By PAUL BOIS Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) reaped a whirlwind of criticism this past week when she attempted to explain her “present” vote for a bill that would allot funds to Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.
Following the vote, which passed the House 420-9, AOC characterized herself as a victim in a lengthy letter in which she confessed to crying over the “complete lack of regard I often feel our party has to its most vulnerable and endangered members.”
Yes, I wept. I wept at the complete lack of care for the human beings that are impacted by these decisions, I wept at an institution choosing a path of maximum volatility and minimum consideration for its own political convenience.
And I wept at the complete lack of regard I often feel our party has to its most vulnerable and endangered members and communities – because the death threats and dangerous vitriol we’d inevitably receive by rushing such a sensitive, charged, and under-considered vote weren’t worth delaying it for even a few hours to help us do the work necessary to open a conversation of understanding.
CNN confirmed that the congresswoman was seen”crying on the floor before voting.”
People of all political stripes and various media figures universally scolded the congresswoman for making the situation about her.
I don’t understand much of this statement, though I now think my reading of AOC’s vote was pretty wrong. What matters most here is that per AOC, “the majority of constituent feedback” asked her to “quell the volatility of this moment in our community.” Twitter, meet constituents. https://t.co/OKTcBT5yCR
— Batya Ungar-Sargon (@bungarsargon) September 24, 2021
This BDS supporter, collaborator in the Squad’s obsessive slanders of Israel, and defender of her colleagues’ anti-semitism, is complaining about the “discourse” around Israel and declaring herself the victim (she’s *always* a victim!) of “hateful targeting” https://t.co/UwhGQYZl82
— Noah Pollak (@NoahPollak) September 24, 2021
Are AOC’s sharp political instincts waning? Met Gala now this weird letter that postures one way while failing to explain why she didn’t vote against it. https://t.co/tLRMK8H0KO
— Miriam Elder (@MiriamElder) September 24, 2021
I don’t really believe in electoral politics but @aoc really needs to be primaried. Enough. https://t.co/Jm9rc9nCo4
— Ali Abunimah (@AliAbunimah) September 25, 2021
Poor thing. @AOC cried knowing that innocent Israelis (and Palestinians for that that matter) would be saved by the #IronDome from Hamas. #SorryNotSorry pic.twitter.com/yMOaghEFAD
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) September 25, 2021
AOC always makes herself a victim. Ultimately she voted “present” on apartheid because of a career move. It’s not the first time. She did this same move to fund Capitol Police with $1.9 Billion after initially saying “no.” If your can’t handle doing your job, get the fuck out! https://t.co/24ZraQ4yZi
— Fiorella Isabel (@Fiorella_im) September 24, 2021
That’s a whole lot of words to say that you are a coward who didn’t have the courage to stand up for the Palestinian people when it mattered most. https://t.co/VsFmLKzS0Q
— Ryan Knight ☭ (@ProudSocialist) September 24, 2021
