You’d think, if you listened to the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the progressive chattering class, that Virginia Democrat Gerry Connolly, re-elected by the House Democratic Caucus on Tuesday to serve as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, is Donald Trump in a nicer suit.
“At this point almost nothing the Democratic Party does makes any damned sense. They are hanging onto their gerontocracy and consultant class at the expense of their most loyal voters. And let’s just be clear, they’ll be fine while our communities pay the price,” opined Joy Reid, the MSNBC host, on social media.
And Reid, who has lost half her viewing audience since the election, was among the more polite on the left.
“Are we gonna grow the f#$% up and confront this blatant corruption here or just shadowbox,” wrote left-wing podcaster Matt Lech, who, from a scan of his social media profile, doesn’t seem to be a fan of anybody to the right of the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wing of the party.
Which is, of course, the real issue here.
Connolly defeated AOC by a 131-84 vote for the Oversight Committee position, reportedly with the help of Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, who has been engaged in a years-long feud with Ocasio-Cortez, dating back to a 2018 sit-in protest at Pelosi’s office that AOC participated in.
Pelosi, according to published reports, actively whipped votes for Connolly, after AOC announced her intention to seek the Oversight post.
Connolly is just collateral damage here.
The guy is more than qualified for the job – he’s been a member of the Oversight Committee since his first term in Congress, dating back to 2009.
Ocasio-Cortez, for her part in this, is wrapping up her first two-year term on the committee, serving as the vice ranking member, alongside Maryland Democrat Jamie Raskin, the ranking member.
Going with Connolly over AOC for the Oversight post is a curious move by the caucus, given the committee’s visibility.
I can see the points being raised by some on the left that Ocasio-Cortez would seem to be a logical choice to be the top Democrat on the committee, with her high profile.
But then, that 131-84 vote wasn’t exactly close.
And then also: it’s not like Gerry Connolly is some sort of shrinking violet.
“We know what the Republican playbook will be,” Connolly said in a statement on his selection for the post.
“This will be trench warfare,” Connolly said. “Now is not the time to be timid. I promise the American people that our Committee Democrats will be a beacon of truth and prepared from Day One to counter Republican gaslighting. We will be disciplined. We will be laser focused on getting results on the kitchen table issues that affect the American people the most. We will stand up for democracy and for the truth. And we will protect the tremendous and historic progress we have made as House Democrats.”
Somebody, indeed, needs to grow the f#$% up here.
A vote was taken, it wasn’t close, and frankly, calling it “blatant corruption” and saying it doesn’t make any “damned sense” is the stench of losing.
Which Democrats are proving to be too good at of late.
Share
Chris Graham
