated and have zero effect on each other. 

At the end of the day, two problems remain. One, Fetterman's refusal to put in even the most basic effort testifies to his unfitness for office. If a person is so clinically depressed that they can't even put on a pair of pants, they should not be making decisions that affect hundreds of millions of Americans.

Two, the degradation of the Senate matters. I know in this day and age, Republicans have a lot to hate about Capitol Hill, and understandably so. Still, we are talking about a place filled with history and standards set by generations past, some of whom did great things to better the nation in times of war and peace. Throwing that all away on a whim because one man can't handle wearing pants is ludicrous. It degrades the country as a whole, and if Fetterman were a Republican, every Democrat would agree with that critique.