AOC has lost the vote for Oversight ranking member seat to Connelly, a 74 year old with cancer, on the committee where messaging matters most.
"Valuing seniority over political and messaging chops is exactly how Democrats got into this mess in the first place"
Angie Craig has won against two senior Dems including ailing member David Scott to take over the AG ranking member seat. This gives Dems their first Midwestern leadership member.
For whatever reason, Pelosi worked hard to swing votes for Gerry Connelly. Seems clear that she does not want AOC to rise into greater prominence, at least not yet.
I suspect it's less about AOC and more about Connolly. Pelosi has long been big on favoring seniority, and Connolly is a very standard establishment-oriented dem.
It's a clear mistake and a reminder of the kinds of mistakes dem officials keep making over and over again, but I don't think this one is made out of animosity towards AOC rather than favoritism towards Connolly.
I have to say - I've turned into a pretty big AOC fan. We decidedly do NOT come from the same wings of the party, but she has clearly taken her job very seriously and has worked to turn herself from a showhorse into a workhorse and someone who understands how to get stuff done. I'd like to see her in leadership at some point.
AOC is the only person in The Squad that I really like. I can gladly do without Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar. Don’t know enough to have an opinion about Pressley.
But, yeah, all too many Squad members were/are showhorses. Ocasio-Cortez is genuinely interested in doing the work. Time and again she has impressed me.
Pressley, like AOC, seems solidly credible, and a potential statewide contender.
Of the others, Bush and Bowman are of course on their way out; Omar effectively discredited herself early on to many, and while she's been quieter or more careful about what she says lately she's probably ruined any chances for advancement; and it's hard to discuss Tlaib here given her identification with The Forbidden Issue (I understand her stance especially given her personal heritage, but her loud showboating really isn't needed or helpful)
I can't think of her saying anything particularly controversial (same for AOC recently). I think she fits in the "Squad" mainly because of how she first came to Congress: just like AOC the same year, she's a younger woman of colour who primaried out an older White male incumbent.
Seems to me that if you've missed a certain amount of votes based on a ongoing health issue, that you should consider whether a leadership position is a good investment of your time and service to the party and America. IIRC, Connelly has missed a lot of time. He need not resign from Congress, but the party needs strong ranking member positions.
I agree with your point generally but I think Pelosi and Connelly may know more about his health situation than we do and if he's on the mend and able to commit to a full time schedule in the next month or two it's probably fine. I'd have voted for AOC but there's nothing wrong with Connelly.
Is Craig the first openly-LGBTQIA+ party leader on a Congressional committee? I don't recall there ever being one previously.
Also, it's astounding that a soon-to-be third-term House member who has virtually zero ties to the Democratic establishment/leadership got over 80 votes for a committee ranking member post. AOC has such a deep cult of personality that even a lot of other progressives don't have.
AOC has lost the vote for Oversight ranking member seat to Connelly, a 74 year old with cancer, on the committee where messaging matters most.
"Valuing seniority over political and messaging chops is exactly how Democrats got into this mess in the first place"
Angie Craig has won against two senior Dems including ailing member David Scott to take over the AG ranking member seat. This gives Dems their first Midwestern leadership member.
For whatever reason, Pelosi worked hard to swing votes for Gerry Connelly. Seems clear that she does not want AOC to rise into greater prominence, at least not yet.
I suspect it's less about AOC and more about Connolly. Pelosi has long been big on favoring seniority, and Connolly is a very standard establishment-oriented dem.
It's a clear mistake and a reminder of the kinds of mistakes dem officials keep making over and over again, but I don't think this one is made out of animosity towards AOC rather than favoritism towards Connolly.
I have to say - I've turned into a pretty big AOC fan. We decidedly do NOT come from the same wings of the party, but she has clearly taken her job very seriously and has worked to turn herself from a showhorse into a workhorse and someone who understands how to get stuff done. I'd like to see her in leadership at some point.
Her and Ayanna Presley both have shown a lot of growth and savvy in their evolution since 2018 into workhorse progressive legislators
AOC is the only person in The Squad that I really like. I can gladly do without Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar. Don’t know enough to have an opinion about Pressley.
But, yeah, all too many Squad members were/are showhorses. Ocasio-Cortez is genuinely interested in doing the work. Time and again she has impressed me.
Pressley, like AOC, seems solidly credible, and a potential statewide contender.
Of the others, Bush and Bowman are of course on their way out; Omar effectively discredited herself early on to many, and while she's been quieter or more careful about what she says lately she's probably ruined any chances for advancement; and it's hard to discuss Tlaib here given her identification with The Forbidden Issue (I understand her stance especially given her personal heritage, but her loud showboating really isn't needed or helpful)
Isn't Pressley the least radical/most moderate member of the Squad? Can you think of anything particularly controversial she's said?
I can't think of her saying anything particularly controversial (same for AOC recently). I think she fits in the "Squad" mainly because of how she first came to Congress: just like AOC the same year, she's a younger woman of colour who primaried out an older White male incumbent.
I also think she's quite progressive, just not someone who sounds extreme or very radical.
Seems to me that if you've missed a certain amount of votes based on a ongoing health issue, that you should consider whether a leadership position is a good investment of your time and service to the party and America. IIRC, Connelly has missed a lot of time. He need not resign from Congress, but the party needs strong ranking member positions.
I agree with your point generally but I think Pelosi and Connelly may know more about his health situation than we do and if he's on the mend and able to commit to a full time schedule in the next month or two it's probably fine. I'd have voted for AOC but there's nothing wrong with Connelly.
Very glad to hear about the geographic diversity.
Is Craig the first openly-LGBTQIA+ party leader on a Congressional committee? I don't recall there ever being one previously.
Also, it's astounding that a soon-to-be third-term House member who has virtually zero ties to the Democratic establishment/leadership got over 80 votes for a committee ranking member post. AOC has such a deep cult of personality that even a lot of other progressives don't have.
4th term.
I stand corrected.