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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

lpetrich said:
I like this:
Glenn Greenwald on Twitter: "Very interesting @AOC interview in NYT today ..." / Twitter
...
And whatever else is true, think about what it says about a Party that they would view someone like AOC -- with the unique reach & voice she's developed -- as a liability and threat to be exploited, then avoided and silenced, rather than one of its best assets. That's madness.
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lpetrich said:
Ryan Grim on Twitter: "One of AOC’s political vulnerabilities her opponents in the party exploit is her faith in human nature. That makes the anonymous shots from her colleagues sting in a way they don’t for politicians who don’t give a shit." / Twitter

Ryan Grim on Twitter: "Caring: It’ll get you every time." / Twitter
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Reading how the Democratic Party treats AOC makes me sad ... and very angry. With political power ceded to the super-rich, the hypocrisies have turned American governance into a tragic farce. I'm tempted to root for Donald Jr. in '24: Hasten America's descent into the shit-hole country it strives to be.
 
For the First Time, the Progressive Caucus Will Have Real Power - In These Times
About how it will be a disciplined organization.
Under new rules approved in November 2020, the CPC will no longer be led by two cochairs. For the 117th Congress, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (Wash.) will lead. Another change requires members to vote as a bloc on issues supported by twothirds of the caucus. Should a member fail to adhere to this rule at least 66% of the time, they could face expulsion. In addition, members must attend CPC meetings and respond to requests from the caucus whip (currently Minnesota’s Rep. Ilhan Omar) about where they stand on issues.

If some CPC members find the new rules unacceptable, no sweat. Jayapal made clear she ​“would rather have people who are really committed to the Progressive Caucus in the caucus and participating rather than sort of just having it as a label.”
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Noting
'Exactly What We Want to See': Overhaul Expected to Strengthen Power of Congressional Progressive Caucus | Common Dreams News
and
House progressives are building something new, exciting, and powerful - Roll Call

AOC was involved in developing the CPC's new rules, even if she isn't now in CPC's administration.
 
The Message from this Election? Bring the “Ruckus on the Democratic Party.” - In These Times - "Don’t believe the establishment: The 2020 election results are a vindication of the Left’s inside-outside strategy."

A combination of getting into elected office and activism outside of it.
We first wrote about the inside-outside strategy in a June 1977 story about the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). Caucus members, initially lacking power in Congress, worked on the outside as a kind of leadership group for the Black community. As their seniority in the House increased, so too did their influence within the Democratic House leadership.

As CBC members have gained rank and picked up committees, however, their focus has increasingly turned toward raising corporate donations to fund Caucus infrastructure. Today, for example, one of the most powerful members in the House is CBC member Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), a darling of Big Pharma who, in the past 10 years, has taken more pharma money than anyone else in Congress. All told, 33 corporations are represented on the CBC Foundation’s Corporate Advisory Council, including ExxonMobil, Walmart, Eli Lilly and JPMorgan Chase.
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Seems like the CBC has gone the way of Tammany Hall, an organization that (1) helped LOTS of Irish immigrants and (2) was grossly corrupt. Interview: Terry Golway, Author Of 'Machine Made' : NPR has a positive view of Tammany Hall.

AOC herself has talked about inside-outside activism, and she clearly likes activists. She sometimes refers to "the movement" as something that she's a part of.

The Friday before the election, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I‑Vt.) joined an online public discussion hosted by the Squad — Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.) and Ayanna Pressley (Mass.). Pressley thanked Sanders for “ushering [in]” the inside-outside strategy. “Forever, there was the movement versus elected officials,” Pressley said. “The truth is, there is an inside-outside [strategy], but if you are getting it right, it’s all one movement.”

Ocasio-Cortez thanked Sanders for “normalizing” the “ruckus on the Democratic Party.” “Every single one of us got our seats challenging the Democratic establishment,” she said. “And now, from a grassroots perspective, people are realizing, ‘Oh, we can hold our party accountable and we can put the fire on our own party. It doesn’t just have to be Republicans.’ And in that way we prevent the rightward drift of the Democratic Party.”
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "On the eve of the 117th Congress, I want to thank the Bronx & Queens for entrusting me with the sacred responsibility of advancing a better world in House, and recognize the relentless work and dedication of the organizers who made this day happen.

