Ocasio-Cortez: Northam should resign, his defenders 'deserve scrutiny'

[workinclasszero]

BY JOHN BOWDEN - 02/02/19 10:50 PM EST

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) joined the chorus of Democrats calling on Gov. Ralph Northam (D-Va.) to resign on Saturday after a photo of men wearing blackface and Ku Klux Klan robes was discovered to have been published on his medical school yearbook page.

Ocasio-Cortez called on Northam to resign Saturday evening following the governor's press conference hours earlier, during which Northam defied calls for his resignation even while admitting to wearing blackface himself in a Michael Jackson dance contest years earlier.

"Northam must resign, and those who try to help him stumble past this deserve scrutiny," the New York lawmaker tweeted.

"If you can’t understand how painful + eroding this is to American society, let alone the state of Virginia, take some time to read up this weekend," she added.

She joined dozens of other Democrats and left-leaning organizations calling for Northam's exit on Saturday, including 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and both of Virginia's members of the U.S. Senate.

His lieutenant governor, Justin Fairfax, called on Northam to do what was best for the state in a statement Saturday night, while coming short of asking for his resignation.

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/428221-ocasio-cortez-northam-should-resign-his-defenders-deserve

[Kurt V.]

1. huh?

She joined dozens of other Democrats and left-leaning organizations calling for Northam's exit on Saturday, including 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and both of Virginia's members of the U.S. Senate.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. Then they don't deserve scrutiny.

[Kurt V.]

5. that sentence reads like hillary is included with left leaning groups.

[Empowerer]

2. From AOC's Twitter feed to DU's ears

"Northam must resign, and those who try to help him stumble past this deserve scrutiny."

Northam's past behavior and refusal to own it until he got caught are reprehensible. But those who enable, defend and deflect for him (especially Democrats who should know better) are tone-deaf and complicit.

[workinclasszero]

6. I totally agree

You will never see the GOP cross it's white supremacist, racist base but here in the Northam racist indecent, we have quite a few in our party ready willing and able to slap the face of the base of our party and it pisses me off!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

4. Coming from AOC, that means a lot.

[delisen]

7. I can't agree with Ocasio-Cortez here. We need to maintain the right of free speech.

Public debate is often painful in a democracy. I have often been angered, enraged, depressed, disgusted, saddened, horrified, hurt, fearful by hat has been said to and about myself and others but the right to debate issues is essential to democracy

There are many people who in good faith do not want to rush to judgment or do not believe that a particular person should not resign an elective office.

I do not know Ralph Northam nor did I closely follow he election-my only interest in it was that I wanted the Democratic candidate to win.

But I think that reasoned serious debate by and among the people is a necessary attribute of a democratic republic and apolitical party. It is not just party leaders or representative who are allowed to debate-it all of us.

[pintobean]

8. 'deserve scrutiny' sounds threatening

Is she now the chief of the thought police for the Democrats?

[Me.]

9. Yes It Does Sound Threatening

and what would be their punishment according to her?

[frazzled]

11. Re-education camp?

Maybe like somewhere in northern Idaho.

[Me.]

12. Don't Know About That

But she should be asked about it. We don't need any lefty McCarthyism.