Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., center, reacts as President Donald Trump gives his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
churlish:’ch?r-lishadj 1 : marked by a lack of civility or graciousness : SURLY
2 : difficult to work with or deal with : INTRACTABLE
The word “churlish” – a word you might not use every day – came to my mind Tuesday night as I watched congressional Democrats make fools of themselves (again) at the president’s State of the Union address.
My goodness, what is it with these people? Why do they keep doing the same things again and again expecting different results?
The performance art that we have come to expect from the Dems got off to an early start with Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green’s requisite act of getting himself thrown out of the House chamber. (Al Green and Jasmine Crockett both come from my beloved State of Texas. Imagine my pride.)
You might recall that last year during President Trump’s address to a Joint Session of Congress Rep. Green got himself booted for shouting and shaking his cane at the president. Tuesday night, it was because he brought in a sign that was critical of Trump, signs being something expressly forbidden on the House floor under long-standing rules.
As the evening progressed, we were treated to an outburst from Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and an F-bomb lapel pin from fellow “squad” member Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
Throughout it all, we got to watch as Democrats refused to stand and applaud as a current Coast Guardsman and a 100-year-old World War II veteran were each awarded the Medal of Honor. We got to watch Democrats sit on their self-righteous butts as President Trump rope-a-doped them into refusing to stand in agreement that the first duty of government is to protect its own citizens. What then, is government’s first duty by their estimation? (And they’re going to love the campaign ads that are already in production.)
Churlishness is a lot of things. It’s unpleasant. It’s childish. It’s almost always inappropriate.
One thing it certainly isn’t is policy.
But when is the last time the Democrats offered any policy? I’m happy to take any of my policy beliefs – from illegal immigration to welfare fraud to the need for voter ID to protect the integrity of elections – and debate them with any Democrat. I’m happy to say, “Tell me how I’m wrong. What is your better idea?”
But when the answer is, “You’re a white supremacist, a racist, a fascist and your mother is a ‘ho,” there’s no hope for any substantive debate on policy aimed at improving the lives and fortunes of ordinary people.
It wasn’t always like this. I can remember when the Democratic Party was populated by thoughtful, principled men. Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York, Sam Rayburn of Texas and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut are among those that come to mind. All of them would have deplored the behavior of their colleagues on the House floor Tuesday night. Certainly none would have worn an F-bomb lapel pin.
One might have disagreed with them. One might have had principled differences with them. But one would never have called them churlish.
Principled debate between competing parties is the crucible from which good policy emerges. We don’t have that now and we need it.
We need for someone to come along and Make Democrats Great Again.
LONGVIEW – Two former Longview ISD administrators were sentenced to 10 years of probation on Friday in connection to the abuse of Longview ISD special education students in the 2021-2022 school year. Cassandra Renee James and Linda Kaye Brown Lister were both found guilty of injury to a child by a Gregg County jury on Friday. James and Lister were two of six women arrested in 2022 after video of special education students being mistreated at J.L. Everhart Elementary School was shown to Longview ISD officials.
