AOC to Pelosi: "No one gets to complain about primary challenges again."

[BeyondGeography]

Washington (CNN)House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has endorsed Rep. Joe Kennedy in his effort to unseat Sen. Ed Markey in an upcoming Massachusetts Senate Democratic primary. The move puts the California Democrat squarely in the middle of a closely-watched fight and could deliver a boost to Kennedy ahead of the September 1 primary election where he is challenging Markey, who served alongside Pelosi for decades as a member of the House of Representatives.

...A Kennedy has never lost Massachusetts. But Markey, 74, has countered the shine of the Kennedy name by projecting the power of some of the party's stars, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who have fundraised for the senator. Progressives, who have spent the last five years on the attack, trying to win seats from moderate incumbents in the House, have put their full weight behind Markey's campaign, and view the defense of his seat as one of their most important fights of the cycle.

... Progressives -- including Ocasio-Cortez -- reacted to the news with frustration. Party leadership has been aggressive in seeking to defend its incumbents against primary challengers, but Pelosi's endorsement, they argued, came in defiance of that rule. "No one gets to complain about primary challenges again," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, punctuating the sentence with a happy emoji, before addressing the House Democratic campaign arm. "When can we expect you to reverse your blacklist policy against primary orgs?," she asked. "Because between this & lack of care around @IlhanMN's challenger, it seems like less a policy and more a cherry-picking activity."

...Justice Democrats, the group that has drawn Pelosi's ire for launching and supporting progressive primary campaigns against members of her caucus, accused the Speaker of hypocrisy and "using her power to undermine the next generation of Democratic voters and the progressive champions we choose to believe in. For two years, Democratic Party leadership has endorsed incumbents over progressive primary challengers claiming it is their policy to always back incumbents -- even when the incumbent was anti-choice and endorsed by the NRA," Justice Democrats executive director Alexandra Rojas said.

More at https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/20/politics/pelosi-kennedy-endorsement-massachusetts-senate-race/index.html

Link to tweet

[JI7]

1. lol

[efhmc]

2. Beginning to like AOC less and less.

[Initech]

92. I'm getting really sick of purity tests.

The republicans win time and time again because they have a unifying message and a 24/7 propaganda network with which to amplify that unifying message. Us, we're fighting over X candidate passes the purity test over Y candidate. It's a popularity contest, and I hate popularity contests.

[PTWB]

108. Why?

[RhodeIslandOne]

123. Sorry, she's right on this one

Nancy did not follow her own rule of thumb (I don’t care that this is a Senate primary). I assumed Madam Speaker would have shown respect to a thirty year house colleague.

[Raine]

128. I like her even more. 👍 nt

[rgbecker]

136. +1

[LisaM]

3. Ugh.

I dither between liking her and getting enormously frustrated by her. She's so talented and charismatic, then she seems to twist the knife in my back.

The Kennedys have done a lot for the Democratic party; I have no issue with endorsing any of them. AOC at times seems to want to undermine the party.

History will tell whether she becomes another Pelosi, but those are big shoes to fill.

[Trumpocalypse]

5. She does have a point

The DCCC made a big deal about elected Dems endorsing primary challengers. AOC endorsed Markey. I was really surprised that Pelosi broke ranks to endorse Kennedy.

[lagomorph777]

7. +1

[enough]

19. Yes. NT

[jayfish]

34. 3rd.

I think the problem here is timing. This could have waited.

[TheFarseer]

102. What would have been the right time?

After Pelosi already got her way on everything?

[jayfish]

105. When Joe Biden Takes Office. -NT-

[Duncan Grant]

55. +1

[George II]

76. She also endorsed Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman

[Trumpocalypse]

83. So?

[RhodeIslandOne]

124. She's not applying a "no endorsing non incumbents" to anyone

Madam Speaker is.

[George II]

131. There isn't a "no endorsing non-incumbents" rule. She's got it incorrect.

[W_HAMILTON]

80. No, she doesn't.

The DCCC is the official campaign arm of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, which means that it supports Democrats currently serving in the House of Representatives (or certain Democratic House candidates, if they are challenging Republican-held seats).

[Trumpocalypse]

88. Yes she does.

[W_HAMILTON]

95. Feel free to explain how then.

Because I explained exactly why she doesn't.

[Trumpocalypse]

97. Your explanation was BS

[BannonsLiver]

8. On your last sentence

I’m going to put my money on “not going to happen.”

I’ve seen many posters say she is a stone cold lock to be President someday. That seems unlikely. Nothing is promised anyway.

