The growing tension between Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has suddenly exploded into open warfare over race. Ocasio-Cortez has accused Pelosi of attacking her because of her race. Race has been regularly raised by Democrats against President Donald Trump and the Republicans, including Pelosi’s recent attack that Trump wants to “make American white again.” I considered that attack to be inciteful and reckless and beneath the office of the Speaker. Now she is the subject of the same type of attack. I have often been critical of Pelosi but I do not consider her to be a racist. Yet, this is an example of how it is difficult to confine race-based attacks once you use them for political ends.
I have not been one of those heaping criticism on Ocasio-Cortez. She has been unfairly in my view portrayed as an intellectual lightweight or incompetent legislator. I believe that she is wrong on many points but I view many members as having poor understanding of the law or economics. She has succeeded in challenging the establishment and, while I disagree with her policies, I do not see the justification for many of these attacks.
However, it was Ocasio-Cortez who was unfair in this latest criticism. She stated that Pelosi was focusing her ire on new female members of color. Ocasio-Cortez said:
“When these comments first started, I kind of thought that she was keeping the progressive flank at more of an arm’s distance in order to protect more moderate members, which I understood . . . But the persistent singling out . . . it got to a point where it was just outright disrespectful . . . the explicit singling out of newly elected women of color.”
Ocasio-Cortez added to The Washington Post on Wednesday that the “persistent singling out” by the Speaker may be more than “outright disrespectful.” She has also accused Pelosi of burying her in work to try to keep her out of the public eye.
It is said that Revolution like Saturn “devours its own.” The same can be said about race-based politics.
So, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is simultaneously accusing Speaker Nancy Pelosi of “attacking newly-elected women of color” and “burying her in work”.
Of course, I may be assuming too much about the importance of the work Pelosi assigned to Ocasio-Cortez. Generally, the people who get most of the work in an organization are the most trustworthy.
But threatening moderate Democrats for not voting party-line on legislation might safely be left in the hands of someone who Pelosi said was elected in such a safe district for Democrats that a glass of water run by that party would have been elected just as easily as Rep Ocasio-Cortez.
I disagree with Prof. Turley about Ocasio-Cortez’s grasp of everyday realities confronting people in public life (such as housing prices in the District of Columbia and its surrounds and her expectation that Members of Congress be housed as well as better-insured than all but a few of their constituents).
Of course, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi may well be behaving as charged. She’s gone beyond egregious Trump-bashing to ominous threats to “those who don’t share our views”. Threatening people for their political views with “collateral damage” is the act of a thug.
https://youtu.be/hdUInVlWUjI
I think the craziness we are seeing will propel a more sane House and Senate controlled by better Republicans than before along with 4 more years of Trump. That hopefully might reform the Democrats and reform the Republicans as well.
The Reps were cowards, eunuchs and couldn’t muster to support Trump in his first 2 years as President. The Dems are a carnival on wheels while the Reps as broken
“”For seven years, I’ve been hearing repeal and replace from Congress. I’ve been hearing it loud and strong, and when we finally get a chance to repeal and replace, they don’t take advantage of it.”
– President Donald Trump
“The Reps were cowards, eunuchs and…”
I couldn’t agree more. Much of the Tea Party group had a better understanding of what needed to be done.
I have not been one of those heaping criticism on Ocasio-Cortez.
You say that as if it is some kind of positive attribute.
She is a freshman member of congress with an inordinate amount of attention given her qualifications for the position. She’s worked extremely hard to heap her socialist worldview on the public. I would expect a renowned constitutional scholar such as yourself to use your public platforms to present your own critical analysis of that worldview. Challenge her and her other freshman colleagues to a debate.
“She has been unfairly in my view portrayed as an intellectual lightweight or incompetent legislator.” Anyone who would put forth the Green New Deal, which would prohibit air travel and destroy our economy, deserve to have their intellect questioned. If that wasn’t enough, she’s brought on mockery by posting a video in which she was flummoxed by what a garbage disposal’s purpose is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyBzU1bmiNU
Now, this is a lady who used to work in a bar, where they have garbage disposals.
On top of that, AOC keeps calling her detractors racist. She won’t address the facts, but goes to ad hominem. Pelosi does this, too, so now we’re watching a false logic duel. Granted, the roads is littered with the figurative bodies of those who’ve crossed Pelosi.
I wonder if it’s killing AOC that she could not call Pelosi sexist in this case.
