Octopus Overlords

malchior wrote: ↑Fri Dec 18, 2020 2:20 pm

El Guapo wrote: ↑Fri Dec 18, 2020 1:13 pmAs a federal employee I am prohibited from inviting people to donate to any particular candidate, even in my private capacity and on my own time. Which seems of dubious constitutionality to me.

According to Citizen United...yeah it is in question. Do I think that government employees can truly separate their public/private dealings in a material matter in front of them that doesn't taint institutions? No I don't think so. I think it's a necessary tradeoff to have limited restrictions.

Ocasio-Cortez was expected to cruise comfortably to the position. She was the first to raise her hand for the seat, and she won the backing of dean of the New York delegation Rep. Jerry Nadler. But last week, as Politico reported, Long Islander Kathleen Rice made an out-of-nowhere, last-second bid for the seat, interrupting the process. Rep. Rice is a backbencher from the party’s right flank who, in 2018, refused to support Nancy Pelosi for Speaker. Without the support of Nadler, and with the famous opposition of Steering Committee leader Pelosi, Rice’s attempt didn’t seem to be serious.

But in a surprise, last-second Steering Committee meeting on exclusive committee assignments Thursday, which was scheduled at 10 p.m. the night before, centrist Democrats put on a show of support for Rice and against AOC, in what looks to have been a process-defying attempt to keep AOC out of the seat. Fellow New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries came out in support of Rice, contra Nadler, as did Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Stephanie Murphy (D-FL).

Most vocal in his opposition to Ocasio-Cortez’s candidacy was Texas’s Henry Cuellar, the caucus’s most conservative member. After Ocasio-Cortez was nominated and seconded, Cuellar opposed, commenting: “I’m taking into account who pays their dues and who doesn’t work against other members whether in primaries or in other contexts,” according to a source with knowledge of the meeting. After Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) called for a vote on the two candidates came an unusual outcome: Rice crushed AOC 46-13.

A similar situation existed with the Energy and Commerce Committee seat vacated by incoming New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Lujan. That seat was expected to go to progressive Texan Sylvia Garcia, but was contested by her moderate colleague from Texas, Lizzie Fletcher. Garcia, the other priority for progressives in Energy and Commerce, was left off the slate without even a vote. Fletcher, who has a troubling track record on unions, got endorsed by Pelosi. The Texas AFL-CIO famously came out against Fletcher’s candidacy for Congress, and declined to endorse her even against a Republican incumbent.

The result is both a resounding and surprising defeat for progressives, who just days ago had no reason to believe both Ocasio-Cortez and Garcia would be left off the committee, or even that this would be settled this week.

malchior wrote: ↑Fri Dec 18, 2020 6:36 pm In actual AOC news - centrist Democrat's band together to attempt to block her from a committee seat.

Progressive meltdown incoming.

Ocasio-Cortez was expected to cruise comfortably to the position. She was the first to raise her hand for the seat, and she won the backing of dean of the New York delegation Rep. Jerry Nadler. But last week, as Politico reported, Long Islander Kathleen Rice made an out-of-nowhere, last-second bid for the seat, interrupting the process. Rep. Rice is a backbencher from the party’s right flank who, in 2018, refused to support Nancy Pelosi for Speaker. Without the support of Nadler, and with the famous opposition of Steering Committee leader Pelosi, Rice’s attempt didn’t seem to be serious.

But in a surprise, last-second Steering Committee meeting on exclusive committee assignments Thursday, which was scheduled at 10 p.m. the night before, centrist Democrats put on a show of support for Rice and against AOC, in what looks to have been a process-defying attempt to keep AOC out of the seat. Fellow New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries came out in support of Rice, contra Nadler, as did Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Stephanie Murphy (D-FL).

Most vocal in his opposition to Ocasio-Cortez’s candidacy was Texas’s Henry Cuellar, the caucus’s most conservative member. After Ocasio-Cortez was nominated and seconded, Cuellar opposed, commenting: “I’m taking into account who pays their dues and who doesn’t work against other members whether in primaries or in other contexts,” according to a source with knowledge of the meeting. After Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) called for a vote on the two candidates came an unusual outcome: Rice crushed AOC 46-13.

A similar situation existed with the Energy and Commerce Committee seat vacated by incoming New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Lujan. That seat was expected to go to progressive Texan Sylvia Garcia, but was contested by her moderate colleague from Texas, Lizzie Fletcher. Garcia, the other priority for progressives in Energy and Commerce, was left off the slate without even a vote. Fletcher, who has a troubling track record on unions, got endorsed by Pelosi. The Texas AFL-CIO famously came out against Fletcher’s candidacy for Congress, and declined to endorse her even against a Republican incumbent.

The result is both a resounding and surprising defeat for progressives, who just days ago had no reason to believe both Ocasio-Cortez and Garcia would be left off the committee, or even that this would be settled this week.

