Today’s letter to Tim Burchett

Whenever my “representative” Tim Burchett posts something on social media, I resist the urge to respond in social media and instead email his office. This is today’s email:

As a constituent of Tim Burchett’s, I am writing to request he raise his level of professionalism. I write to remind Mr. Burchett that he represents all citizens and not just those of a single political party.

On October 29, 2023 at 11:13am, Mr. Burchett Tweeted, “As the radical left continues its wringing of hands and bed wetting over @SpeakerJohnson I am convinced we made the right choice.”

This antagonistic rhetoric is unprofessional and more on par with something I would expect of a middle school teenager rather than a Congress person.

Allow me to rewrite your Tweet in a non-confrontational way that does not leave your constituents feeling attacked or underrepresented. You would have kept my respect, what little I have left of you, to simply write: “I am convinced we made the right choice with @SpeakerJohnson.” Read your original then read that line and see how you could convey your meaning without stooping to childish bullying tactics. Plus you even get to keep a sneaky double entendre with your poor English “right choice”.

Learn your job. Grow up.

Burchett’s response:

Dear Mr. McCaughan,

Thank you for contacting me about my recent tweet. It is an honor to serve in Washington on behalf of the Second District, and I appreciate you taking the time to write in to voice your concerns.

The tweet you referenced was posted by me to my personal, unofficial Twitter account. Like many Americans, I use social media to express my views and opinions. While I never intend to offend, I will continue to use social media as a way to communicate, both in my official capacity on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as well as on my personal Twitter account, where you saw the tweet you referenced.

I hope you will continue to keep me informed of your views and opinions when you feel compelled to do so. Your messages enable me to better understand the priorities of East Tennesseans, and I will keep your thoughts in mind as I work with my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to produce legislation that addresses the needs of the American people.

Please let me know if you have additional questions about this legislative issue or if I may assist you with any issues in the future. If you would like to receive updates from my office, I invite you to visit burchett.house.gov to sign up for my newsletter.

Sincerely,

Rep. Tim Burchett
Member of Congress

My reply:

Thank you for your response. I appreciate the desire to have a professional and a personal representation of yourself. As a sitting member of Congress, you do not get the luxury of such a division. As an employee of a large company, I do not get the luxury of saying whatever I want on the Internet without risking repercussions from my employer and possibly making myself unhirable. The People do not see the distinction between your personal and official accounts.. You represent us whether you are publishing from an official account or a personal account. As a public figure, you are held to a higher standard than the rest of us. You gain nothing by belittling the democrats or Joe Biden in an antagonist message. You serve yourself as well as your constituents better by keeping your messaging more neutral and to the facts. We sent you to congress to represent us. Your behavior reflects directly on the people of East Tennessee.

If Al Franken can be held accountable for something he did decades prior in his youth, then you can be held accountable for what you publish regardless of it being an official account or a personal account. Regardless of where you place your messaging, you are still messaging as a Representative and we the people expect a level of decorum and professionalism from you. Rise up. Be better.

Thank you,

William D. McCaughan