Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen likens Ilhan Omar (and other colleagues) to cats — saying, "The cats have to understand who provides the water and kibble and cleans the litter."

Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen likens Ilhan Omar (and other colleagues) to cats — saying, "The cats have to understand who provides the water and kibble and cleans the litter."

She apparently needs to learn her place. "I know Steve Cohen is wielding the old cliché, It's like herding cats, but I thought it was completely unacceptable these days to equate persons of color with animals. (Ask Roseanne.) And look how bad this is: “Being a speaker — especially on the Democratic side — is like herding cats,” said Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.). “. . . The cats have to understand who provides the water and kibble and cleans the litter. Once the cats understand that, it’ll get better.” He's emphasizing the physical functions — including excretion — and he's subtly threatening Omar and others. It would be crude to just come out and say, She needs to know her place and not speak so loudly and forcibly, but Cohen goes beyond that. He visualizes her as a cat, and, within that visualization, verbal expression becomes eating and defecating. Omar is brusquely informed that she'll be treated like an animal, disciplined by depriving her of her bodily needs, until she "understands" who's in charge here. That's demeaning. And it's revealing. Is that how you think about power?"