Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

[lpetrich]

AOC seems to have learned Congressional procedure very well. (Dec 2021)

Michelle Hackman on Twitter: "News: The Parliamentarian has rejected Democrats' third immigration proposal, offering millions of immigrants deportation protections and work permits. Likely the end of the road for helping unauthorized immigrants through reconciliation. W/@aduehren (link)" / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Good thing the Parliamentarian’s guidance here is non binding! It’s just guidance.
The Senate can still include a path to citizenship in BBB and call a vote on it, which is why we have called on them to do so." / Twitter


Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "What’s worse ..." / Twitter

What’s worse is that many who engage in these practices publicly tout not approving cost of living or MRA increases in the leg branch as a way of claiming “fiscal responsibility,” yet compensate by engaging in this highly questionable trading. It incentivizes this bad behavior

Ppl rag on Congress’ salary &it’s easy to score political points on it, but many don’t know it requires paying 2 rents, can’t deduct work costs, etc

Result is grand gestures to tout that they/staff aren’t getting COLA adjustments, but then trading stock to make up for it -worse!

She has proposed outlawing individual stock ownership by Congresspeople. She herself does not have much by way of assets. Checking on Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives - Financial Disclosure Reports I find 10046833.pdf from 2021 -- she has $4K to $60K in assets and $15K - $50K in student-loan debts. She also received a $3K engagement ring from her boyfriend.

There is an urban legend that she has $23M in assets, but that is only believed because it seems like such an outrage.

I'm sure that the right-wingers will hate her no matter what her assets are -- they will hate her for being too poor, or else for being too rich, without ever saying what amount of assets is neither too little nor too much.

 

[lpetrich]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "That part " / Twitter
noting
Sherrilyn Ifill on Twitter: "Manchin is Manchin. ..." / Twitter

Manchin is Manchin. But what kind of healthy democracy is structured in a way that can allow one man elected by 290,000 voters in one of the least populous states to thwart the agenda of his party and the President who was elected with 81 million votes. We need structural change.

It’s like getting exorcised over McConnell’s shameful treatment of Garland, but spending no time thinking abt how to change a system that allows one Senator to hijack the Supreme Court confirmation process; to decide to hold the size of the Court at a random number for 18 mos.

The Court expansion conversations still haven’t taken hold of this structural flaw. A President Biden cld conceivably nominate addl justices but if McConnell’s Republicans control the Senate none would be confirmed? We are in crisis b/c too many structural flaws can be exploited.

Exorcised? Did she mean exercised?

Andrew Solender on Twitter: "Sanders calls for a Senate vote on BBB: “If Sen. Joe Manchin wants to vote against the Build Back Better Act, he should have the opportunity to do so with a floor vote as soon as the Senate returns." (pic link)" / Twitter
then about Ayanna Pressley
Andrew Solender on Twitter: "Pressley:
"The Senate must return to session immediately and bring this historic and transformational bill to a vote so Senator Manchin—and every Republican who has opposed it from the very beginning—can demonstrate, on the record, the contempt they have for their constituents" (pic link)" / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "100% agree. The Senate must reconvene immediately and bring BBB to a vote regardless of Manchin’s statement.
If they forced folks to go on record with BIF, they can force the Senate to go on record with BBB. We can take it up again next year too.
@AyannaPressley is right on." / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "The fact that Biden has the power to provide student debt relief to millions, had to be forced into extending the eviction moratorium,& has yet to aggressively campaign against the filibuster shows us he has more power than he’s using. It’s time to take off the gloves & govern." / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

Returning to AOC's rejection of the Great Man theory of history in favor of collective effects, I noticed the activists behind most of Arthur Schlesinger's liberal periods: Revolution, (Jefferson: none?), Jackson, Civil War, Progressive Era, New Deal Era, Sixties Era.

I was rather sketchy about the latter three, so I will fill in. The Progressive Era had:

• "Muckraking" journalism that exposed a lot of political and business corruption and nasty social conditions.
• Good-government reforms like initiative and referendum, primary elections, and direct election of the US Senate
• Trust-busting: breaking up monopolies
• Food-safety regulation (the Food and Drug Administration dates from back then)
• Labor-union activism
• Opposition to child labor
• Scientific management
• Women's votes: the suffragist movement
• Black civil rights -- not very successful, though the NAACP dates back to then
• Environmentalism: national parks
• Prohibition of CH3CH2OH -- not one of the era's better ideas

The New Deal Era was more top-down, but it had lots of organized-labor activism, and it had plenty of recruits for its Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration programs.

