'No middle ground': Ocasio-Cortez and activists take aim at Biden at Green New Deal rally

[Uncle Joe]

(snip)

The show of organizing force, which packed the Cramton Auditorium at Howard University, was designed in part to send a message to wobbly or skeptical Democrats -- like Biden -- who have yet to embrace the framework of the radical proposal. The Green New Deal calls for a "10-year mobilization to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality" and is a comprehensive vision that would fundamentally overhaul the US economy. It also includes a jobs guarantee and other expensive provisions designed to protect American workers during the transition.

(snip)

The Sunrise Movement's public ascent began late last year, shortly after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a jarring report that declared "there is no documented historic precedent" for the rate and scale of reform needed to blunt the current pace -- and potential deadly impacts -- of global warming.

In the months since, climate change has vaulted to the forefront of the debate within the Democratic Party and among its 2020 presidential primary contestants. A series of recent natural disasters -- from the California wildfires to flooding in the Midwest -- and new reports, including one from the United Nations this month that found one million species at risk of extinction because of human activity, have combined to grow the sense of crisis into the mainstream.

The issue topped a CNN poll of top issues for Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents last month, with 82% saying it was "very important" that the candidates support "taking aggressive action to slow the effects of climate change." Only 43% said the same when asked about "impeaching Donald Trump."

(snip)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/13/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-bernie-sanders-green-new-deal-rally/index.html

[George II]

1. Bernie Sanders: "Joe is a good friend of mine, and I'm not here to attack Joe"

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=117638

[Uncle Joe]

4. That does not equate to differentiating where they stand on the issues.

Bernie; is not personally attacking Biden.

On the other hand Bernie has been calling Trump a "pathological liar" and "the most dangerous President in modern American history," that's a personal attack.

[George II]

6. .

"I'll be damned," she said, "if the same politicians who refused to act (in past decades) are going to try to come back today and say we need a middle of the road approach to save our lives."

[Uncle Joe]

9. What does that have to do with Bernie?

[George II]

20. It was at an event that Sanders helped organize, and Sanders spoke just minutes earlier....

....He was only a few feet away when she said that.

She is one of Sanders' closest Democratic colleagues and has appeared with him now twice in the last four or five days.

LOTS to do with him.

[Uncle Joe]

24. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is her own person

whether you wish to recognize that or not.

[George II]

38. Well then they should be billing their events as being hers AND his.

[Cha]

45. Joe Biden never said "middle ground." Nor has he released his environmental plan.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Joe Biden is not Tom Watson's candidate.. but, I've watched him saying he didn't want Biden to defending him now against fake attacks.

[Demsrule86]

11. You object to attacking the worst most dangerous president in our

History? OAC should pay some attention to her district or she will face a primary of her own...the Amazon thing was not good. I like her but she is essentially a back bencher in a moderatly left House.

[Uncle Joe]

13. Who said I objected? Surely you know better, I was making a distinction between

differentiating on policy and attacking personally.

[Demsrule86]

66. Considering that he put legislation out there....I think it is an attack.

[George II]

35. This isn't a "personal attack", especially since she should know that Biden....

....was speaking about and doing things about climate change before she was even born?

"I'll be damned," she said, "if the same politicians who refused to act (in past decades) are going to try to come back today and say we need a middle of the road approach to save our lives."

And if she doesn't know about Biden's history on this subject then she should learn about it before bashing him. No one can justify a comment like that, even her's and Sanders' fans.

[Ghost Dog]

51. I advise caution. "Before she was ever born"

could be interpreted as an 'ageist' remark.

[LibFarmer]

2. My way or highway

Translation: "Let all the people with differing views just suck it up because we are the only ones who are right and everyone else is wrong."

[BlueWI]

81. Maybe it's the planet's way or the highway.

It's about future habitability, really, not AOC. Are measured steps the best way to forestall the worst climate effects? That's the real question.

[NYMinute]

3. Sounds so .. what's the word?

Socialist

[True Blue American]

43. That is exactly the word!

AOC calls herself a Socialist Democrat.

Joe Biden has been working on climate change most of his life.

[Kahuna7]

74. Bernie is going to have to own every word AOC spoke as..

he too bought into the "middle of the road" frame. Make him own it Joe!

[Demsrule86]

5. What There are five of them in the house? Of course 40

moderates won the house and you couldn't get the green new deal through the house...so let them rally but I prefer getting what we can rather than tilting at windmills....this probably helps Biden.

[George II]

7. Most of those 40 are out doing their jobs without fanfare. And they all had their District offices..

...up and running on day one.

