Ex-Bartender Surprised by Her Own Election Becomes Congress's Star in Her First Term

A vivid speaker, AOC shines at questioning witnesses in House hearings. 

We all realized that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was exceptional only 17 days into her term in Congress. That was the day she questioned a campaign-finance specialist with a "lightning round" game during a Congressional hearing. She made it clear, in plain language, that there are almost no ethics laws for raising campaign money. It was masterful. (Here's a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h810bO-4LIs) Clear eyes, clear thinking, clear language...and clear skin. AOC's good looks help the cameras find her, and her effectiveness draws lightning bolts from that part of the sky where conservatives gather like a bank of dark clouds. One bolt came from Ted Yolo (R-Florida), who probably expected dignified silence in response to his calling her policies "disgusting" and then AOC herself a "fu*king bi*ch” on the Capitol steps. AOC said on the House Floor that the incident was "an outgrowth of a toxic and sexist culture that some lawmakers still perpetuate on Capitol Hill." More than a dozen other Members of Congress lined up to support her statements, including House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Hoyer told Yolo to apologize on the House Floor -- making his words part of the Congressional Record -- or be sanctioned. Yolo's non-apology ended with this flourish: "I cannot apologize for loving my God, my family and my country," thus bringing to mind the emperor with no clothes clutching a Bible to his tender parts. No politician is going to insult AOC out loud again any time soon. Oh, and she has somewhere north of 8 million followers on Twitter. Aside from her personal clout and her status, at 30, as the youngest Congresswoman ever, AOC was part of the Democratic Party's "unity task force" leading up to the 2020 convention. The task force wrote platform recommendations that it hoped would bridge the ideological gap between the progressive and establishment wing of the party. The end product includes a public health insurance option, guaranteed early childhood education and a $15 minimum wage. AOC will speak for one pre-recorded minute at the virtual Democratic convention on Tuesday. It's a nod to her effectiveness as a Congressperson so far, and probably the shortest speech that wary organizers could give to any fresh-faced progressive star. She'll also speak as part of a video on Wednesday. What is something you like (or dislike) about Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez? Do you think she has earned her place at the convention podium? What do you think her future roles will be in the Democratic Party? If you could talk to her this afternoon, what would you want to ask her to do? "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @ SXSW" by nrkbeta is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/511844-eyes-turn-to-ocasio-cortez-as-she-seeks-to-boost-biden?fbclid=IwAR0AotrBxuiWitS12VhAbGilNq3cuWLVSo5VT98trrMk64c9HrXLQ0nif7k

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/23/democrats-sexism-rebuke-aoc-defense-379993