The Democratic party is fighting amongst itself.
The latest round was between Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, (D-N.Y.), and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, (D-Calif.), and their public conflict was in the spotlight on July 10.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that the Speaker of the House is “outright disrespectful” and that she is singling out women of color for criticism.
The extreme left-wing freshman reacted to Pelosi’s recurrent endeavors to control some of the members of her caucus. Pelosi had criticized Reps. Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley for their focus on Twitter, reported the NY Post.
“All these people have their public whatever and their Twitter world,” Pelosi told the New York Times in a story published Sunday. “But they didn’t have any following. They’re four people and that’s how many votes they got.”
Ocasio-Cortez responded via Twitter “That public ‘whatever’ is called public sentiment. And wielding the power to shift it is how we actually achieve meaningful change in this country.”
That public “whatever” is called public sentiment.
And wielding the power to shift it is how we actually achieve meaningful change in this country. https://t.co/u6JtgwwRsk
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 7, 2019
“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.”
“When it comes to women of color in Congress, particularly the freshman, it’s that we both have encountered and represent communities that have been auctioned off and negotiated off for the last 20 years. And we’re over it,” Ocasio-Cortez during a Tuesday interview with The New Yorker Radio Hour.
Pelosi responded, saying that she recently addressed “at the request of my members” an “offensive tweet that came out of one of the member’s offices.” The tweet was authored and later deleted by Ocasio-Cortez’ chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti, according to Fox.
Pelosi said that “Our members took offense at that,” adding that her comments received a positive response.
Ocasio-Cortez accused Congress of taking advantage of women and minorities as “bargaining chips.”
“We see in these negotiations all the time—it’s like fighting for black communities or policies that help women. They’re bargaining chips. And they’re the first chips that are reached for in any legislative negotiations,” said Ocasio-Cortez.
Pelosi announced to House Democrats on Wednesday: “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.”
Rep. Ayanna Pressley did not engage in the public crossfire with Pelosi, but called her comments “demoralizing,” reported the NY Post.
“Thank God my mother gave me broad shoulders and a strong back. I can handle it. I’m not worried about me,” said Pressley to the NY Post. “I am worried about the signal that it sends to people I speak to and for, who sent me here with a mandate, and how it affects them.”
“I have no regrets about anything,” Pelosi said as she was leaving a caucus meeting on July 10, reported The Washington Post. “Regrets is not what I do.”
Asked @SpeakerPelosi: Any regrets your comments to @maureendowd may have created some disunity?
“No, I do not. Four people voted for the bill. That’s what I said. And no other people followed. I have no regrets about anything. Regrets is not what I do.”— Mike DeBonis (@mikedebonis) July 10, 2019
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway was amused by the event, saying on Tuesday that the dispute between Pelosi and the four female freshman Democrats was a “major meow moment” and “huge catfight.”
Kellyanne Conway mocks ‘huge catfight’ between Pelosi and AOC https://t.co/c0F18MNnj1 pic.twitter.com/LOI3txHRvf
— New York Post (@nypost) July 9, 2019
“Those four female Democrats that Nancy Pelosi is brushing back, I think they are all freshman members,” said Conway on Fox News.
“A major ‘meow moment’ brushing back in a huge catfight, really ridiculing them and they voted against the Democratic aid package.”
The four progressive freshman members of her party voted against the $4.6 billion border funding bill last month.
#HANNITY: The feud between AOC and Nancy Pelosi is heating up! @GOPLeader joins us next with more. Tune in now!https://t.co/B97DyO2wav
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 11, 2019