The Sixties Era had plenty of activism:

• Black and Hispanic civil-rights activism
• Revival of feminism
• Gay-rights activism
• Environmentalism
• Youth counterculture
• Opposition to the Vietnam War
• The New Left

 

[lpetrich]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Instead of clickbait with guns in front of Christmas trees, we decided to actually tell you what we accomplished for the community and country this year.
Here’s our 21 wins for 2021 " / Twitter
An allusion to Reps. Thomas Massie and Lauren Boebert posing in front of Xmas trees with them and their families all with guns: A Christmas card with guns? Lauren Boebert and Thomas Massie start a new culture war.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "We’re back-back-back again!
Despite the challenges, we’ve accomplished so much together over the past year. Thank you to EVERYONE who zoomed, taught, organized, and built community with us.
Without further ado: 21 wins for 2021. Want to join for ‘22? (links)" / Twitter
Then a video of her describing her achievements, like homework helpers, deep canvassing, Hunts Point solidarity, aid for Texans, funeral assistance, vaccine outreach, Green New Deal, Civilian Climate Corps, eviction moratorium, Hurricane Ida aid, fighting fossil fuels, COP-26, advocating for refugees, NY Taxi Workers Alliance, committee appointments, funding NY14 projects, Child Tax Credit, legislation, constituent services, helping NY14 families, courage to change.

Great job. I'd like to see other politicians challenged with what they did for their constituents.


Bill Bratton on Twitter: "You know why NY’s ‘recovery’ isn’t happening? This photo today on the E Train at 6:45am at 42nd & 8th says it all. Why should working people & tourists be subjected to this? How’s it fair to those who need services? Imagine the cops’ frustration with no support to deal with it! (pic link)" / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Of course they’re frustrated. ..." / Twitter

Of course they’re frustrated. It’s not policing’s job or purpose to address housing, provide healthcare or counseling, or solve the reasons people sleep on the subway.

Maybe if we shifted some of that $11B/year spent on robo dogs to housing services we could get somewhere.

Also, “why should working people be subjected to this?” —

1. Homeless people often ARE working people, veterans, and/or disabled

2. Why should THESE folks be subjected to unnecessary homelessness in one of the richest cities in the world where 1000s of apartments are vacant?

It’s truly frustrating that Dems & GOP alike water this down into some non-evidence based electoral boogey monster.

Nobody wants to live with these conditions, yet nobody wants to challenge the systems and decisions creating them. Don’t complain if you want more of the same $.

I truly will never adjust to how normal it is in our country to completely dehumanize people once they fall below a certain income.

This is a fmr police commissioner talking about ppl like furniture or animals when his job ostensibly was to protect them too. Telling on himself.

 

[lpetrich]

Near the end of 2021:
Naureen Akhter on Twitter: ".@AOC tries the hot chip challenge: a series in two parts (pix link)" / Twitter
That challenge is about eating an extremely spicy single chip, one with super hot peppers. AOC seems very adventurous.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Protip: Do not do this " / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Instagram: “It only went downhill from here and then back up again 🌶” -- One Chip Challenge – Paqui Chips

Made with two of the spiciest chili peppers in the world, the Carolina Reaper Pepper and Scorpion Pepper, this straight-from-hell chip now turns your tongue blue as a badge of honor to prove you completed the challenge!

The challenge is how long one can last before one has to consume something else. AOC lasted nearly 2 minutes.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Instagram: “Merry Christmas to all our friends and neighbors around the world celebrating today! May we all bring our little share of peace on earth and joy to the world this year.”
Her with her boyfriend Riley and her dog Deco.

 

[blastula]

AOC injects some sanity into all the TikTok talk, while her luddite colleagues from both parties wage an embarrassing witch hunt against the company.



link

China can have all my data anyway, i don't care. Just nobody better take my favorite app away. I need it to get on my WiFi.

