AOC : Pelosi Explicitly Singled Out Newly Elected Women of Color
[guest post by Dana]
Earlier this week, I posted about the claws coming out in the not-so-private rift between Nancy Pelosi and the progressive wing of the Party – specifically ‘the Squad’. Today, Pelosi took off the gloves in an effort get her caucus back in line:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi admonished Democrats for personally attacking one another, warning in a closed-door meeting Wednesday that the party’s fracturing was jeopardizing its majority.
Without naming names, her target was clear: the four liberal freshman known as “the Squad.”
“You got a complaint? You come and talk to me about it. But do not tweet about our members and expect us to think that that is just okay,” Pelosi (D-Calif.) told Democrats.
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.
The four are struggling with the speaker’s moves to isolate them in recent weeks, according to interviews with the lawmakers, congressional aides and allies. Pelosi has made at least half-dozen remarks dismissing the group or their far-left proposals on the environment and health care. More recently she scorned their lonely opposition to the party’s emergency border bill last month.
And she defended those comments Wednesday, saying, “I have no regrets about anything. Regrets is not what I do,” doubling down on her claim that the group has little power in the House.
According to the report, the newbies aren’t sure about how to navigate the tough finesse that is the leadership of Nancy Pelosi. But one member of the Squad pushed back publicly, using the traditional go-to move of Democrats:
“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,” Ocasio-Cortez told The Washington Post. “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.”
The four women are trying to figure out how to respond, texting one another and weighing whether to confront Pelosi to ask her to stop. But for now, they are focused on their congressional duties, even as they defend their votes in the House that have drawn Pelosi’s ire.
“Thank God my mother gave me broad shoulders and a strong back. I can handle it. I’m not worried about me,” said Pressley, who called Pelosi’s comments “demoralizing.”
It’s incredible to think that, in the lead-up to the next Democratic debate and a major election in the offing, the Democrats are in such disarray that one of their members has suggested that Pelosi behaved like, well, like a….racist. This is likely unfamiliar terrain for Pelosi to navigate too, given that she has been accused by a newly elected progressive with 4.7 million Twitter followers, and whose every word makes the news. The public spectacle of the old power trying to hold the line while the young, new power struggles for its turn couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time for Democrats. One thing is for sure: The new progressive wing of the Party needs to learn that “there’s a big difference between being an advocate and being a legislator.”
–Dana
I really didn’t see it playing out this way. But no matter, I’m here for it!
Dana (bb0678) — 7/10/2019 @ 7:56 pmHere is what Pelosi knows:
Any attempt to impeach Trump will fail. All those new Democrat reps that won in purple districts in 2018 will have to vote NO, or be assuredly defeated in 2020. And even than their chances will be diminished.
Any vote to pass AOC’s dictatorial New Green Deal will lose the Democrats all those new seats and quite a few old seats.
Of course, that’s not going to stop AOC in her mission to unseat Pelosi, if not become Speaker herself.
Kevin M (21ca15) — 7/10/2019 @ 8:08 pm*then
Kevin M (21ca15) — 7/10/2019 @ 8:08 pmMeow!
If there was a kiddie pool full of jello for this wrestling match, they could sell tickets and Trump would attend!
Trump/Haley 2020 for the win.
Place your bets.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 7/10/2019 @ 8:10 pmPelosi can be old, white, and not racist when talking about a dumb person who happens to not be an old white lady.
Dumb is color blind.
Colonel Klink (Ret) (6e7a1c) — 7/10/2019 @ 8:17 pmPelosi is focused on the long-term big picture. She understands how things work on D.C. and how it impacts everyone down the line. AOC isn’t focused on the long-term big picture because she can’t even see it. Her focus is only on the instant gratifications for herself and her friends.
Dana (bb0678) — 7/10/2019 @ 8:18 pmGotta say, I’d love to see Trump jump right on in to the middle of this scuffle.
Dana (bb0678) — 7/10/2019 @ 8:20 pmThose four females of color put themselves forward, and the media was happy to make them the face of the party.
Kishnevi (836963) — 7/10/2019 @ 8:26 pmWhether they fall into line behind Pelosi or go into schism, Trump benefits: all the same people who spurned Hillary as too centrist/too corporatist and didn’t vote for her in 2016 will have no inclination to vote for anyone who is not as far left as these four women.
