As the various battles between sane Democrats, establishment Democrats and their emerging Ocasio-Cortez-led socialistic wing heat up, one thing is for sure:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA) has got more political muscle than the lot of them, and she’s not afraid to use it.
The USA Today recently interviewed Pelosi on how she’s managing the House Democratic stable in the midst of their intra-party turmoil. Her answer, in part, was to tweak AOC – without mentioning her by name:
Democrats in competitive districts run as far as they can from the socialist label. They want to focus on what they campaigned on: lowering health care costs, bolstering infrastructure and spurring jobs growth. They are willing to work with Republicans. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., who co-chairs the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, said that in divided government, “the key is actually moving the ball forward, which requires us working with both sides.”
Pelosi is trying to bridge those viewpoints. In a nod to each wing of the party, she said Democrats should fight for the “boldest common denominator.”
“While there are people who have a large number of Twitter followers, what’s important is that we have large numbers of votes on the floor of the House,” Pelosi said. Ocasio-Cortez has almost 4 million followers on Twitter.
When USA TODAY asked how more liberal members responded when she told them they needed legislation that could pass, she responded, “They’re fine.”
“As I say to my own district, ‘You go out and elect 218 people, just like San Francisco, then we can talk,’ ” she said.
CNN points out this isn’t her first public dig at Ocasio-Cortez since the freshman Congresswoman was sworn in:
Pelosi’s not-so-subtle shot at AOC isn’t an isolated event either. In February, she was asked about the “Green New Deal,” a sweeping legislative proposal that Ocasio-Cortez has been closely aligned with that aims to address the challenges of climate change. “It will be one of several or maybe many suggestions that we receive,” Pelosi said dismissively. “The green dream, or whatever they call it, nobody knows what it is, but they’re for it, right?”
I’m not a fan of either of them, but I’m all for Pelosi continuing to do this. When Ocasio-Cortez feels slighted, she goes on wild Twitter rantsthat further expose her unhinged, erratic nature. Plus, people get a birds-eye view of just how outside of the mainstream she actually is.
So by all means, Madame Speaker – please keep it up.
Via RedState