 

[thebeave]

AOC injects some sanity into all the TikTok talk, while her luddite colleagues from both parties wage an embarrassing witch hunt against the company.



link

China can have all my data anyway, i don't care. Just nobody better take my favorite app away. I need it to get on my WiFi.

I appreciate that she signs for the deaf on her videos. Very inclusive!

 

[Derec]

I appreciate that she signs for the deaf on her videos. Very inclusive!

Can't the deaf just read the subtitles?
And is that actually signing, or is she just one of those people who likes to talk with her hands?

 

[Derec]

AOC injects some sanity into all the TikTok talk,

TikTok is arguably the most annoying social media app right now. And that's before the issue of Chinese government control.

while her luddite colleagues from both parties wage an embarrassing witch hunt against the company.

The issue is not ludditism, it's about it being a Chinese company and that therefore the Chinese government/Chinese Communist Party can get their hands on user data.
But even outside that, the hyperalgorithmic nature of the app has its own issues, esp. since the app is very popular with minors - younger Gen Z and geriatric Gen α. Being a midrange Millennial, AOC is not really the target audience for that app anyway.

China can have all my data anyway, i don't care. Just nobody better take my favorite app away.

Spoken like a true addict.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I appreciate that she signs for the deaf on her videos. Very inclusive!

Can't the deaf just read the subtitles?
And is that actually signing, or is she just one of those people who likes to talk with her hands?

She's just talking with her hands--she's not doing enough different things for it to be sign language.

 

[lpetrich]

AOC injects some sanity into all the TikTok talk, while her luddite colleagues from both parties wage an embarrassing witch hunt against the company. ...

Non-inlined link: Some thoughts on TikTok… | TikTok
On Instagram: Rep. Ocasio-Cortez on Instagram: “What's happening with TikTok?”

She is a model of reason and good sense in this issue.

She says that she has not received a classified briefing from some US intelligence agency on that subject, and some such agency might have details of how substantiated these allegations are, how much it has on China's alleged spying with the app.

She also says that there is a real problem that is going unaddressed: data protection. The European Union has a strong  General Data Protection Regulation - "Regulation on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data" - a regulation that has become a model for many similar laws, like in Japan, South Korea, Kenya, South Africa, Chile, Brazil, and Turkey. The California Consumer Privacy Act, of that US state, has some similarities with the GDPR, Colorado and Virginia have passed similar laws, and the UK has kept its GDPR version going, despite its departure from the EU.

The GDPR's home page with What is the GDPR?

 

[Gospel]

Ahh yes. Another policy with a fine that's just enough to scare the little guy yet worth ignoring to the big guy.

 

[blastula]

AOC injects some sanity into all the TikTok talk,

TikTok is arguably the most annoying social media app right now.

How annoying can it be to simply not download it?

And that's before the issue of Chinese government control.

If they are in control, they're doing a fantastic job.

while her luddite colleagues from both parties wage an embarrassing witch hunt against the company.

The issue is not ludditism,

For many congress members it sure is.

it's about it being a Chinese company and that therefore the Chinese government/Chinese Communist Party can get their hands on user data.

Every app takes your data and sends it to a black hole of unknown destination. No reason to single out TikTok.

But even outside that, the hyperalgorithmic nature of the app has its own issues, esp. since the app is very popular with minors -

It is the most heavily moderated social media platform I have seen as far as child safety concerns.

younger Gen Z and geriatric Gen α. Being a midrange Millennial, AOC is not really the target audience for that app anyway.

Point?

China can have all my data anyway, i don't care. Just nobody better take my favorite app away.

Spoken like a true addict.

One man's vice...

And at least this vice is legal. *kawf kawf*

Sure.

 

[lpetrich]

February of last year:

Manu Raju on Twitter: "Sen. Joe Manchin, asked about Build Back Better, said: “What Build Back Better bill? I don’t know what you guys are talking about.”
I asked him if he’s had any talks on the matter since December. “No, no, no, no. It’s dead.”" / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Seniors, kids, & people with disabilities in my community have been sleeping with bubble jackets on in 18 degree nights, despite paying rent, bc the NYCHA funding to fix their heating and capital needs is in BBB.
Where should I direct them to wait out the cold?
Manchin’s yacht?" / Twitter
That's a good one. This might be a good use.

