In this era of mob rule, a fellow like Rep. Steve Cohen might want to keep a sharp eye out for crowds of people with buckets of tar and garbage bags full of white feathers. Back home in Tennessee, he might also want to keep an eye out for any crowds carrying a rail. As in “the thing on which they might run him out of town.”

Funny thing about this cat Mr. Cohen. He already looks a little like he’s been tarred and feathered. Or maybe he rode into town on a rail.

Anyway, he looks wind-blown and deeply in need of a bath. He sports that hobo-chic look popular among crazy leftist politicians in Washington.

He’s been there stinking up the place so long that flies appear to buzz around his unkempt half-head of hair. But like everyone in Washington, he does appear well-fed and deeply imbibed. His ruddy red face perpetually shines greasy.

Yeah, being in Congress for some of these people is the best job they could ever hope for — they could never make a living anywhere else. Good pay to sit around and run your big mouth. Large staff. Free food.

And then there is the power. These people have the most awesome power — and sober responsibility — that can be held by mere mortals in a civil society. Judges and juries can send people to jail for life. They can even sentence criminals to die by execution.

But these people in Congress — people like Steve Cohen — have the sole power to declare war. They have the power to conscript our finest, most decent and honorable young citizens and send them off to war to die in defense of their country. It is a truly awesome power and a haunting responsibility.

Many in Congress view this power as a sacredly serious duty.

And then there are people like Steve Cohen.

In the throes of a partisan temper tantrum last week, Steve Cohen casually denigrated all of our bravest warriors who have been sent into wars by politicians in Washington and gotten wounded. Or killed.

Peering from his lofty perch in a congressional hearing room, the disheveled pol told disgraced FBI tool Peter Strzok: “If I could give you a Purple Heart, I would.”

That would be the Purple Heart that is awarded to American troops wounded or killed in battle. It is among the highest honors, awarded for selfless acts of daring heroism beyond the call of duty.

What, precisely, was it, Congressman Pig-Pen, that Mr. Strzok did to deserve this extraordinary honor?

Was it cheating on his wife? Semper Fi, baby!

Was it using his government-issued phone to send 50,000 viciously anti-Trump and anti-American text messages to his lover, who also worked for the FBI? Yeah, hot topic in any foxhole is how bad the country-hick Trump voters at Walmart smell.

Was it Mr. Strzok’s avowed commitment to make sure Hillary Clinton won the presidency (i.e., not go to jail) in order to throw the election away from now-President Trump? Pretty sure that is not in any of the military field manuals.

What the blazes was Steve Cohen talking about?

After tremendous and justified blowback from voters, Congressman Pig-Pen’s office issued a statement saying he did not mean the words he spoke and explaining that he was talking “metaphorically.”

“I have nothing but the highest respect for members of the Armed Forces, especially those who have been awarded Purple Hearts, as well as the hard-working men and women at the FBI,” Mr. Cohen supposedly said, according to the statement issued by his office.

Who knows if he actually means this. Perhaps is just speaking “metaphorically” again.

Either way, it is a pathetic state of politics in America today that a sitting congressman — who has the sole power to send our troops to die in battle — could be capable of such blithe disrespect for the awesome sacrifices others have made for his wasted freedom.

• Charles Hurt can be reached at churt@washingtontimes.com; follow him on Twitter via @charleshurt.