[octoberlib]

89. I live in a purple state. She's not.

[Tarheel_Dem]

129. I live in NC, and AOC may be popular in the bluest of the blue districts, but she has become as....

polarizing as Michelle Bachmann. I don't see her moving much beyond where she is right now.

[qazplm135]

27. I'm not enamored of her but she's pretty much right

you can't complain about progressives challenging incumbents because of a rule that we don't primary incumbents, then turn around and endorse a primary challenger to a progressive incumbent.

It's hypocritical, and it's, in fact, game on.

Pelosi would have done better to sit this one out IMO.

[SharonClark]

71. Agree.

[Nay]

84. I love AOC and she is exactly right about this. nt

[Proud Liberal Dem]

90. I feel the same way

I love how she takes it to the Republicans but then get annoyed when she starts publicly attacking Democratic Party in general whenever there are internal party disagreements. It's sort of how I feel about Bernie.

[question everything]

93. So you will endorse and vote for "a Kennedy" just because of the name?

This is the first time, and perhaps last, that I agree with AOC. Who, exactly, is "undermining the party" be endorsing a challenger to a well known and respected incumbent?

[JI7]

4. She should Challenge Schumer in the next Senate election

[Trumpocalypse]

6. She'll lose

She won't play well upstate. She should run for NYC Mayor next year.

[empedocles]

14. Won't play well most of NY. Plays quite well to fox

[RhodeIslandOne]

127. Schumer will almost certainly endorse Markey though

If he hasn’t already.

[BamaRefugee]

9. I can't see a reason to not like AOC because of this, she's speaking truth, why is that a problem?

I'm a Californian, so it doesn't matter to me, both candidates seem great, but AOC does have a point here.

[Autumn]

11. I was very surprised that Nancy did that.

[NurseJackie]

15. So am I... and I'm so pleased that she did. I trust Nancy. She knows what she's doing.

She's doing the right thing, AND she's sending a message.

[Autumn]

20. Considering her ire at other people primarying Democrats it seems rather off. I will say you are

right about at least one thing Jackie. It does send a message.

[NurseJackie]

24. And I'll bet the message is being received loud and clear.

She's the QUEEN BEE and nobody wants to fuck with Nancy unless they're looking to be stung!

Nancy Rocks!

[qazplm135]

28. We do too much hero worship

some for Pelosi, some for AOC, or others.

It's not particularly useful.

[NurseJackie]

47. Nancy knows what she's doing. My confidence in her is far from "Hero Worship"...

We do too much hero worship

Oh, good lord. You know perfectly well that my confidence in her is far from "Hero Worship". And it's a rather obvious backhanded insult directed toward me as well. Why?

Using that particular phrase indicates a passive-aggressive hostility, or some other belief that someone like Pelosi is somehow undeserving of the approval and accolades that she receives. Or, that those who do respect her lack the ability to make rational decisions or judgement calls.

Here's the thing... Nancy knows what she's doing. Nancy Pelosi has EARNED my respect and admiration with her accomplishments and her cool head. She's patient and methodical. She's loyal to our party. She's put in the time and that's why she's where she is today.

[qazplm135]

57. your approach in this thread

goes well beyond respect and admiration.

She's a great...human being. Which means capable of making mistakes. Your approach is, nu-uh, she rocks!

That's not particularly compelling.

[NurseJackie]

82. LOL!

That's not particularly compelling.

I hardly think that taking cheap shots in public is an effective way for someone to be "compelling" either. But, to each their own.

Your approach is, nu-uh, she rocks!

She does!

Which means capable of making mistakes.

He's had enough experience to learn from her mistakes. She's humble and methodical. She works through any disagreements she may have with other Democratic colleagues in private... with respect... as a mature adult would do. Yeah... she TOTALLY rocks it!

[Me.]

60. Nancy Has A Provem Track Record

and where we would be these last 2 years without her, I can't say. And you know it turns out she was also right about wanting to wait even longer for impeachment hearings.

[NurseJackie]

68. Nancy ROCKS!! She's got what it takes! She's proved it OVER AND OVER AGAIN!

[LanternWaste]

103. We also call a positive narrative "hero worship" too much as well.

And do so without providing any evidence at all to support our claims.

[Autumn]

44. I'm sure some of the same people who challenged her last time will do it again. Nancy

may not win the next time.

[NurseJackie]

54. LOL!

Bzzz-bzzz! Don't mess with the Queen Bee!

