We all knew that there would be zero bipartisanship this Congress. We started the year with the government in a shutdown over border security. House Democrats retook the majority in 2018. They’re in no mood to play ball with the Trump White House. The fight is over a mere $5 billion for part of the border wall. Reportedly, Trump offered to re-open the government if he got some of the money. Democrats rejected it; they’re more concerned with scoring points. Yet, as the Democrats suit up for battle against the Trump presidency, their left flank could cause trouble as well. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) was the first to come out swinging, saying that they’re going to impeach the mother**ker, referring to Trump. Democrats were supposedly livid that Tlaib blurted this out. For weeks, top Democrats went on air saying downplaying the impeachment talk, and this happened. Frankly, it’s very possible that Democrats were made with Tlaib because she blew the non-surprising revelation that liberals want to remove Trump from office. And now, they’re trying to rein in Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who dropped a doozy, saying that it’s better to be morally right than factually correct. Well, good luck with that. She recently referenced Alan Moore’s Watchmen at the suggestion the party bigwigs are trying to tell her to tone it down.
“None of you understand. I'm not locked up in here with YOU. You're locked up in here with me,” she said on Twitter quoting the character Rorschach. Whatever you may think, she’s already shooting inside the ship. Folks, we may have the female version of Donald Trump (via Politico):
To quote Alan Moore: “None of you understand. I'm not locked up in here with YOU. You're locked up in here with ME.” ?? https://t.co/8TCmKNJlkD
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 11, 2019
Reporting out this story was super fascinating. Some Ds are afraid of @AOC & her massive twitter following, 2 compared her twitter use Trump's. One member who likes her told me he wants to give her advice but he's worried she will mean-tweet at him. https://t.co/0YMzebAGsO
— Rachael Bade (@rachaelmbade) January 11, 2019
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is already making enemies in the House Democratic Caucus — and some of its members are mounting an operation to bring the anti-establishment, democratic socialist with 2.2 million Twitter followers into the fold.
The effort, described by nearly 20 lawmakers and aides, is part carrot, part stick: Some lawmakers with ties to Ocasio-Cortez are hoping to coax her into using her star power to unite Democrats and turn her fire on Republicans. Others simultaneously warn Ocasio-Cortez is destined for a lonely, ineffectual career in Congress if she continues to treat her own party as the enemy.
“I’m sure Ms. Cortez means well, but there’s almost an outstanding rule: Don’t attack your own people,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.). “We just don’t need sniping in our Democratic Caucus.”
Incumbent Democrats are most annoyed by Ocasio-Cortez’s threat to back primary opponents against members of their ranks she deems too moderate. But their frustration goes beyond that: Democratic leaders are upset that she railed against their new set of House rules on Twitter the first week of the new Congress. Rank and file are peeved that there’s a grassroots movement to try to win her a top committee post they feel she doesn’t deserve.
Even some progressives who admire AOC, as she’s nicknamed, told POLITICO that they worry she’s not using her notoriety effectively.
[…]
Two House Democratic sources compared her use of Twitter to Donald Trump’s. Just as congressional Republicans constantly withhold criticism of the president out of fear he’ll unleash a tweet at them, some Democrats have done the same with Ocasio-Cortez.
“People are afraid of her,” said one senior Democratic aide.
We shall see how this turns out, but the fear of mean tweets, the grassroots energy, and all-around “come at me, bro” attitude Ocasio-Cortez channels is very much like the man in the Oval Office. The exception being that Trump’s agenda is about growing the economy, creating jobs, and protecting the border; AOC’s agenda is economic death. She could flame out. She could become a total pariah on the Hill. Whatever the case, I’m hoping she continues to give her own side heartburn..for now.
(H/T NTK Network)
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