Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the New Congress

thoughtone

Rising Star
BGOL Investor
Sounds just like Trump.

Telling!

67194478_2799663573396823_3006135592875458560_n.jpg
 

QueEx

Rising Star
Super Moderator
Louisiana city fires 2 cops over post suggesting Rep. Ocasio-Cortez be shot

The police chief of Grenta, Louisiana, announced Monday that he had fired two police officers for violating the department's social media policy. One of the fired officers, Charlie Rispoli, posted on Facebook a parody news story about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) with the comment: "This vile idiot needs a round ... and I don't mean the kind she used to serve." The second officer, Angelo Varisco, "liked" Rispoli's post. Ripoli posted his perceived threat on Ocasio-Cortez amid President Trump's repeated attacks on her and three fellow Democratic freshmen congresswomen. On Monday, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted that the Grenta incident "is Trump's goal when he uses targeted language & threatens elected officials who don't agree w/ his political agenda. It's authoritarian behavior."


Source: The New Orleans Advocate, The Washington Post


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QueEx

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Super Moderator
N.J. School Board Member: 'My Life Would Be Complete' If Rep. Rashida Tlaib Died

Leonard is refusing to resign despite backlash from community members and the Council on American-Islamic Relations.


5d39e0bd2400008c17936906.png

Toms River Regional Schools






Huffington Post
By Hayley Miller
07/25/2019 02:50 PM ET


A New Jersey school board member faces calls to resign over offensive comments he made on Facebook targeting Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), both of whom are Muslim.

Daniel Leonard, a member of the Toms River Board of Education in New Jersey, has said he won’t step down over the comments, which he posted to his Facebook page in April. In one post, Leonard refers to Omar as a “terrorist,” and in another he says his “life would be complete” if Tlaib were dead.

In another post, Leonard shares an Islamophobic fake ad for “Sharia Barbie” that is described as coming with “JIHAB, BRUISES & QURAN.” The “
JIHAB” is an apparent reference to a hijab, or a Muslim headscarf.

Screenshots of the posts can be seen below:

upload_2019-7-27_11-0-5.jpeg


upload_2019-7-27_11-1-29.jpeg


Leonard, an enthusiastic supporter of President Donald Trump and a decorated combat veteran, was elected to the school board in 2016. His vitriolic Facebook posts gained national attention this week after a concerned citizen flagged them to the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.


CAIR-NJ has called on Leonard to resign, and an attorney for the school board told the Asbury Park Press that his comments “are totally inappropriate, not condoned by the Board of Education, and do not reflect the board’s attitude or opinions.”

But the posts remained on Leonard’s Facebook page as of Thursday, and he stated adamantly during a school board meeting Wednesday evening that he would not resign, CAIR-NJ Executive Director James Sues told HuffPost.

“He’s very unrepentant,” Sues said. “He didn’t seem to make the connection why this would be harmful.”

About 10 community members ― both Muslim and non-Muslim ― showed up to the board meeting Wednesday to express outrage and concern over Leonard’s position on the board in light of his Facebook posts, according to Sues.

As members of the public took turns speaking about the issue, Leonard was “smirking” and “being rather belligerent,” Sues said.

“He even spoke from the stage from his position in an out-of-order way,” Sues said. “The president of the school board had to rap his gavel several times.”

After the meeting, Sues said Leonard approached him and appeared to want to make amends. They had a discussion about his posts in which Leonard admitted they were “ignorant” but refused to apologize, Sues said.


Sues said he explained to Leonard he has the right to say whatever he wants, but that it’s unbecoming of a school board member and hurtful to community members he is supposed to be serving to hold such beliefs and publicly post about them.

The school board made it clear Wednesday that the body cannot remove Leonard, but noted that community members and individual board members may file formal complaints against him, Sues said. CAIR-NJ is planning to file one, he added.


Leonard, who is up for reelection in November, defended his comments in a series of Facebook posts on Thursday and claimed to be the victim of “false narratives.”

“My point is that if a US Congresswoman wants to starve herself to death during an Anti-Trump publicity seeking Faux Hunger Strike while protesting a Federal Agency Of The United States - GOOD RIDDANCE!” Leonard wrote, appearing to refer to Tlaib.

The freshman lawmaker, during her speech at fundraiser in Detroit in April, had encouraged people to protest the Trump administration’s immigration policies. She mentioned that activists had participated in hunger strikes in the past, but did not specifically call on people to do so in her speech.