[Demsrule86]

8. Exactly...rallies and deciding who isn't pure enough takes time.

[beachbum bob]

10. This how "smart" people give elections to bush and trump..it's all about

ideology and nothing about our wellbeing...if we can't have it our way, screw America.

[Uncle Joe]

15. You might have a point, if one doesn't consider life as we know it on Earth

at risk not being about "well being."

[dem4decades]

12. Why doesn't AOC just run for the White House House she thinks she's got a better platform to win?

Who needs Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin anyway?

That's middle ground and apparently it is not needed.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

21. Because she's not old enough?

[WeekiWater]

14. Biden was ringing the bell about climate change before Cortez was born.

True story.

Lets all work together and get enough democrats in congress to make a change.

[Uncle Joe]

17. Whatever was done before Alexandria was born, it wasn't enough as the rate of climate change

is accelerating.

[LanternWaste]

18. Your movement of the goalposts is both deft and creative.

[Uncle Joe]

19. The risk to humanity from the growing climate change crisis is literally moving the goal posts.

[zipplewrath]

27. Actually, the "goal posts" are moving

I'm not exactly a cheerleader for any of these candidates, but the inescapable fact is that we haven't done anything close to enough in the past and advocating that somehow continuing to do what we've been doing is any kind of solution is beyond short sighted. The predictions from years ago, for once, turned out to actually be "conservative" and the situation has revealed itself to be worse than we anticipated. We are literally running out of time to do ANYTHING and whatever we do, it's going to have to be "aggressive". (Quite honestly, I'm not totally sure there is anything we can really do at this point, we may have got past the point of being able to do anything particularly effective).

I understand the political realities, but at this point it does no good to acknowledge them by limiting what we advocate or attempt to do. At the very least we need to be explaining repeatedly exactly what's at stake, and what it will take. We also need to explain and demonstrate that what has been done in the past isn't anywhere close to what needs to be done. We also need to explain that continuing to do that, despite its political viability, is just ignoring reality and setting up the next generations for a major disaster.

[loyalsister]

71. Well said

Action on climate change, up to now, has been half measured and ultimately a political failure. We have known about the pending deadline and what not doing enough would mean for years.
It's no coincidence that middle eastern conflict is another area where no US administration has a whole lot to brag about. Not to say there has been no reasonable efforts, only that our oil entanglements have hampered diplomatic relationships.
Dirty energy and car ownership are religion in the US and it is still unheard of to not cater to it in some way. I am happy to see the young people, whose investment in actually doing something is much bigger than those of us 50 and beyond, have embraced a hard line. It makes no sense to me to pretend we have actually made progress when we are experiencing the beginnings of the worst to come without serious change now.

[tymorial]

76. But it's common

[WeekiWater]

23. Agree. It's time to come together.

Time to boot out the Republicans. Not fight the one of the first members of the senate to introduce climate directed legislation.

I fully understand how passionate you are about fighting our allies.

[Uncle Joe]

26. That's what the primaries are all about, the candidates making distinctions

among themselves on policies, that's the core of our democratic republic.

I am passionate about democracy, aren't you?

[WeekiWater]

28. Glad you recognize Biden was one of the first members of the senate...

to introduce legislation directed at climate change. And that he played a major role in all of the great climate directed policies of the Obama administration. Most of which have been rolled back by Trump.

I know you will be happy with Biden's actions in this area when he is President. Keep fighting for him. Keep fighting for those who understand the need to fight this battle.

Go Biden!

"I am passionate about democracy, aren't you? "

What a strange question.

I think it's better directed at Stein and Trump supporters and those who are given Russian assists.

[jalan48]

29. Many prefer cheerleader mode it appears.

[MrsCoffee]

31. Oh my goodness.

So much projection.

[jalan48]

41. Rah! Rah! Defeat Climate Change!

[MrsCoffee]

82. Said no one here ever.

[Kahuna7]

75. Maybe if spoiler campaigns wouldn't have prevented the elections

of Gore and Clinton, something more would have been done.

[Saviolo]

16. Very soon, environmental collapse will not be a political issue.

It will be a crisis everywhere. It's already a crisis. We're seeing 100-year storms every couple of years. Massive wildfires beyond anything we've seen. Droughts, rising sea levels, melting ice caps, temperatures rising, crops failing. Drastic measures need to be taken, and quickly. This isn't an abstraction, the entire west coast was on fire this past year. This has nothing to do with your chosen candidate, has nothing to do with a political party or platform, this is an actual crisis.