[BannonsLiver]

65. Isn't it interesting

I’ve heard a lot of complaining about Pelosi’s endorsement. You know what I’ve also heard about for 20 years? The purity folks dragging Kerry, Hillary and Biden for their IWR votes. I learned today Markey voted for the IWR too, but not a peep from those same folks about that.

[NurseJackie]

67. Sarandon used that against Hillary... but John Edwards' IWR vote never bothered her.

And Sarandon was a BIG TIME John Edwards supporter... never a word about IWR.

[BannonsLiver]

69. Gee, if I didn't know better that sounds a lot like hypocrisy.

[Mariana]

77. It's not exactly a profound revelation that Sarandon is a hypocrite. nt.

[JI7]

79. Edwards was a cosponser of the IWR . That always showed me how full

of shit Sarandon was.

[qazplm135]

59. oh of course she'll win

why wouldn't she?

[empedocles]

16. The Speaker does not shoot from the hip

[NurseJackie]

81. Nor does Nancy use twitter to publicly air grievances and disagreements...

Nor does Nancy use twitter to publicly air grievances and disagreements with members of her own party. Fortunately, Nancy WILL use it to try and embarrass Republicans, and she'll use it as leverage against the enemy. But it's not Nancy's style to try and bully anyone in her own party. That would be crass.

Nancy is a professional with experience and class. That's one of the things I really like about her.

She ROCKS!!

[bigtree]

13. Kick, as we say, for visibility

...ahem.

[JNelson6563]

17. Oh my!

Looks like someone isn't liking a taste of her own medicine. Yeah, color me shocked.

[wellst0nev0ter]

53. No, she does not like hypocrisy

As should the rest of us

[JNelson6563]

66. Pelosi said she wouldn't endorse in House primaries.

This is a Senate primary. See the difference? That makes it not hypocrisy. AOC...wrong??? Again??? Oh my.

[TheFarseer]

111. So a Senate primary challenge is totally different

Kind of a silly place to draw a line in the sand, isn’t it?

[Mariana]

118. You really have to admire the mental gymnastics. nt.

[Pompoy]

18. AOC endorsing Markey made the choice for me

All the Markey advertising with AOC made the decision for me. I have no problem with Markey, incumbents have more influence in Congress, didn't know too much about Kennedy, and Kennedy is still young.
But AOC's endorsement made me vote for Kennedy. I don't want her pulling the party in her direction. She is too young for all this power she thinks she has.

[NurseJackie]

25. Well said! Thank you!

[stillcool]

31. I went with Kennedy too...

he impressed me in the debates. Markey is surely tried and true, but should we win, we'll need more than that.

[JI7]

42. I didn't watch since im not in that state but I thought Kennedy did horrible in the debates

and that's why he lost a lot of support and it's behind now.

[stillcool]

63. you didn't watch, but thought he did horrible?

I really don't much care which one of them wins, they're both good Democrats.

[JI7]

64. based on what I heard

[grantcart]

120. Every time I show my cat Candidate A's picture he has a loud "meow"

Every time I show him candidate B's picture he looks at me like I have lost my mind.

Pretty easy after that.

[Green Line]

41. Same reason I'm voting for Kennedy

[demmiblue]

21. Well, that is disappointing (Pelosi, not AOC).

Markey is a good man:

Link to tweet

[stillcool]

22. There must be something in D.C.

that messes with peoples ego. At a time when we're on the brink of losing the "United" States, it's all about her.

[liskddksil]

23. Pelosi is hitching herself to a sinking ship in that campaign. They've squandered a 20 point lead

because the people of Massachussets realize that Markey is doing a good job for their state.

[RhodeIslandOne]

126. My mother is a true Kennedy Democrat

Since JFK was a Massachusetts Senator.

She’s voting Markey.

[jalan48]

26. One of the things I love about AOC is that she is not a kiss ass.

[jalan48]

35. I think she is a Dem already. Are you thinking she will change parties?

[jalan48]

39. I have to agree with you on the 3rd Party. it's inevitable.

[brush]

52. See post 50.

[brush]

50. Seriously? A third party? There are a couple already which only appear sporatically...

during presidential cycles (Greens, Libertarians) and only run a candidate for president as they have built no grassroots organization to run local, county or statewide candidates. They have no chance and for there to be one which has established all of that by 2024 or even 2028 is nonsensical.

[BannonsLiver]

37. Yes

The back benches are filled with many who fit that bill.