Smoove_B wrote:Yeah, no good is going to come of this. They're setting up lines in the sand and making it very clear the older, conservative (D) members are still in charge thank you very much. Its these types of visible cracks that will be exploited early and often.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Fri Dec 18, 2020 7:00 pmThey're setting up lines in the sand and making it very clear the older, conservative (D) members are still in charge thank you very much.

Little Raven wrote: ↑Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:53 pm

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Fri Dec 18, 2020 7:00 pmThey're setting up lines in the sand and making it very clear the older, conservative (D) members are still in charge thank you very much.

I'm not sure that's it. Rice did not support Pelosi for Speaker, and Pelosi did not support Rice for this committee. And yet AOC was absolutely blown out - 46 -13.

That's not a sign that the older Democrats are still in charge. That's a sign that AOC is incredibly unpopular in her own party. Like, fantastically so.

malchior wrote: ↑Sat Dec 19, 2020 12:23 amAnd those people she is unpopular with who would have a say over committee positions are...

$iljanus wrote: ↑Sat Dec 19, 2020 12:12 pm People may not like the terms and phrases being thrown around but I think the vast majority of people would like better access to health care, a more equitable justice system, a better social safety net so the next pandemic doesn't lead to miles long food lines, and a planet not approaching the surface temperature of Venus.

The "old guard" had a long time to address all these issues. You can make the terminology more friendly to the conservative leaning voters and the experience of the older legislators isn't something to ignore. But the so called centrists need to get on the bandwagon or get consigned to irrelevance, especially as the younger generations start to exercise their political power at the voting booth while the Boomers finally die off. There needs to be some middle ground for people to come together.

$iljanus wrote: ↑Sat Dec 19, 2020 12:12 pm People may not like the terms and phrases being thrown around but I think the vast majority of people would like better access to health care, a more equitable justice system, a better social safety net so the next pandemic doesn't lead to miles long food lines, and a planet not approaching the surface temperature of Venus.

The "old guard" had a long time to address all these issues. You can make the terminology more friendly to the conservative leaning voters and the experience of the older legislators isn't something to ignore. But the so called centrists need to get on the bandwagon or get consigned to irrelevance, especially as the younger generations start to exercise their political power at the voting booth while the Boomers finally die off. There needs to be some middle ground for people to come together.

$iljanus wrote: ↑Sat Dec 19, 2020 12:12 pm People may not like the terms and phrases being thrown around but I think the vast majority of people would like better access to health care, a more equitable justice system, a better social safety net so the next pandemic doesn't lead to miles long food lines, and a planet not approaching the surface temperature of Venus.

The "old guard" had a long time to address all these issues. You can make the terminology more friendly to the conservative leaning voters and the experience of the older legislators isn't something to ignore. But the so called centrists need to get on the bandwagon or get consigned to irrelevance, especially as the younger generations start to exercise their political power at the voting booth while the Boomers finally die off. There needs to be some middle ground for people to come together.

GOP: “We can’t do $1200 checks. That’s irresponsible. Think of the deficit.”

Also GOP: “As part of a COVID deal we are allocating $1.4 billion to build a xenophobic campaign stunt wall that falls down in the wind even though we promised voters other countries would pay for it.”

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Mon Dec 21, 2020 8:27 pm I mean, when she's right...

GOP: “We can’t do $1200 checks. That’s irresponsible. Think of the deficit.”

Also GOP: “As part of a COVID deal we are allocating $1.4 billion to build a xenophobic campaign stunt wall that falls down in the wind even though we promised voters other countries would pay for it.”

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Mon Dec 21, 2020 8:59 pm Go Dems! Squabble away the country.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Mon Dec 21, 2020 8:27 pm I mean, when she's right...

GOP: “We can’t do $1200 checks. That’s irresponsible. Think of the deficit.”

Also GOP: “As part of a COVID deal we are allocating $1.4 billion to build a xenophobic campaign stunt wall that falls down in the wind even though we promised voters other countries would pay for it.”

And when snappy tweets are enshrined in law she'll be doing her job!

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:07 pm and isn't constantly lobbying for money.

Max Peck wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 6:01 am Since Trump was able to divert other money, like military budget, to The Wall, won't Biden be able to divert that $1.4B to something more useful come Jan 20?

Defiant wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 1:17 am

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:07 pm and isn't constantly lobbying for money.

Probably because she's a celebrity that can raise tons of money without much effort - at $18.9 million, she raised the sixth highest total out of any Representative in the House in 2020.

Paingod wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 8:19 am
Should we be upset that someone wanting to upset the entrenched political mentality who works to be relatable to everyday citizens is all it takes to make them a "celebrity" ... ? I appreciate that there are a few people with passion in politics. Most of them just have agendas and sponsors.