(Yahoo News interview with her)
She describes her efforts to ban stock trading - she proposes mutual funds and blind trusts.

Yahoo Finance on Twitter: "“It’s not really a mystery to me why it’s difficult to pass,” @AOC says about the push to ban stock trading in Congress. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a majority of members of Congress hold and trade individual stock.” (vid link)" / Twitter
At her AOC Organizing Base: AOB.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: ".@CongressmanRaja, @JoeNeguse and I have worked to ban members of Congress from trading individual stock for YEARS.
Lots of stories about the attempts to sink it - but now, thanks to increased public pressure + attention, we may have a shot.
Keep up the pressure it’s working" / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

Deconstructed: Inside the Fight for Climate Justice - Ryan Grim interviews Rachel Lears about her most recent movie, "To The End", about four climate activists. RL had made "Knock Down The House" about AOC's first candidacy back in 2018.

Knock Down The House | A Netflix Original Documentary - where are they now?

• AOC - won in 2018, 2020, 2022
• Cori Bush - lost in 2018, won in 2020, 2022
• Amy Vilela - lost in 2018, 2022 (she skipped 2020)
• Paula Jean Swearengin - lost in 2018, 2020

I like this bit about the 2018 race: Opinion | If You Want to Be Speaker, Mr. Crowley, Don’t Take Voters for Granted - The New York Times - he skipped a debate with AOC, having a Hispanic female former councilmember take his place. In 2020, another Hispanic woman ran against her: MCC.

TO THE END
Following the adventures over 2018 - 2022 over these female activists:

• AOC
• Alexandra Rojas of Justice Democrats - Let's Elect the Next Generation - a Political Action Committee for electing progressive politicians, politicians like AOC and Cori Bush
• Varshini Prakash of Sunrise Movement - We Are The Climate Revolution - a climate-activist group
• Rhiana Gunn-Wright of The Roosevelt Institute - "Drawing on the legacy of Franklin and Eleanor, the Roosevelt Institute champions new ideas and new leaders to make our economy and democracy work for the many, not the few."

There is a bit where Varshini Prakash (?) visits Paradise CA, which suffered from a devastating wildfire in 2018 - America’s Deadliest Wildfire in 100 Years: 56 Dead in Paradise, California | Weather Underground

It also has the Sunrise Movement's sit-in in Nancy Pelosi's office in 2018, and AOC stopping by to congratulate these activists.

Doesn't quite have the dramatic focus of Knock Down The House, but it's nice to see how these activists work and what motivates them. There is a bit where some people get into an argument about carbon capture. That has emerged as a rather contentious subject among climate activists, because some of them see it as enabling continued fossil-fuel use.

For my part, I consider it a valuable part of a renewable-energy economy.

 

[lpetrich]

Deconstructed: Inside the Fight for Climate Justice
Rachel Lears described in it how she got the idea of "Knock Down The House". "I mean, primarily, we were looking for people that were going to be compelling to watch win or lose, because we knew there was a very high chance that even all four of the candidates would lose."

Yeah, I mean, we definitely knew that was a very distinct possibility [laughs], which is why we wanted to make sure that each of their stories would be really revealing something bigger about how politics and power work in the U.S. and in all of these different political landscapes where each one was based, and each one was really confronting a political machine in her local city, and state, and area — and all of those took different shapes. So we really wanted through that process of challenging those established power structures with an insurgent campaign to really explore how power works in the United States at that level.

...
I think it’s really remarkable the extent to which the vision of the Green New Deal has come to dominate the way the left talks about climate and the way progressive Democrats approach climate.

About the four activists,

So the rest of the film is all of them negotiating that in their respective lanes. And trying to apply leverage where they can, and also come to terms with the reality of not having enough power. And in the end, I think that’s what the IRA really represents. On the one hand, it represents the power of movements to get a lot of things onto the agenda and get them through. And also the continued power of the fossil-fuel industry to block so much of that agenda and to get a lot of their own points in there as well.

IRA = "Inflation Reduction Act"

 

[lpetrich]

I think, on the one hand, a lot of people are really disillusioned now. And I almost see it as — I mean, I don’t think we can really overstate the effect on everyone of this ongoing pandemic. ...