[Crunchy Frog]

30. What does Pelosi have against Markey? I'm genuinely curious. n/t

[DFW]

86. Maybe not so much against Markey

Maybe just supporting a fellow House member in a close call?

The „kick-em-out“ crowd in the House had no problem with a young Bowman unseating a perfectly progressive, but older, Elliott Engle in a House primary, but now have a problem when it‘s being done in a Senate primary? Engle was too old at 66 but Markey is too young at 73, or whatever their ages are?

Tip O‘Neill was right when he said all politics is local. Although I often spend more time in Massachusetts every year than I do in Texas, I don‘t vote in Massachusetts, so I‘ll leave the fine points of this race to those who vote there. I count on them to know the fine points of the race better than I do.

[PTWB]

110. I think it's the other way around.

Progressives endorsed the challenger to the incumbent and there was a huge uproar. And now we have our establishment endorsing a challenger to an incumbent Democrat. It’s a bad look for the establishment to do the same thing they attacked the progressive wing for doing just weeks ago.

That said, I think both Kennedy and Markey will be excellent. I think folks should be free to endorse whomever they think will better represent the people they’re elected to serve.

Pelosi is right to endorse Kennedy and AOC was right to endorse Bowman. I don’t think Bowman won because of AOC’s endorsement but rather because Engel caught on a hot mic making comments that didn’t sit well with the people of his district.

[brush]

32. This is a toughy as Kennnedy is a "magic" name in Mass. And why is AOC backing Markey?

Seems she'd be trying to get in a more left candidate. This is a reversal on both sides.

[NurseJackie]

96. "How to Win Friends and Influence People"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influence_People

How to Win Friends and Influence People is a self-help book written by Dale Carnegie, published in 1936. Over 30 million copies have been sold worldwide, making it one of the best-selling books of all time.[1] In 2011, it was number 19 on Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential books.[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influence_People#Fundamental_Techniques_in_Handling_People

Fundamental Techniques in Handling People

Don't criticize, condemn, or complain. Human nature does not like to admit fault. When people are criticized or humiliated, they rarely respond well and will often become defensive and resent their critic. To handle people well, we must never criticize, condemn or complain because it will never result in the behavior we desire.

Give honest and sincere appreciation. Appreciation is one of the most powerful tools in the world. People will rarely work at their maximum potential under criticism, but honest appreciation brings out their best. Appreciation, though, is not simple flattery, it must be sincere, meaningful and with love.

Arouse in the other person an eager want. To get what we want from another person, we must forget our own perspective and begin to see things from the point of view of others. When we can combine our desires with their wants, they become eager to work with us and we can mutually achieve our objectives.

[Doremus]

51. Because she's gotten so much flak from Pelosi for supporting Progressives over incumbents

Now Pelosi is throwing the incumbent under the bus and everybody expects AOC to grin and bear it.

It's bs.

[still_one]

33. Pelosi should not have endorsed anybody in this race, especially at this stage in the process

It make her position on challenging incumbents a joke, and even worse creates unecessary friction within different segments of the party, something we don't need at this time

[BannonsLiver]

40. Nah

Markey will win, probably fairly easily. Those upset with Pelosi will crow and the rest of us will move on.

[BannonsLiver]

48. I don't think this race matters much either way

Most people off DU don’t give a shit about Ed Markey or JKIII. It’s inside baseball stuff. We shall see.

[still_one]

46. It isn't because of that, it is because of her vocal position that Democratic incumbents shouldn't

be challenged, and then she goes ahead and does it

As for the actual election, Markey is ahead within the margin of error

It is going to be close

[BannonsLiver]

49. We'll agree to disagree I guess

[still_one]

58. We mostly are agree on things anyway Bannon. I just think it is an unnecessary distraction

[BannonsLiver]

62. It's definitely not ideal, I'll give you that. And yes, I agree that we agree on most stuff.

[PTWB]

112. It's never a good look...

To do the thing you’ve very publicly told other people that they shouldn’t do.

[BannonsLiver]

113. Maybe you should write her a letter.

[PTWB]

115. Why?

I have no problem with Pelosi’s endorsement of Kennedy or AOC’s endorsement of Bowman. They’re both reasonable.

Pelosi is a brilliant woman. She doesn’t need me to write a letter explaining that “do what I say not what I do” isn’t a good look.

[OnDoutside]

99. I suspect it was probably backing someone from the House against the Senate.

[DenverJared]

56. Empty and misleading argument

There is a very big difference between supporting a primary challenger in a blue state or district because at the end of the day, a Democrat will win regardless.