Defiant wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 10:13 am

Paingod wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 8:19 am
Should we be upset that someone wanting to upset the entrenched political mentality who works to be relatable to everyday citizens is all it takes to make them a "celebrity" ... ? I appreciate that there are a few people with passion in politics. Most of them just have agendas and sponsors.

I don't see her in as positive light as you do (my views on her are mixed - with some positive and some negative), but it explains *why* she doesn't need to lobby for money. Many other representatives don't have the luxury of being able to easily raise that kind of money and the freedom it brings.

(Although one wonders if she needs to raise that much money given that neither her primary nor general election were at all competitive)

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:07 pm

She does her job well. She is constantly prepared, helps her constituents, and isn't constantly lobbying for money. We should all be so lucky (I do like my rep though, he - Jared Huffman - is very, very strong with regards to environmental issues and Bay Area advocacy.

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 10:33 am

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:07 pm

She does her job well. She is constantly prepared, helps her constituents, and isn't constantly lobbying for money. We should all be so lucky (I do like my rep though, he - Jared Huffman - is very, very strong with regards to environmental issues and Bay Area advocacy.

How does she help her constituents if she not making laws on their behalf? I get the going the extra mile for individual cases but that's not her primary job. And she isn't constantly on fundraising tours because, like Defiant said, the money pours in. She can raise $1M by playing Among Us for an hour.

I'm not saying she can't be a great politician. In fact, she's on the path. But she's more bark than bite at this point and it seems like she's putting all her eggs in the progressive takeover basket. If it works, she's in great shape. If not, though, she's screwed and effectively locked out. Taking a less risky (less confrontational) approach would probably be better for her and her constituents, and ultimately the country. I see having her at the table with he benefit of a bit more experience to be a good thing.

In late November, AOC’s campaign formally launched a virtual Homework Helpers Program following a seven week-long pilot that involved around 100 students from a community in the Bronx.

Initially, about 500 volunteer tutors signed up to take part.

The latest addition to the program involves educators and volunteers from across the nation, who will provide students living in AOC’s 14th congressional district with one hour of free virtual homework help per week.

A variety of languages are in high demand. Spanish, Bangla, Urdu, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, French, and Kru are just some of the languages spoken in her district.

According to Team AOC, volunteers are supported and trained by experienced educators. Amid recent additional school closures, her team had an initial goal of serving 1,000 students for the 2020-2021 school year.

They got way more than that.

“Our Homework Helpers program is off to a roaring start! I can’t thank you all enough.

Our call for volunteer tutors to help families w/ remote learning yielded *11,000* volunteers!

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Monday wouldn’t rule out challenging U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in a primary battle for his seat.

“I’m still very much in a place where I’m trying to decide what is the most effective thing I can do,” Ocasio-Cortez (D-Queens, Bronx) told Punchbowl News.

The firebrand progressive insisted that she isn’t just blowing smoke about a titanic challenge to the Senate minority leader in 2022.

“I’m a no bulls--t kind of person. I’m not playing coy or anything like that,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

Ocasio-Cortez is a social media powerhouse and a fund-raising juggernaut. But most insiders believe she would face formidable odds taking on Schumer, a legendary force in New York politics, who, depending on the results of Georgia runoff elections Tuesday, could displace Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Kraken wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 7:43 pm She speaks truth...as usual.

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:15 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 7:43 pm She speaks truth...as usual.

Truth, yes, but nothing new. It's like the Cliff's Notes of OO R&P.

Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 11:23 pm That's encouraging. There have been several recent positive studies regarding psilocybin and MDMA vs. depression and PTSD. We need more such trials.

The Phase 1 [DMT] clinical trial has received all necessary regulatory approvals in Switzerland and subject enrollment has been initiated.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) did not rule out challenging Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) when asked during a recent interview if she will launch a primary bid for his seat.

CNN’s Dana Bash asked Ocasio-Cortez, the two-term congresswoman representing the Bronx and a leading member of the progressive wing of the party, if she will challenge Schumer in a primary race in the future.

Schumer is up for reelection in 2022, and speculation has swirled for years around whether the 31-year-old firebrand will take on her party's Senate leader. Schumer has represented the Empire State in the upper chamber since 1999.

“I know it drives everybody nuts, but the way that I really feel about this and the way that I really approach my politics and my political career is that I do not look at things and I do not set my course positionally,” Ocasio-Cortez told CNN during an interview that was conducted in late June but is set to air in full on Monday as part of CNN’s new series “Being.”

“And I know there's a lot of people who do not believe that, but I really, I can't operate the way that I operate and do the things that I do in politics while trying to be, aspiring to other things or calculating to other things,” she added.

The representative said the decisions she makes are based on her community’s needs before adding, “I’m not commenting on that.”