...
But at the same time, with the election results this fall, there’s still plenty of people who are engaging, young people are coming out; climate is still a big motivating issue for a lot of people.

...
So I think it’s this moment where it sort of feels like winning and losing at the same time. And I think about the author Bill Moyer who writes about social movements and the stages that social movements have tended to go through, looking at various social movements throughout the world, throughout recent history.

Bill Moyers - writing about what it's like in a social movement as it happens.

 

[lpetrich]

Sleeping Giants on Twitter: "Got retweeted by @aoc today ..." / Twitter

Got retweeted by @aoc today and you honestly cannot believe the sheer volume of hate, misogyny, vitriol, memes and utter garbage that has piled into our mentions. It’s seriously overwhelming.

Regardless of who you are, this should not happen. @twittersafety is not nailing it.

You want to disagree and dunk on ideas you don’t agree with? Fine. But there’s absolutely no way that this could all be human traffic. Most of it has nothing to do with the point that we made (which was a bipartisan opinion about Facebook). @twitter needs a fail safe on pile ons.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Yeah it’s bad " / Twitter

Zach C. Cohen on Twitter: "Sen. Kyrsten Sinema confronted Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on the Senate floor last night about the chamber’s slow voting process, per ⁦@StevenTDennis.⁩
“Could we have some discipline in the votes, ever? You’re in charge!” (link)" / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Actually he should continue to make their lives as difficult as possible and treat them the way they treat, say, public housing residents. Or parents who rely on CTC. When they improve, maybe process can improve too.
Why should we make the lives of obstructionists easier?" / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Cancel vacation. Vote on weekends. Vote for hours. Vote last minute. Call votes when Senators are courting billionaires at fundraisers. They may get apoplectic, but it’s nothing compared to the people they’re forcing to sleep without heat in winter, or losing the right to vote." / Twitter

I like that response to KS. Make Congresspeople go through what some ordinary employees have to go through. I especially like the idea of calling votes when Congresspeople are off raising funds from billionaires.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "On Capitol Hill, interns are often unpaid, many staffers don’t make a living wage, and lack of work protections can pave the way for unhealthy environments.
@RepAndyLevin is right - sounds like a perfect place for a union. " / Twitter
noting
Rep. Andy Levin on Twitter: "Congressional staff need unions now!
Congress couldn’t run without them and I’m committed to supporting their voice at work." / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

The Republican Accountability Project on Twitter: "Just to clear things up, @RepMTG
Gazpacho: a vegetable-based Spanish cold soup
Gestapo: Nazi Germany's secret police (vid link)" / Twitter
MTG referred to Nancy Pelosi's "Gazpacho Police"

Jake Sherman on Twitter: "MTG says Nancy Pelosi has a “Gazpacho police”
Gazpacho is a cold tomato soup
Gestapo is the Nazi police force.
Neither of these things are right." / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "At least she leads by example. She clearly banned all books from her house years ago" / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "For real though when you see how the GOP openly embrace and leverage fascist members of their party vs how much some Dems run away and frame their own base mobilizers as “just as extreme” it’s not hard to see how that asymmetry/false equivalence has contributed to where we are" / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "" / Twitter
Q: Do you identify as woke?
A: I identify as tired

K. Travis Ballie on Twitter: "I could listen to @AOC all day explain why you should doors for causes you believe in. I’ve knocked thousands of doors in dozens of states and every door has meant something. Every door has built something. I may not remember every conversation, but I know I’ve moved the needle. (vid link)" / Twitter
She talked about going door to door and talking to people - at a Jessica Cisneros rally. One can talk about more than electing whoever one is stumping for, but other things also, like ballot initiatives.

Then Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Change happens one conversation at a time." / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Ted Cruz could never (vid link)" / Twitter
Her with some people dancing at a rally in Texas.

 

[Patooka]

AOC apparently has a burner Twitter account titled "Zaza Demon" and secretly wishes death upon Matt Walsh. This is utterly repulsive. AOC needs to resign and immediately give Matt Walsh a public apology.

Oh, wait - where is my proof? Don't worry, it's ironclad. You see, some fuckwit said so. Even someone on the House Oversight Committee agrees with me that's evidence enough.