Challenging incumbents in red or purple areas with a progressive challenger threatens the loss of a seat to republicans.

Case in point - Amy McGrath who had a fighting chance to beat Moscow Mitch. She was weakened and her resources drained by her primary challenger who had even a less of a chance of winning against Moscow Mitch.

[George II]

70. Why is she picking this fight NOW, and with our Speaker of the House?

[theaocp]

72. Masterfully done.

for Speaker Pelosi

for AOC

[demmiblue]

73. Well, Name removed made quite the splash!

[BeyondGeography]

74. "Was that you?"

Asks my wife every time she sees that in a thread.

[Mariana]

75. There's been a lot of troll activity just lately. nt.

[kcr]

78. AOC is right

I don't get Pelosi on this one. It does seem rather hypocritical.

[tritsofme]

87. Pelosi's decision to endorse in this race against a Democratic incumbent is inexplicable.

I don’t typically find myself on the side of AOC in intraparty disputes, but she is 100% correct here.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

91. Didn't AOC get her seat by beating an incumbent in a primary? nt

[Mariana]

94. Yes, and a lot of people squawked about it, as if it was a bad thing. nt.

[Autumn]

116. Yes. And the outage in some places was epic. Dem leadership decided that the policy should be

to "always back incumbents -- even when the incumbent was anti-choice and endorsed by the NRA,"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/democratic-leaders-stand-firm-on-incumbent-favor-rule-rebuff-liberal-cries-of-blacklist/2019/04/02/117a7714-54bd-11e9-8ef3-fbd41a2ce4d5_story.html

House Democratic leaders signaled Tuesday they have no plans to roll back a new policy aimed at protecting incumbents from a potential primary challenge despite the left panning the policy as a consultant “blacklist.”

The message has been delivered in public and in private about the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s prohibition on vendors working with candidates who challenge sitting lawmakers.

“I’m for winning the House for the Democrats,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a brief interview with The Washington Post when asked about changing the policy. “ .?.?. My focus is strictly on winning the election and to putting our resources where it will win the election for the American people.”

Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), who oversaw the change as the committee chairwoman, was even more blunt in a private meeting last week, telling several leaders of the caucus’s liberal bloc, “We’re not changing it.”

[gulliver]

107. AOC's complaining probably helps us defeat Trump

If AOC were completely happy, it would help Trumpies sell Dem candidates as "radical left." By designating AOC as radical left so prominently, the Trump Party has unintentionally undermined its own strategy.

[Trumpocalypse]

114. Totally dishonest headline

AOC’s tweet is not addressed to Pelosi. It is addressed to the DCCC.

[Evergreen Emerald]

117. I wish she would focus her energy on the republicans and support the dems

I am tired of her complaining. Perhaps she could focus on winning the White House.

[Trumpocalypse]

119. Doesn't change that the headline was dishonest

And she was supporting a Dem, Markey.

[Evergreen Emerald]

121. Sorry. I did not mean to post the response to you

It was meant for the initial post. And, it was misleading. But, I stand by my statement. I am tired of her picking fights with the Dems. She needs to focus on supporting Dems.

[Trumpocalypse]

130. She is supporting a Dem, Markey

[RhodeIslandOne]

125. Do you think Madam Speaker should do the same?

Why knee cap Senator Markey?

[George II]

132. She's got it wrong, too. The DCCC's decision applies to HOUSE primaries, not SENATE primaries.

[Trumpocalypse]

134. That's a double standard

So it is OK to primary a sitting Democratic Senator but not a Representative. Hypocrisy!

And that doesn't change the fact that the OP's headline is dishonest.

[George II]

137. The "rule" that she's referring to was established by the DCCC, not Nancy Pelosi. The DCCC is...

....the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

This is a Senate primary - a matter for the DSCC, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Not a double standard - two entirely different organizations in two entirely different chambers, with two entirely different groups of members and sets of guidelines.

[Trumpocalypse]

138. BS

And the headline is still dishonest.

[George II]

139. How so is it "BS"? And the headline isn't mine.

[Trumpocalypse]

140. It's a double standard

and hypocrisy.

[greyl]

122. PELOSI IS ENDORSING JOE KENNEDY IN HIS SENATE CHALLENGE TO ED MARKEY. nt

[betsuni]

133. I thought the status quo establishment incumbent was always bad.

Now it's good? It is confusing.

[Tarc]

135. AOC ain't wrong

esp. about the Omar bit.