LITTLE ROCK — THE HON. Gene Jeffress, state senator from Louann, is already a star of the Legislature, at least when it comes to mileage, per diem and other perks of office. He drew $52,764.74 in such payments just last year. Now he wants to be a congressman and, in light of Congress’ spending habits, he’d fit right in—unfortunately.
He’s running in the Fourth Congressional District against Tom Cotton, an Army captain who served in Iraq and Afghanistan after graduating from Harvard and being chosen as a law clerk to a federal appellate court. A paratrooper and Ranger, he had a distinguished military career in addition to his academic background and business training. All of which Gene Jeffress waved off the other day when he told the Associated Press that Captain Cotton had nothing to run on except his military service.
Nothing to run on except his military service. We suppose some idiot could have said the same thing about a military man named Eisenhower when he ran for a political office, namely president of the United States. And proved one of the most successful occupants of that office in modern times, leading the country out of a dead-end war in Korea and bitter divisions at home to peace and prosperity—even in the midst of Cold War upheavals and economic uncertainties. Ike, too, had little but his military service to commend him to voters. It was more than enough, as it turned out.
An early president—indeed, the earliest—by the name of George Washington didn’t do too badly in that office, either. Even if he had “only” a military record to commend him. Quite an education, serving in the military, if only you can survive it.
Nothing but his military record to commend Tom Cotton? That had to be the idiocy of the week in the usual blur of news from the campaign trail. Once he was called out on his claim, Gene Jeffress sounded apologetic, or at least embarrassed: “I respect my opponent,” he said, “and his military service.” He should. And there are some other things to respect about Tom Cotton, too, like his native intelligence and the ways he’s applied it in a variety of fields.
Young Cotton’s campaign manager didn’t say whether the captain wanted an apology from his opponent. We wouldn’t even bother asking for one. Gene Jeffress isn’t worth fooling with. Which is pretty much what voters in the Fourth Congressional District of Arkansas should decide come election day.
Editorial, Pages 16 on 10/06/2012