Perhaps, the reason why newly elected “women of color” are being singled out, is because they are activists putting forward unworkable plans and making one mistake after another. Like Ilhan Omar hitting the ground running with antisemitic comments. Or AOC with the Green New Deal.
Sometimes criticism is warranted, and they should learn from it.
Live by the identity politics sword, die by the identity politics sword.
If you claim that you “are a woman of color” then be specific. Black, brown, tan, red, white? If they are referencing African American background then is it including white muslims from Egypt? Egypt is in the continent of Africa. The dorks in the Dem Party are so dumb. They don’t like Pelosi. If Trump runs in 2020 he will win. Many Dems will vote for him. I recall an old phrase from 1972: Don’t change Dicks in the middle of a screw–vote for Nixon in ’72! I had a bumper sticker which said that.
PELOSI TRIES TO MUZZLE FAR-LEFT FRESHMEN
WHILE REPUBLICANS SUPPRESS COLLEGE-AGE VOTERS
Over the past decade, Republicans in more than a dozen states have tried to limit the kinds of student IDs that can be used at the polls, restricted the number of polling locations on or near college campuses, or gerrymandered political boundaries that divide campuses and dilute the power of student voters, as well as other measures.
Among the states with laws that Democrats fear could hamper the youth vote in 2020 are battlegrounds including Wisconsin, Florida and New Hampshire.
Republicans say the rules are meant to prevent fraud and safeguard the integrity of elections, and they deny accusations that they are trying to make it harder for young people to vote.
But there is little doubt that Democrats had more to gain when young voters engaged in recent elections. Voters under 30 turned out in record numbers last fall, helping to power a liberal wave that swept Democrats into power in Congress.
At the same time, that age group still cast ballots at far lower rates than all others. Voting-rights activists believe one reason is a slew of restrictions pushed by GOP state leaders in recent years.
Democrats and their allies are planning to spend millions of dollars on lawsuits arguing that such measures are unconstitutional and aimed at dissuading the participation of young voters.
Young voters have eluded Democrats for decades, and they are still not close to realizing their full electoral power. In the 2018 midterms, their turnout rate was little more than half that of voters overall, according to data from Tufts University and the University of Florida.
Yet from 2014 to 2018, participation among young voters rose seven percentage points, according to the Tufts analysis. More than two-thirds of them voted for Democrats in 2018, according to exit polling data — a higher margin than seen in a generation.
Republicans across the country began enacting a new wave of voting restrictions in 2011 after seizing control of a majority of state legislatures the prior year.
The volume of measures grew after 2013, when the Supreme Court decided, in Shelby County v. Holder, to strike down a portion of the Voting Rights Act that required certain jurisdictions, mostly in the South, to obtain federal permission to change voting rules and district boundaries.
The elimination of that requirement triggered a flood of new laws that included constraints that affected young voters, such as a voter ID law in North Carolina that restricted the use of student IDs at the polls.
In states they control, Democrats have sought to encourage youth voting by making registration easier and extending the period of early voting, even as many GOP-controlled states have gone in the other direction with new restrictions.
Edited from: “To Unlock The Youth Vote In 2020, Democrats Wage Legal Fights Against GOP-Backed Voting Restrictions”
Today’s Washington Post
Regarding Above:
Republicans know their policies are buzzkill to youthful voters. But instead of changing their policies to draw more youths, Republicans decided the best course of action is suppressing youthful voters.
The GOP wagers that youths will thank them later when they’ve matured into sensible conservatives. It hasn’t occurred to Republicans that youths will forever associate their party with mean-spirited policies. If indeed that comes to pass, Republicans will age-out and die-off as a party.
Republicans will age-out and die-off as a party.
Or you could just use your cement-laden milkshakes and threaten them with bodily harm and accelerate the process. Besides, locking up kids was praised by CNN during Oblahblah’s reign of terror.
What happened in 4 years?
CNN 2014: look how tough Obama is on illegal immigration.
CNN 2018: trump is a heartless person who wants to rip children from their families.
Troll harder cupcake.
😉
There are about 2,000,000 Americans who are registered to vote in more than one juristiction; a college student may be registered in both his/ her hometown and in the “campus town”.
There’s a voluntary cross-checkimg system between about 20 states ( last time I checked) that has the objective of monitoring and “cleaning up” voter registration rolls, but there’s still a lot of sloppiness in the system nationwide.