Remember: You are the answer. (link to video)" / Twitter
I believe that change happens in the streets and it happens with everyday people organizing en masse. Because no one politician is the answer. No one president is the answer. YOU are the answer.Mass movements are the answer. Millions of people are the answer. No matter what happens, we still have to organize, and we're going to keep fighting. No matter what happens, we are here to take care for each other. 100%. This is what has always been our mission, and it will always be our mission: to take care of each other.
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I like that.
 
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib on Twitter: "I’m honoring my parents, who came to this country from Palestine in search of a better life, by wearing a #Palestinian embroidered dress for my swearing in today. https://t.co/6PklsSXrnY" / Twitter

Keith Ellison on Twitter: "Congratulations ⁦@CoriBush⁩. Your life has prepared you for your service in Congress. You’re going to be awesome. https://t.co/NO6W15uVrR" / Twitter

-

Rep. Katie Porter on Twitter: "Shhh... this is Rep. Porter’s staff sneaking onto her account because today is her birthday! We hope you’ll join us in celebrating virtually by replying with your favorite Rep. Porter moment. We couldn’t agree on one, so here’s a recap of her 1st term ⬇️ (video link)" / Twitter

Austin Kruger on Twitter: "@RepKatiePorter My favorite @RepKatiePorter moment was when she got reamed out for inappropriately dressing as batgirl to vote on impeachment.

And then dropping her iced coffee all over the place #CA45 https://t.co/UWa9rO52o0" / Twitter

Rashida Tlaib on Twitter: "Happy birthday @katieporteroc! I love that I have a front row seat to your oversight work. Leaves me smiling every single time. Our caucus is so lucky to have you." / Twitter
 
Cori Bush on Twitter: "Squad up. (pic link)" / Twitter
Showing Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Jamaal Bowman, AOC, Cori Bush, and Ayanna Pressley

Ayanna Pressley on Twitter: "The squad is big, family." / Twitter

Rashida Tlaib on Twitter: "Let's do this. #117thCongress @IlhanMN @JamaalBowmanNY @AOC @AyannaPressley @CoriBush https://t.co/Lx9Ym9nc1L" / Twitter

Ilhan Omar on Twitter: "Unbought and unbossed ✊🏽" / Twitter

Jamaal Bowman on Twitter: "Our squad is big!" / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Let’s go! 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽" / Twitter

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "How it started: How it's going: https://t.co/POY8xwGsDk" / Twitter
(picture of her putting on a a lapel pin) (the above picture)

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Two years ago, I walked my family to the Capitol steps and bussed down community from the Bronx & Queens as I was sworn in for the first time as a member of Congress.

I so wish you all could have been here today, but thankfully you sent another kind of family :)

Let’s do this💜 https://t.co/EEvFqCd9PS" / Twitter
 
Geoff Bennett on Twitter: "INBOX: Pelosi announces additional committee assignments for 117th Congress

Oversight and Reform Committee:
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York
Congresswoman Katie Porter of California
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan
Congresswoman Cori Bush of Missouri" / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "😊😊😊😊" / Twitter

Someone responded:
Tyler Hazard on Twitter: "@AOC @AkilahObviously Wait, @AOC you served on this committee last Congress. Could you explain why you wouldn’t be assigned to that same committee again for this Congress? Or am I misunderstanding? You can speak in terms of Congressional norms if that’s easier—honestly curious about this process!" / Twitter
Then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "@tylerahazard @AkilahObviously I was a “waived” on instead of a full “primary” members. Waived members can be cut & do not accrue seniority standing, among other factors.

We are now full primary members. That means we are locked in and accrue standing, which allows us to better lead & launch investigations." / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "@tylerahazard @AkilahObviously Last year our investigations brought certain Rx drugs generic early bc we exposed that the patent actually belonged to the public

We also went after + got💰from military contractors (@RoKhanna led that one!) & exposed Trump tax.

That was w/ waived status. Now we can turn it up." / Twitter

Nice little civics lesson.
 
Ro Khanna on Twitter: "One of the great contributions @aoc makes on our committee behind the scenes and when the TV cameras are off is giving some of her best questions to fellow members. She has given quite a few good ones to me! Excited about the force this committee will be for progressive change." / Twitter

Then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Thanks, Ro! :)" / Twitter

Jake on Twitter: "@AOC I know this is totally insignificant in the grand scheme of things but can we get a few more trash cans in Sunnyside?" / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "@JRossQNZ Haha I can make a few calls! Are there any intersections or areas that you think are particularly sparse?" / Twitter


Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Thank an organizer." / Twitter
Thank an organizer.