“I will not give into fear or intimidation by any one person or organization!” Leonard wrote on Facebook Thursday. “I am Anti-Sharia Law not Anti-Islam ...... Congresswoman Omar has said terrible things about our nation while refusing to condemn Radical Islam ...... Her District is the #1 Terror Recruitment Spot in the entire Nation!”

Tlaib and Omar are two the four Democratic congresswomen of color known as “the Squad.” The lawmakers ― Omar, Tlaib and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) ― have been the subject of racist attacks from Trump in recent weeks, starting with a tirade earlier this month in which the president called on them to “go back” to other countries.

All four congresswomen are American. Omar fled war-torn Somalia with her family when she was 8 years old and immigrated to the U.S. as a refugee four years later. The other three lawmakers were born in the U.S.

Trump has falsely claimed Omar is “pro-terrorist.” She has broadly condemned terrorism, but also spoken out against people who blame all Muslims for such acts.

Omar’s district includes Minneapolis and several other cities. The area has seen an unusually high level of terror recruitment, though it’s been steadily declining in the last several years, the Star Tribune reported last year.

“The bigoted views expressed by Mr. Leonard have no place in an educational system that seeks to celebrate diversity and encourage students of all faiths and backgrounds to excel scholastically and to make positive contributions to our society,” Sues said in a statement.

Leonard did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.

Joseph Nardini, president of the Toms River school board, issued a statement Thursday condemning Leonard’s comments and calling on him to resign. He also announced that Leonard had been stripped of his appointment to the board’s safety, security and transportation committee.

“I do not condone ― and in fact denounce ― the social media posts shared by my colleague and fellow Board Member Daniel Leonard,” Nardini wrote. “We must lead by example and set an example to our students and community that reflect our goals, ideals and vision for the future of this District.”





https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5d39c679e4b020cd994fe355/amp


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thoughtone

Rising Star
BGOL Investor
A large number of Democrats — 44 percent — haven’t heard enough about her to have an opinion. A much smaller percentage of Republicans — 23 percent — can say the same. AOC is simply better known among Republicans than Democrats, and this is driving her unfavorables up.

N.J. School Board Member: 'My Life Would Be Complete' If Rep. Rashida Tlaib Died

Leonard is refusing to resign despite backlash from community members and the Council on American-Islamic Relations.


5d39e0bd2400008c17936906.png

Toms River Regional Schools






Huffington Post
By Hayley Miller
07/25/2019 02:50 PM ET


A New Jersey school board member faces calls to resign over offensive comments he made on Facebook targeting Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), both of whom are Muslim.

Daniel Leonard, a member of the Toms River Board of Education in New Jersey, has said he won’t step down over the comments, which he posted to his Facebook page in April. In one post, Leonard refers to Omar as a “terrorist,” and in another he says his “life would be complete” if Tlaib were dead.

In another post, Leonard shares an Islamophobic fake ad for “Sharia Barbie” that is described as coming with “JIHAB, BRUISES & QURAN.” The “
JIHAB” is an apparent reference to a hijab, or a Muslim headscarf.

Screenshots of the posts can be seen below:

View attachment 2289


View attachment 2290


Leonard, an enthusiastic supporter of President Donald Trump and a decorated combat veteran, was elected to the school board in 2016. His vitriolic Facebook posts gained national attention this week after a concerned citizen flagged them to the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.


CAIR-NJ has called on Leonard to resign, and an attorney for the school board told the Asbury Park Press that his comments “are totally inappropriate, not condoned by the Board of Education, and do not reflect the board’s attitude or opinions.”

But the posts remained on Leonard’s Facebook page as of Thursday, and he stated adamantly during a school board meeting Wednesday evening that he would not resign, CAIR-NJ Executive Director James Sues told HuffPost.

“He’s very unrepentant,” Sues said. “He didn’t seem to make the connection why this would be harmful.”

About 10 community members ― both Muslim and non-Muslim ― showed up to the board meeting Wednesday to express outrage and concern over Leonard’s position on the board in light of his Facebook posts, according to Sues.

As members of the public took turns speaking about the issue, Leonard was “smirking” and “being rather belligerent,” Sues said.

“He even spoke from the stage from his position in an out-of-order way,” Sues said. “The president of the school board had to rap his gavel several times.”

After the meeting, Sues said Leonard approached him and appeared to want to make amends. They had a discussion about his posts in which Leonard admitted they were “ignorant” but refused to apologize, Sues said.


Sues said he explained to Leonard he has the right to say whatever he wants, but that it’s unbecoming of a school board member and hurtful to community members he is supposed to be serving to hold such beliefs and publicly post about them.

