With her progressive views and in-your-face personality, freshman U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a fixture in today’s 24-hour news cycle. While liberal fake news platforms often praise the rising star in the Democratic Party, conservative media outlets like Fox News frequently call her out for her problematic policy proposals and outrageous statements.
But, earlier this year, a rarity occurred on leftist MSNBC. When an MSNBC anchor poked fun at Fox News for negative Ocasio-Cortez coverage, he got upended by an unlikely guest.
MSNBC’s Ari Melber started a segment on the network by making fun of Fox News for focusing on a reproach of the freshman Representative he deemed frivolous. Shockingly, his guest agreed with the report according to TheBlaze. Melber was talking with Mara Gay, a New York Times editorial board member, about condemnation leveled at Ocasio-Cortez due to her lavish apartment residence and inquiries about whether the pad was within her district. Melber proclaimed, “The fixation on a freshman’s residential choices shows the conservative energy vilifying a new woman in power.”
Following Melber’s comment, a series of clips from conservative pundits and Fox News attacking the freshman Representative were shown. Melber linked the “personal insult strategies” aimed at the democratic socialist to other rebukes some had utilized against female Democrats. He then asked Gay how she felt about the topic. The New York Times editorial board member replied, “You know so many of the attacks on the congresswoman I find to be completely out of right field, just sexist, racist, outrageous, inappropriate.” But, she went on to explain, “What the New York Post story did today is something different, that we would call accountability journalism.”
Continuing, Gay remarked, “It actually does matter that you do live in the district that you represent. And honestly, it seems like this is a lot of nothing and she does live in the district. My actual point of concern is that the congresswoman has yet to address these claims appropriately I believe to members of the press.”
Gay further noted that the freshman Representative was shunning traditional means of conveying information to the media. She went so far as to claim Ocasio-Cortez was acting inappropriately. According to TheBlaze, Gay “pointed out that Ocasio-Cortez was able to pull off the shocking upset in the New York primary election partly because she accused the Democrat party boss who held the seat previously of not really residing in the district.”
Concluding her remarks, Gay stated, “This is a fair question and it’s one I believe she should respond to in kind, and not just ignore press inquiries and then tweet at will about your comment, this is actually not the first time she’s done this.”
Blindsided, Melber interrupted Gay and steered the conversation towards criticism of the Democrats’ favorite target, President Donald Trump. The MSNBC anchor squeaked out, “Well, look at you spitting hot fire, the headline here, the New York Times, ah, New York Times reporter backing up the New York Post for accountability journalism as you put it, that’s very interesting.” Interestingly, MSNBC titled the video of the segment containing Gay’s takedown of Melber “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Conservative Critics: Bring It On.”
Besides befuddling liberal media personalities like Gay, Ocasio-Cortez’s aggressive antics have even rankled some of her colleagues on Capital Hill. In January of this year, Representative Emanuel Cleaver, Democrat – Missouri, said, “I’m sure Ms. Cortez means well, but there’s almost an outstanding rule: Don’t attack your own people. We just don’t need sniping in our Democratic Caucus.” Just this week, The Intercept’s Ryan Grim reported that Representative Josh Gottheimer, Democrat – New Jersey, is trying to “break down” Rashida Tlaib, Democrat – Michigan, “Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and allies likes Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.”
Gottheimer allegedly thinks the progressive women are derailing Democrats’ plans in Congress. He’s supposedly given the group the name the “herbal tea party.” Responding to Grimm’s tweet about Gottheimer’s nickname, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, “What’s funny is that there *are* Dems that do act like the Tea Party — but they’re conservative. They threaten Dem votes to get concessions for a small minority, tried to hand Speakership to the GOP, fundraise $ w/ Mike Pence, etc Progressives don’t do that. And I drink coffee.”
As long as Ocasio-Cortez is a congresswoman, both the right and the left are in for a wild, bumpy ride.
~ Patriotic Freedom Fighter
