Can you say Democrat Civil War? We've seen it a lot these days, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) leading the progressives forces into battle against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She's long been critical of Pelosi's agenda, most recently slamming the speaker for refusing to consider some amendments to a Republican-led immigration bill. She even accused Pelosi of silencing minority lawmakers in her quest for compromise.
AOC's antics have irked some senior Democrats who've established good working relationships with the speaker over the years. Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO) was among them, telling Ocasio-Cortez that she and her staff were doing little but demonstrating their "ignorance."
President Trump surprisingly defended Pelosi on Friday, telling Ocasio-Cortez how "disrespectful" she's being toward the veteran Democrat. But, I suspect he's really enjoying this.
Clay is perhaps peeved with AOC for another reason. He appears to be one of the targets that Justice Democrats wants to unseat in next year's elections. Justice Democrats is the progressive group who helped boost Ocasio-Cortez's profile and defeat incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley last year. Clay is apparently one of several black lawmakers on the group's list, along with Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries.
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus spoke out about it.
“It just seems strange that the social Democrats seem to be targeting members of the Congressional Black Caucus, individuals who have stood and fought to make sure that African Americans are included and part of this process,” Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), a senior CBC member, told The Hill.
“I don’t know what that agenda is, but if they want to come after members of the Black Caucus, it’s two ways.” (The Hill)
The Justice Democrats are the "Russian trolls of 2016," according to Clay.