The school board made it clear Wednesday that the body cannot remove Leonard, but noted that community members and individual board members may file formal complaints against him, Sues said. CAIR-NJ is planning to file one, he added.


Leonard, who is up for reelection in November, defended his comments in a series of Facebook posts on Thursday and claimed to be the victim of “false narratives.”

“My point is that if a US Congresswoman wants to starve herself to death during an Anti-Trump publicity seeking Faux Hunger Strike while protesting a Federal Agency Of The United States - GOOD RIDDANCE!” Leonard wrote, appearing to refer to Tlaib.

The freshman lawmaker, during her speech at fundraiser in Detroit in April, had encouraged people to protest the Trump administration’s immigration policies. She mentioned that activists had participated in hunger strikes in the past, but did not specifically call on people to do so in her speech.

“I will not give into fear or intimidation by any one person or organization!” Leonard wrote on Facebook Thursday. “I am Anti-Sharia Law not Anti-Islam ...... Congresswoman Omar has said terrible things about our nation while refusing to condemn Radical Islam ...... Her District is the #1 Terror Recruitment Spot in the entire Nation!”

Tlaib and Omar are two the four Democratic congresswomen of color known as “the Squad.” The lawmakers ― Omar, Tlaib and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) ― have been the subject of racist attacks from Trump in recent weeks, starting with a tirade earlier this month in which the president called on them to “go back” to other countries.

All four congresswomen are American. Omar fled war-torn Somalia with her family when she was 8 years old and immigrated to the U.S. as a refugee four years later. The other three lawmakers were born in the U.S.

Trump has falsely claimed Omar is “pro-terrorist.” She has broadly condemned terrorism, but also spoken out against people who blame all Muslims for such acts.

Omar’s district includes Minneapolis and several other cities. The area has seen an unusually high level of terror recruitment, though it’s been steadily declining in the last several years, the Star Tribune reported last year.

“The bigoted views expressed by Mr. Leonard have no place in an educational system that seeks to celebrate diversity and encourage students of all faiths and backgrounds to excel scholastically and to make positive contributions to our society,” Sues said in a statement.

Leonard did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.

Joseph Nardini, president of the Toms River school board, issued a statement Thursday condemning Leonard’s comments and calling on him to resign. He also announced that Leonard had been stripped of his appointment to the board’s safety, security and transportation committee.

“I do not condone ― and in fact denounce ― the social media posts shared by my colleague and fellow Board Member Daniel Leonard,” Nardini wrote. “We must lead by example and set an example to our students and community that reflect our goals, ideals and vision for the future of this District.”





https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5d39c679e4b020cd994fe355/amp


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muckraker10021

Superstar *****
BGOL Investor
Everyone of Moscow Mitch McConnell's servile cac boy campaign minions would love to rape and then kill AOC if they could get away with it


 

MASTERBAKER

༺ S❤️PER❤️ ᗰOD ༻
Super Moderator
BREAKING: YES! Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez just dropped a BOMBSHELL in her first day back to Congress.
 

thoughtone

Rising Star
BGOL Investor
source: The Hill

Ocasio-Cortez demands authorities 'get to the bottom' of Joshua Brown's murder


Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) took to Twitter on Sunday to call for authorities to “get to the bottom” of Joshua Brown’s murder, days after the key witness in the murder trial of former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger was shot to death.

“Just when we caught a glimpse of justice for Botham Jean, much of it feels stolen back with the murder of Joshua Brown, a key witness in the case,” she tweeted. “My heart breaks for his family and for everyone touched by this tragedy. We must get to the bottom of this injustice.”



A number of lawmakers also took to Twitter demanding answers after Brown’s death.





Local police discovered Brown lying on the ground outside an apartment complex with multiple gunshot wounds on Friday night. Witnesses said they saw a white sedan fleeing the scene shortly after hearing gunshots.

His death occurred several days after Guyger was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the murder of Botham Jean, a black man she shot to death last year after entering his apartment.

Guyger claimed she accidentally entered Jean’s apartment after mistaking it for her own. Having been convicted of murder, Guyger faced up to 99 years in prison for Jean’s death. She will be eligible for parole in five years.

Brown lived in the apartment across the hall from Jean and was at home the night Guyger fatally shot him.

He testified last month that he met Jean on Sept. 6, 2018, the same day he was shot. However, he said he would hear gospel music and Drake coming from Jean’s unit at times, according to a local NBC affiliate.

He also said during the trial that he was down the hall on the day of the shooting when he heard what sounded like two people meeting by "surprise" shortly before he heard gunshots, CNN reported.