Most of t 2,000,000 registered in more than one place haven’t probably moved and forgotten that they’re still registered in their ”old” residence.
The opportunity for “one man, two votes” exists, but there don’t seem to be accurate figures on the actual numbers of cases involving outright voter fraud.
The situation and complications involving voters with two or more residencies isn’t unique to college students.
A bigger issue among the late teens to late 20s demographic is apathy/ low voter turnout. Neither political party is responsible for that.
Tom, I don’t think you necessarily imply it here, but the likelihood of people traveling between different states and cities to cast votes can’t be too great. The WaPo article notes that younger voters have generally low-rates of turnout.
Estovir, who are you calling ‘cupcake’ and why do you feel obliged to mimic Sugar & Spice..?? Are you competing for a nerd award?
Republicans know their policies are buzzkill to youthful voters.
Says the man who was in the studio audience on this day…
It’s good that YouTube is around to help people like TIA…
Not that I am in love with Republicans but they don’t attempt to bribe their voters or supplement them with people that illegally crossed the border.
Free tuition for whom? The upper class goes to college so the lower class once again sees their taxes shifted to someone economically better off or someone who will supposedly be better off based on the education. Free sex anwhere and with whomever. Get pregnant and free healthcare along with abortion even if no one knew a pregnancy had occurred until right before delivery despite the four year degree in basketweaving. They don’t have to even think of the implications because they are provided safe spaces.
A carbon tax to benefit billionaires or future billionaires, but who pays for it. The rich have carbon offsets while they fly their planes all over the world. However, for the poor it means higher prices for gas and everything else. They can take a bus when one is available. It also means a loss of jobs when due to the tax the jobs go offshore.
Medicare for all. The truth is in this country that leads to Medicaid for all and age warfare as the young decide it isn’t worth the money to keep granny alive except if granny has money and can pay for her own care.
I am waiting the the Democratic Party to endorse pedeophillia for all. That can’t occur until after Trump disappears because right now they can blame Epstein on Acosta even though Acosta’s superior who had more to do with the decision was a firm Democrat and even though what was finally done might have been the best thing possible.
Peter’s belief is to promise everything to everyone whether it is possible or not even when it causes bad results. Peter’s idea is not good government but bad government where winning is all that counts. Disgraceful and that is why people like Epstein the pedeophile exist. They pay homage to the Democratic Party folk that think like Peter.
At some point in the near future, journalists who live their life addicted to Twitter will be confronted with an awful choice, as the sane people of the US completely walk away from tweeting….break the addiction, or be left behind as damaged goods.
AOC’s poll numbers in the district she represents are in the tank. Still, she will remain the dumbest woman on the planet unless Don Lemon opts for gender reassignment.
If she hates Trump so much why is she doing everything in her power to get him re-elected?
Like Hillary, AOC has made so much out of doing so little.
the only “color” AOC displays is the ridiculous hot red lip stick, reminding one of Magenta in Rocky Horror Picture Show. No wonder the Left suck on her teet
I disagree… Clinton has done quite a bit. Look at the mess in Libya… Obama, Sarkosy, and Clinton were quite the triumvirate of terror. But Sarkosy did go to jail… Hmmmm.
She has been unfairly in my view portrayed as an intellectual lightweight or incompetent legislator.
Why is that ‘unfair’? She has no history of accomplishment in business or the professions, she’s had no proper vocational training (she has a degree in a shizzy interdisciplinary subject), she shows no evidence of being a capable auto-didact in specialized disciplines or in classical literature, and she hasn’t steered any legislation through her chamber. She’s unmarried and childless to boot. And an attention whore.
“an attention whore”…….she has plenty of “Johns” in the media to keep her in the headlines.
Actually there are 4, aka “The Squad”
‘Outright disrespectful’: Four House women struggle as Pelosi isolates them
But “the Squad” — Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) and Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) — is convinced it is Pelosi who is being the bully.
Ah, the face of the new democratic party, AKA the America haters
So simplistic, it is just Brucey.
At least two of the four Representatives mentioned by Jerry are Freshman Congresswomen from the fringe element of the Democratic Party.
And they have received enormous media attention given the dearth of actual accomplishments.
When a relatively few members of a political party with the flakiest ideas show up in Congress with the idea that they’re running the show, it’s not too surprising that there’s some pushback from the party leadership.
Too bad if some feel that they’re being bullied.
That’s because the “newly elected women of color” need to get off their high horse.
