Kevin McCarthy: AOC ‘leads the way’ for House Democrats



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Days after republicans defied expectations by winning House seats, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy cited a junior congressman – Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y) – as one of the reasons he was able to collect so much money.

Driving the news: “Well, she’s running the talk,” McCarthy told “Axios on HBO” last night when asked why Republicans are responding so loudly to AOC.

  • “This party wing, the socialist wing of the party, they are the new power of the Democratic Party. … You looked on the floor. Legislation can only be passed if AOC accepts it. “

Why is this important: House Democrats have underperformed Biden in downside races across the country and they are scrambling to figure out why.

  • Representative Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) said she would not stand for re-election as chair of the House Democrats’ campaign arm after a heated caucus call in which a moderate member warned her colleagues: “We must never use the words socialist or socialism. “

Rep. James Clyburn (DS.C.), the highest African-American lawmaker in the House, had a similar message, saying “Axios on HBO”: “Stop slogans. Slogans kill people. Slogans destroy movements.”

  • “This madness about you have to be progressive or progressive. This phrase “defund the police” cost Jaime Harrison a lot. I’m not saying that was the only problem, ”Clyburn told Alexi McCammond, acknowledging he was angry.
  • “When you ask someone“,” Why would you want to cancel police funding? They’ll tell you, “That’s not what we mean. That’s what we mean. ‘ My position is in politics, the moment you start explaining what you want to say, you lose the argument. “

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) defended his colleagues in the Progressive Caucus, saying it is “normal” and “healthy” to have disagreements in a major party – while pushing back against the idea that slogans like “defund the police” are the reason why the Democrats lost.

  • “Eighty-one percent in exit polls, said they trusted Donald Trump more in economics than Democrats. It’s a disappointing and shocking statistic, “Khanna told Jonathan Swan.” They trusted us for everything else.
  • Khanna added that he believes the role of the small-majority progressives will be to continue voting and building consensus on ideas like Medicare for All, even if they have no chance of going through a GOP-controlled Senate.
  • “I see politics as a long game. And I think we need to push for victories over our policies, not to compromise on them, while researching what we can do here and now. “

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