Lee Merritt, an attorney who represented Jean’s family in the case, said in a Facebook post that he “learned from the medical examiner that Joshua was shot in his mouth and his chest.”

“He was ambushed at his apartment complex as he got out of his car and shot at close range,” he wrote, adding that Brown’s “mother asked that I do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of his murder.”

“She suspects foul play and it is difficult to rule it out. He had no known enemies. He worked for a living. He was not in the streets. We need answers. Immediately,” Merritt added.
 

MCP

International
International Member

More than a dozen lawmakers join Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's statement threatening to impose conditions on the $3.8bn annual military assistance to Israel

AOC%206%20AFP.jpg

AIPAC was quick to denounce the letter even before it was officially released

More than a dozen US legislators have released a letter pledging to "pursue legislation that conditions" Washington's military aid to Israel to ensure that Americans "are not supporting annexation in any way".

The letter, spearheaded by prominent progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), warned Israel of potential consequences if it proceeds with its stated plans of annexing parts of the occupied West Bank.

The statement, addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and released on Tuesday, urges the US chief diplomat to make it clear to the Israeli government that annexation would be "unacceptable".

It was signed by Senator Bernie Sanders and House members Rashida Tlaib; Ilhan Omar; Pramila Jayapal; Andre Carson; Betty McCollum; Chuy Garcia; Danny Davis; Ayanna Pressley; Raul Grijalva; Bobby Rush; and Nydia Velazquez.

"At a time when the American people are taking to the streets to demand justice for all in our own country, there is no question but that such an action would alienate many US lawmakers and citizens," the letter said, referring to renewed racial justice protests following the killing of George Floyd last month.

"Members of Congress should not be expected to support an undemocratic system in which Israel would permanently rule over a Palestinian people denied self-determination or equal rights."

The statement was endorsed by more than 20 advocacy groups, including the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Arab American Institute (AAI), CodePink, Jewish Voice for Peace Action and IfNotNow.

It comes less than 24 hours before the 1 July deadline that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set for beginning the process of annexation. The scope of the Israeli plan remains unclear, but the US legislators stressed that it is in violation of international law.

"Annexation is specifically prohibited because it incites armed conflict, political and economic instability, systematic human rights abuses, and, most importantly, legitimizes the erasure of identity," the letter said.

"There is no question that the acre by acre de facto annexation since 1967 for the purpose of new Israeli settlements is a blatant attempt to suppress Palestinian identity and nationhood."

'Apartheid'

Tuesday's statement stands in stark contrast with previous pronouncements against annexation by Democrats in Congress.

Whereas US legislators have warned over the past few weeks against the harm that annexation would cause to Israel, Ocasio-Cortez's letter centres on Palestinian suffering and the illegality of annexation as the driving forces behind the efforts to prevent Israel from going through with its plans.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) was quick to denounce the letter even before it was officially released.

"A strong US-Israel relationship helps keep us safe, protect our troops, create American jobs, and address 21st-century challenges," the pro-Israel group said on Twitter late on Monday. "America’s security assistance to Israel is an investment that serves our national interests—including promoting peace and deterring war."

The Democratic Majority for Israel, an AIPAC-linked group that advocates support for Israel within the Democratic Party, also rejected the statement, urging members of Congress against signing it.

Congresswoman Tlaib, who is of Palestinian descent, said the Israeli government wants to use American taxpayers' money to formalise "apartheid".

Israel receives $3.8bn in US military assistance annually.

"The implementation of that system would mean our tax dollars – instead of being used to fund health care or replace lead water pipes - would be used to perpetuate and entrench human rights violations in Palestine, including limitations on freedom of movement, further expansion of illegal land theft, home demolitions, and cutting off access to critical resources like clean water," Tlaib said in a statement.

"We are coming together as progressive lawmakers today to clearly say: enough is enough."

Jayapal, who is the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said US lawmakers would "forcefully" respond to Israel's annexation plans in order to uphold international law.

"There is no special relationship where US funding should be used to further human rights abuses and violations of international law," the congresswoman said in a statement.

Previous letters

AOC's statement on Tuesday follows a letter signed by 191 House Democrats that warned Israel against annexation by focusing on how the move would jeopardise its relations with Europe and the Arab World without outlining any real consequences for its relationship in Washington.

Three staunchly pro-Israel top Democrats in the Senate, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, urged Israel against annexation as "strong and dedicated supporters of the US-Israel relationship".

Senator Kamala Harris, a possible vice presidential candidate for Joe Biden, also expressed concerns about Israel's plans, framing annexation as a "unilateral move" that dims the prospects of the two-state solution.