“She [AOC] has been unfairly in my view portrayed as an intellectual lightweight.”
*********************************
AOC-isms:
“A 17-year-old can walk into a shop and purchase an assault weapon.”
“She is, she is the leader of, of– no no, she, I mean, um, um, Speaker, or rather Leader Pelosi, hopefully, um, you know, we’ll see, she’s uh, she’s the current leader of the party and I think the party absolutely does have its leadership in the House, we our leadership in the Senate.”
“Unemployment is low because everyone has two jobs. Unemployment is low because people are working 60, 70, 80 hours a week and can barely feed their family.”
“We’re gonna flip this seat red”
It’s fair.
“She [AOC] has been unfairly in my view portrayed as an intellectual lightweight.”
That comment reveals something about the man that made it. How can he not view her as an intellectual lightweight with the statements she made?
I’ll add another one of AOC’s best to add to Mespo’s which will be used against her when her reelection comes up. When Amazon was going to invest in NYC adding 25,000 jobs she had a large part in killing the deal. Amazon was going to get a $20 Million tax abatement. The next we heard from Ocasio was that the $20 Million would be better spent elsewhere. She thought the $20 Million existed when it only existed in reduced taxes for a number of years.
How can he not view her as an intellectual lightweight with the statements she made?
Viewing a lefty icon as a knucklehead is the sort of opinion that marks you as one of ‘them’ in the faculty rathskellar. That’s a mark the moderator does not wish to carry.
Oh, Lord. That $20 million she thought she had to spend. I…I can’t.
She is a reflection of the stupidity of the American voter, to coin the phrase that described Democrats voting for Congress members who would pass Obamacare.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=johnson+guam+tipping+over&t=osx&ia=videos&iax=videos&iai=cesSRfXqS1Q
I think you are projecting. She has accomplished getting elected while you prove your stupidity with every post.
I absolutely cringe listening or reading her. It’s unendurable, like those movies where the lead makes one embarrassing, humiliating gaff after another.
I mean, the garbage disposal debacle? She worked in a bar and never saw a garbage disposal? Never had one in a home or apartment, and there were none at any of her friends’ houses? She had to be told it was a garbage disposal?
Much of AOCs power comes from FOX and others that are exploiting her brashness to weaken Dems and trying to make them the voice of the party to help Trump classify Dems as radical socialists. The quicker she and others realize she is being used as a Trump tool the better
Unless Fox controls what comes out of her mouth, or somehow has pushed the Democratic Party to embrace socialism, I cannot see how this is Fox’s doing.
I’m sure Fox et al are having a field day over it, however. How could they not? Democrats are trying to push the country towards Socialism.
I’m a bit confused. What “race” is Ocasio-Cortez? Human, I hope. Do we have to make every single disagreement over policy a racial issue? It’s not helpful and it’s not true.
The pedigree of the Puerto Rican population in aggregate is ~65% caucasoid, 35% Amerindian, and 10% negroid. If she’s average in this regard, she’s tri-racial but predominantly white. The common law she’s never closed the deal with is decidedly Celtic looking.
Hope they are passing out napkins to control the mess as these leftists cannibalizes themselves. Hopefully they’ll take it to the streets like 70s Peking so we can watch. Mindless leftists zombie wars incoming.
Heh, heh, heh.
We’re gonna need a bigger popcorn bowl.
A barrel.
Admit it. We love a good civil war among the radicals. As the last great French general said “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”
I agree. Ocasio is just a dunderhead. The Dems also stand behind Omar, an anti-Semite, anti-American, and a law breaker. Also she is a likely a supporter of terrorists if not a supporter of terrorism. She could never have remained in Congress if she were Republican and she will help bring the party down with her. The Dems need to lose big so they reorganize and develop a direction more in line with the American public. The American public can remain stupid for only so long.
Occasioanal-Cortex is an amusing diversion. Tlaib and Omar are sinister in a way AOC can never be.
Take note how Democrats have done little to cull them from the crowd.
All those loving Democrats that espouse unbridled Liberalism would be in chains or dead if those two gained national power.
That Tlaib and Omar have received NO discipline is disgusting.
Recall that Kevin McCarthy threw Steve King under the bus for next-to-nothing. That’s our Krack Kapitol Hill leadership; always loyal to their own.
You are delusional.
Your mom wants you outdoors.
And TIA’s mom is wishing that he would put a sock in it…
I pray you are right!