Women Of Choler.
nk (dbc370) — 7/10/2019 @ 8:30 pmClassic, that AOC is throwing down the race card on the Speaker of the House, a woman in her own political party. The young House member should watch Episode 2 of Season 2 of Yellowstone. Ocasio-Cortez rightfully fits the obnoxious student and Ms. Pelosi is the instructor:
Pelosi can remove Ms. Ocasio-Cortez from committee assignments or demote her for her loud mouth. Pelosi rightfully called out her freshman colleague because she was being a twat, and a person can be a twat regardless of melanin content.
Paul Montagu (fc91e5) — 7/10/2019 @ 8:32 pmStepping up as big sister:
Narciso (31d00b) — 7/10/2019 @ 8:32 pmhttps://mobile.twitter.com/Heminator/status/1149100073839661057
It’s weird, you know, because usually your great-aunt is very tolerant of your foolishness. But I guess our Aunt Nancy is getting a bit tired of our adorably clueless niece and her little mean girl squad, so this is going to cause a fissure.
Everyone tells us that we nasty right-wingers spend too much time obsessing over our dear misguided sobrina, but how can anyone deny that she garners media attention way beyond what we would expect given her status as a freshman — er, freshwoman — er, first-year legislator? I would be interested in seeing a comparison about how much space she has garnered in the MSM since the new Congressional session started as opposed to her tiá abuela Nancy.
JVW (54fd0b) — 7/10/2019 @ 8:54 pmGotta say, I’d love to see Trump jump right on in to the middle of this scuffle.
“Now ladies, let’s not cluck so much in the henhouse.”
JVW (54fd0b) — 7/10/2019 @ 8:58 pmOf her squad, she’s the least. Of the new freshman, she’s also bottom of the barrel. That she gets instafacetweettube better than the others there is no doubt, but that skill has little other value. It will get you the presidency though.
Colonel Klink (Ret) (6e7a1c) — 7/10/2019 @ 8:59 pmI think the squad is secretly on Trump’s payroll.
Patricia (3363ec) — 7/10/2019 @ 9:09 pm“Any vote to pass AOC’s dictatorial New Green Deal will lose the Democrats all those new seats and quite a few old seats.”
Get it right: Green Nude Eel.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 7/10/2019 @ 9:48 pmNot sure which is more fascinating, the Democrats who spread unreasoned and delusional smears to fire up an ignorant base not realizing sooner or later the same base would be turning on them…..or the huge amount of people of color still not realizing that the Dems have played them for decades and they have nothing to show for it.
harkin (b7bcc1) — 7/10/2019 @ 10:14 pmThe Democratic party’s spasms this election cycle are amazing to watch. My mother has never voted Republican and absolutely loathes Trump but has said she would be unable to vote for anyone putting forward the kind of trash these folks are peddling.
Soronel Haetir (e15932) — 7/10/2019 @ 10:27 pm@9. All About Eve comes to mind; bumpy nights ahead.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 7/10/2019 @ 11:15 pm@17. What’s truly fascinating is watching defeat get snatched from the jaws of victory. Unless, of course, Oprah runs.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 7/11/2019 @ 1:00 amhttp://www.wtj.com/articles/kamikaze/img_kamikaze_falling.jpg
mg (8cbc69) — 7/11/2019 @ 3:14 amA direct hit is a start.
More disgusting than anything is the fact 140 GOP POS voted to outsource jobs to Indians, with all these college bills youngsters have, why would they take jobs away from AMERICANS?
mg (8cbc69) — 7/11/2019 @ 3:23 amanswer- these putrid republicans are bought and paid for commies for the chamber of commerce dolts. This is a Paul Ryan rerun. With K. Harris leading the way in the senate, if it passes, it will be interesting to see if Trump has the balls to veto this nonsense.
mg, maybe that’s what got Pence sent to the principal’s office and barred from going to the New Hampshire trip.
urbanleftbehind (70cb47) — 7/11/2019 @ 4:57 amThe possum Senate suggests to me that emperor claudius was right, suetonius and tacitus were senators, btw, they conjured a secure act, which might as well be dubbed ‘gird your loins’
Narciso (31d00b) — 7/11/2019 @ 6:29 am