"Both Israel and the Palestinians must avoid unilateral moves in order to preserve prospects for an eventual peace," Harris said in a statement on 16 June.

Biden himself has come out forcefully - albeit in words only - against annexation, saying it would "choke off any hope of peace". His campaign, however, has repeatedly ruled out conditioning US aid to Israel.

President Donald Trump released earlier this year a proposed solution to the conflict that would allow Israel to keep all of its illegal settlements in the West Bank.

His administration has not publicly endorsed unilateral annexation, but most members of his Republican Party in the House of Representatives have effectively endorsed the Israeli plan.

"We write to reaffirm the unshakeable alliance between the United States and Israel, to emphasize that Israel has the right to make sovereign decisions independent of outside pressure, and to express our support for you as you make such decisions in your capacity as Israel’s democratically-elected prime minister," a letter addressed to Netanyahu and signed by 120 House Republicans said earlier in June.

'End the occupation'

Emily Mayer, political director of the youth-led progressive group IfNotNow, praised the "progressive leadership" behind the letter.

"Our Jewish values compel us to do everything in our power to stop annexation and end the occupation, and we are excited to walk hand in hand with these leaders as we move towards that vision," Mayer said in a press release.

"It is time to stop holding America’s number one recipient of military funding - Israel - to a lower standard than we hold all other countries, exempting it from consequences when it violates our most basic values."

"Conditioning US aid is one of the tools we can use to help achieve this goal. American taxpayers shouldn’t be supporting policies that undermine our values and interests, in Israel, in Palestine, or anywhere," he said.

Simultaneously with AOC's letter, more than 1,000 alumni of J Street U - the student arm of the liberal Jewish group J Street, which dubs itself as pro-Israel and pro-peace - released a statement urging the group "to support legislation that would reduce American military assistance to Israel should it decide to unilaterally annex large parts of the West Bank".

"As Israel makes final preparations to annex the West Bank, we find ourselves in an unprecedented moment," the statement said.

"Annexation would enshrine into law Israel’s existing policies of discrimination and violence against Palestinians, settlement expansion, and so much more. If there was ever a decisive test for the progressive movement, this is it."

Senator Sanders, who is Jewish American, echoed the call for a just resolution that ends the occupation and ensures freedom and security to Palestinians and Israelis.
 

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AOC SPEAKS ON HOUSE FLOOR: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is expected to address the House floor to speak on a ‘question of personal privilege.’ This comes as Rep. Ted Yoho’s spoke on the floor yesterday to offer a somewhat weak apology for calling AOC a ‘f*cking b*tch’ earlier this week, saying that he ’cannot apologize for [his] passion.
 

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Christian group boots Florida lawmaker Ted Yoho for AOC ‘bitch’ allegations
By Steven Nelson
July 26, 2020 | 9:41am | Updated


Enlarge Image

Ted Yoho

Ted YohoAP

MORE ON:
ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ
AOC slams Republican lawmaker for denying he called her 'f---ing bitch'

Republican lawmaker apologizes, denies calling AOC 'f---ing bitch'

AOC accosted, called 'f---ing bitch' by Republican lawmaker

These 'Squad' members are facing tough primary challenges

A Christian charity has forced Florida Rep. Ted Yoho to resign from its board for allegedly calling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a “f–king bitch.”
The Republican stepped down from anti-hunger group Bread for the World on Friday, the organization said.
Chris Ford, a spokesperson for the group, said it “sought his resignation as an action that reaffirms our commitment to coming alongside women and people of color, nationally and globally, as they continue to lead us to a more racially inclusive and equitable world.”
Yoho’s “recent actions and words as reported in the media are not reflective of the ethical standards expected of members of our Board of Directors,” Ford told CNN.
Yoho on Monday confronted Ocasio-Cortez outside the Capitol, telling the New York Democratic socialist that she was “disgusting” for her recent remarks tying poverty and unemployment to the recent spike in crime in New York City — allegedly calling her a “f–king bitch.”
On Wednesday, Yoho apologized for “the abrupt manner of the conversation” but denied using “offensive name-calling words” against AOC.
SEE ALSO
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AOC accosted, called 'f---ing bitch' by Republican lawmaker
Democrats hammered Yoho in House floor speeches on Thursday, arguing Yoho’s conduct showed there’s sexism against female representatives.
“In front of reporters, Representative Yoho called me, and I quote, a f–king bitch,” AOC recounted for the Congressional Record.
“I have tossed men out of bars that have used language like Mr. Yoho. And I have encountered this type of harassment riding the subway in New York City. This is not new. And that is the problem,” she said.
 
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