Thank you 🙏🏽@NewGAProject
Thank you 🙏🏽 @fairfightaction
Thank you 🙏🏽@ConMijente
Thank you 🙏🏽@GALEOorg
Thank you 🙏🏽@AsianAAF
Thank you 🙏🏽@songpowerc4

Thank you to ALL the people and grassroots organizations doing the thankless, often-overlooked, mission-critical work of change.

Thank you 🙏🏽 @BlackVotersMtr

Thank you 🙏🏽 @BMVProject
Thank you 🙏🏽 @GAMVP
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Tommy was an incredible, remarkable man.

Thank you @RepRaskin and Sarah Raskin for this beautiful and deeply loving tribute, and for sharing it with the world." / Twitter
noting
Rep. Jamie Raskin on Twitter: "Statement of Congressman Jamie Raskin and Sarah Bloom Raskin on the Remarkable Life of Tommy Raskin: (link to article)" / Twitter
noting
Statement of Congressman Jamie Raskin and Sarah Bloom Raskin on the Remarkable Life of Tommy Raskin | by Rep. Jamie Raskin | Jan, 2021 | Medium

Above all, he began to follow his own piercing moral and intellectual insights looking for answers to problems of injustice, poverty and war. A Bar Mitzvah from Temple Sinai, he taught a Sunday School with Heather Levy for two years at Temple Emmanuel, often substituting his social-struggle analysis of the Exodus story for teachings on the Hebrew alphabet. He ordered and devoured books on the Civil War and Maryland’s history in it, World War II and resistance to Nazism, Jewish history, libertarianism, moral philosophy, the history of the Middle East conflict, peace movements, anything by Gar Alperovitz on the decision to drop the atom bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and anything by Peter Singer on animal rights. He began to pen these extraordinary essays and articles that now add up to well over 100 as well as write plays and extremely long polemical poems, which he eagerly performed for audiences astounded by his precocious moral vision, utter authenticity of emotion, and beauty of expression.
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Seems a bit like AOC herself. That's also an interesting take on the Exodus story. I recall from somewhere that that's been a favorite story in traditionally black churches. That may be because the end of American blacks' slavery was also due to some outside force much more powerful than them - the Union armies. Also because being freed wasn't the end of their struggles and their trouble.
 
Rep. Jamie Raskin's late son Tommy:
In 2019 Tommy went to Harvard Law School. He lived up in the attic of the home of Michael Anderson and Donene Williams, his Dad’s beloved law school roommates, and made more remarkable friends. He studied constitutional law with Noah Feldman, criminal law with Carole Steiker, and property with Bruce Mann (Elizabeth Warren’s husband); he loved the systematic thought and debate dynamics of law school but reported it to be like half an education because the moral philosophy component was somehow left out. Rather than read endless lists of long cases, why not have students read clear comprehensive statements of what the law is and then talk about what the law should be? So while zealously promoting his newfound favorite game — Boggle — to rescue his classmates and himself from the stress and anxiety of law school, he also pushed them to engage with social problems and found a strong affinity group in the Effective Altruists. He spent last summer working quite brilliantly as a summer associate at Mercy for Animals and found a knack for actual lawyering.
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That's an interesting perspective on education, trying to get some broader picture.

I like to do so also, and I like to do research before I post here and elsewhere.

We have barely been able to scratch the surface here, but you have a sense of our son. Tommy Raskin had a perfect heart, a perfect soul, a riotously outrageous and relentless sense of humor, and a dazzling radiant mind. He began to be tortured later in his 20s by a blindingly painful and merciless ‘disease called depression,’ as Tabitha put it on Facebook over the weekend, a kind of relentless torture in the brain for him, and despite very fine doctors and a loving family and friendship network of hundreds who adored him beyond words and whom he adored too, the pain became overwhelming and unyielding and unbearable at last for our dear boy, this young man of surpassing promise to our broken world.
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Seems like he suffered from clinical depression, feeling super sad when there is no reason to do so.
On the last hellish brutal day of that godawful miserable year of 2020, when hundreds of thousands of Americans and millions of people all over the world died alone in bed in the darkness from an invisible killer disease ravaging their bodies and minds, we also lost our dear, dear, beloved son, Hannah and Tabitha’s beloved irreplaceable brother, a radiant light in this broken world.