[Ghost Dog]

54. Yes.

But, you know, for so many people "business as usual" is still comfort zone.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

22. She's not wrong.

We can't just "kinda" fix climate. We need to fix it.

[comradebillyboy]

36. So maybe she could put together some actual legislation,

round up co-sponsors, rally support and get the House to vote on it. You know, the hard work of coalition building and legislating that seems so alien to the 'progressive' wing of the party.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

40. She is one of the people behind the Green New Deal.

You know that, right? But I'm sure that doesn't count for some reason or another.

[comradebillyboy]

42. So how is it more than a catchy slogan? Where's the beef?

Has she crafted actual legislation to accomplish her goals? Is she working to drum up support in the House? What is she actually doing? She did write a pleasant feel good resolution but it didn't do anything.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

44. I thought it was all hard work.

Don't you think she is coalition building? Working on the plan? Or is "hard work" supposed to be done in very little time.

Seems to me she is putting in the work to get support (both within Congress and in the general population) for legislation to solve the problem. What is Biden doing other than talking about "middle ground"? Where's his plan? What else is he doing than saying we should give in at some level to the morons who think climate change isn't real?

[comradebillyboy]

46. All I see is all talk and no action.

She's supposed to be a legislator. If she's actually got a plan that will accomplish the goals of GND she's done a good job of keeping it secret.

[Demsrule86]

67. Which was DOA even in the house.

And doesn't help our candidates.

[FloridaBlues]

25. Perhaps we need to see Biden's plan when it comes out before making decisions

[comradebillyboy]

49. What's AOC's plan? Or Bernie's plan? Do they exist?

I see Bernie propose all sorts of utopian ideas but I never see actual legislation from him. Is AOC following in his footsteps?

[Saviolo]

68. So, here's a resolution from AOC:

https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/gnd

Introduced in House (02/07/2019)

116th CONGRESS
1st Session

Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 7, 2019
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez (for herself, Mr. Hastings, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Serrano, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Lynch, Ms. Velázquez, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Brendan F. Boyle of Pennsylvania, Mr. Castro of Texas, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Ted Lieu of California, Ms. Pressley, Mr. Welch, Mr. Engel, Mr. Neguse, Mr. Nadler, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Takano, Ms. Norton, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Lowenthal, Ms. Matsui, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. Levin of California, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Huffman, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. García of Illinois, Mr. Higgins of New York, Ms. Haaland, Ms. Meng, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Clark of Massachusetts, Ms. Judy Chu of California, Ms. Mucarsel-Powell, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Sablan, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Levin of Michigan, Ms. McCollum, Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Ms. Escobar, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Keating, Mr. DeFazio, Ms. Eshoo, Mrs. Trahan, Mr. Gomez, Mr. Kennedy, and Ms. Waters) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology, Education and Labor, Transportation and Infrastructure, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Foreign Affairs, Financial Services, the Judiciary, Ways and Means, and Oversight and Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

[comradebillyboy]

80. That is a non-binding resolution not legislation.

[brooklynite]

30. Let us know when they have an actual plan to implement the goals of GND...

[comradebillyboy]

37. It's due to be ready on the 4th of Never.

[brooklynite]

39. Too bad; I have theater tickets that day...

[still_one]

59. LOL

[Ghost Dog]

57. Do you agree that such a plan is, indeed, urgently necessary?

Or, do you think the messages from climate and other environmental scientists are mere distractions from 'business as usual' and plans for the theater?

[comradebillyboy]

64. Actual legislative proposals that lay out actions, goals and funding mechanisms

that are enforceable and doable is definitely needed. We already have more than enough inspirational slogans.

[Ghost Dog]

69. Good. So, please can we see a great deal of concerted effort

put into work in that direction, this election cycle?

Thanks, much.

[tymorial]

77. But inspirational slogans IS their platform.

[brooklynite]

65. Do I believe that an energetic environmental policy is required? Yes...

...and so does every Democratic candidate.

Do I believe that the Green New Deal, with it's broad platitudes (including a bevy of non-environmental elements) and no actual methodology for achievement is the only acceptable model? No...

Do I believe that reflexively endorsing GND increases the chance that Democrats will lose in 2020, thus INCREASING environmental risks? Definitely.

[Baclava]

32. She denounced "conservatives on both sides of the aisle"

"I will be dammned if the same politicians who refused to act then come back today and say we need a 'middle of the road' approach"


Well thats a pretty direct attack, how will Joe respond?

I think Bernie just found a new best friend.