He left us this farewell note on New Year’s Eve day: ‘Please forgive me. My illness won today. Please look after each other, the animals, and the global poor for me. All my love, Tommy.’
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The latest in "will she or won't she?"
John Bresnahan on Twitter: ".@AOC to me on whether she will challenge @SenSchumer in ‘22 (no decision yet but not ruling it out): “I’m a no bullshit kind of person. I’m not playing coy or anything like that.” @PunchbowlNews" / Twitter

John Bresnahan on Twitter: "/2 More AOC: “I’m still very much in a place where I’m trying to decide what is the most effective thing I can do to help our Congress, our [political] process, and our country actually address the issues of climate change, health care, wage inequality, etc.”" / Twitter

John Bresnahan on Twitter: "/3 On whether Schumer is doing a good job: “It’s a hard thing to say too. We’ve had to deal with a fascist president and Mitch McConnell.” More @PunchbowlNews" / Twitter

Punchbowl News on Twitter: "Exclusive interview with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in this morning’s Punchbowl AM. (inlined image link)" / Twitter
"I'm a no bullshit kind of person. I'm not playing coy or anything like that. I'm still very much in a place where I'm trying to decide what is the most effective thing I can do to help our Congress, our [political] process, and our country."
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So she still hasn't made up her mind about her next career direction. Quit politics? Stay in NY-14? Run for US Senate? Run for some city or state office?

I think that she might think of running for Senate if Chuck Schumer retires, but not otherwise.
 
Fox News:
"It's a hard thing to say, too. We've had to deal with a fascist president and Mitch McConnell," she told Punchbowl News. "There are things you can do in the minority. There are also things you couldn't do with this minority because Senate rules changed."

"I like to think of myself as a good-faith actor and not make unfair critiques. But I do wonder," Ocasio-Cortez continued.
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The Independent:
“I’m not playing coy or anything like that. I’m still very much in a place where I’m trying to decide what is the most effective thing I can do to help our Congress, our [political] process, and our country actually address the issues of climate change, health care, wage inequality, etc.,” she told the new Washington-based publication Punchbowl in an interview published on Monday.

...
In her new interview with Punchbowl, Ms Ocasio-Cortez suggested she would not be basing her future plans on whether Democrats appear likely to keep or lose their House majority in 2022.

“I’m not sure about that either. For me, I don’t make these decisions based on these short-term factors.”

...
“If I want to have a child, I would want my child — or my nieces or nephews — to have guaranteed health care by the time they’re my age. And freedom from want. I’m also very indecisive,” she said.

As for her relationship with Mr Schumer, Ms Ocasio-Cortez told Punchbowl she and the Senate minority leader have an ongoing dialogue.

“He and I have an open relationship, we speak to each other regularly,” she said.

...
“There’s this thing, ‘Are we doing a good job?’ There are things you can do in the minority. There are also things you couldn’t do with this minority because Senate rules changed,” she said, an apparent reference to Mr McConnell scrapping the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, a move that allowed Mr Trump to fundamentally alter the judicial landscape in this country.
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That interview appeared in Home - Punchbowl News - trying to avoid a paid signup to read its AOC interview. It's in the morning newsletter, and that's supposed to be a freebie, but there's no way to see it for free.

Pelosi Announces Additional Committee Assignments for 117th Congress | Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Seems very incomplete, but it has these ones:
  • Mondaire Jones NY - Education & Labor
  • Nikema Williams GA - Financial Services
  • Ritchie Torres NY - Homeland Security
  • AOC NY - Oversight & Reform
  • Katie Porter CA - Oversight & Reform
  • Rashida Tlaib MI - Oversight & Reform
  • Cori Bush MO - Oversight & Reform
  • Jamaal Bowman NY - Science, Space & Technology
  • Marie Newman IL - Small Business
So AOC is returning to the Oversight Committee.
 
 
 
Important message to you, lpetrich. You can relax now.

[TWEET]https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1346968581741928451?s=20[/TWEET]
 
Yes indeed.
I’m okay.

Was barricaded in for several hours. I’ll tell y’all about it later.

For now, we must focus on task at hand: to preserve the integrity of our democracy, hold accountable those responsible for their attempts to subvert our nation’s elections and shred our Constitution apart.

Sorry for the earlier comma typo. It’s been a day.
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That I'd like to see. Barricaded in one's office buildings seems rather odd -- I'd expect for the Congresspeople and their staffers to flee to some more distant place, like the Pentagon building.
 
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