[Cha]

47. Joe Biden never said "middle ground." Nor has he released his environmental plan.

Link to tweet

[Baclava]

50. You are correct, he called for a "rational and affordable green revolution" n/t

[LibFarmer]

33. AOCs GND is

a flock of unicorns watching pigs fly in a hell that is frozen.

[comradebillyboy]

34. Is there even a first draft of some proposed GND legislation or

is it just another slogan like Medicare for All?

[Cha]

48. Folks: Joe Biden never said "middle ground." Nor has he released his environmental plan

Link to tweet

[Baclava]

53. Joe Biden fires back at Ocasio-Cortez for her 'middle of the road' remark

Biden told reporters Tuesday, “You’ve never heard me say, ‘middle of the road, I’ve been middle of the road’ on the environment. Tell her to check the statements that I made, and look at my record … I don’t think she was talking about me.”

He went on to call for “a green revolution” and referenced a speech he made in 1987 outlining the existential threat that the world’s environment faces.

“This idea that I haven’t done anything, take a look at the record,” continued the Democratic front-runner. “That’s what I’d say. I’m sure she will get the time to look at it.”

https://nypost.com/2019/05/14/joe-biden-fires-back-at-ocasio-cortez-for-her-middle-of-the-road-remark/

[Cha]

56. Wow! Mahalo for that, Baclava!

"I'm sure she will take the time to look at it"..

Biden told reporters Tuesday, “You’ve never heard me say, ‘middle of the road, I’ve been middle of the road’ on the environment. Tell her to check the statements that I made, and look at my record … I don’t think she was talking about me.”

He went on to call for “a green revolution” and referenced a speech he made in 1987 outlining the existential threat that the world’s environment faces.

“This idea that I haven’t done anything, take a look at the record,” continued the Democratic front-runner. “That’s what I’d say. I’m sure she will get the time to look at it.”

https://nypost.com/2019/05/14/joe-biden-fires-back-at-ocasio-cortez-for-her-middle-of-the-road-remark/

[Baclava]

61. Joe is a fighter lol n/t

[still_one]

60. Thanks for this. He was right out there in the seventies before anybody cared.

[sheshe2]

72. +++

[Skya Rhen]

52. Bernie and AOC are legislators -why don't they simply pass MFA and the GND now?

What are they waiting for? They should do their jobs!

[msongs]

55. "I alone can fix it" - call me lol nt

[still_one]

58. Wow, another post misrepresenting and distorting Biden's record on the environment

He was fighting for environmental issues and global warming long before it was fashionable

His lifetime scorecard on the environment from the league of conservation of voters is 83%

http://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/joe-biden

No doubt the critics will find some things to disagree with, but without question he has been a strong advocate in addressing climate change, and his record demonstrates that

Biden responded to these attacks yesterday, and his record does stand on its own.

They may think this is helping their candidate, but these misrepresentations and distortions of Biden's record on the environment are not helping them.

The voters will decide, both in the primaries and general election. This is not 2016, where a few self-identified progressives will be able to fool the people that there is no difference between republicans an Democrats. That train has left the station, and it isn't coming back in 2020.

[Cha]

63. Folks: Joe Biden never said "middle ground." Nor has he released his environmental plan

Link to tweet

And, Baclava just posted this.. I don't have time to look for another source right now.

Biden told reporters Tuesday, “You’ve never heard me say, ‘middle of the road, I’ve been middle of the road’ on the environment. Tell her to check the statements that I made, and look at my record … I don’t think she was talking about me.”

He went on to call for “a green revolution” and referenced a speech he made in 1987 outlining the existential threat that the world’s environment faces.

“This idea that I haven’t done anything, take a look at the record,” continued the Democratic front-runner. “That’s what I’d say. I’m sure she will get the time to look at it.”

https://nypost.com/2019/05/14/joe-biden-fires-back-at-ocasio-cortez-for-her-middle-of-the-road-remark/

Mahalo for your post, still_one!

[still_one]

70. Thanks Cha. Saw that. +++++++++++++

This was also reported in the Hill


https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287118395

[Peacetrain]

78. thanks Cha!!!

Last edited Tue May 14, 2019, 07:31 PM - Edit history (1)

and Tom Watson..

[wasupaloopa]

62. Bernie will never plug the gap between himself and Biden. He's beginning to irritate more and more

voters.

The more he goes on the attack the bigger is Biden’s margin.

Who ever is elected President will have to work with a centrist Congress.

Purists cannot do that.

[Hekate]

73. What percentage of the politician-targets they are aiming at are Republicans? Hmmm?

This rally is not taking place in a vacuum, and I would wager that zero of our Democratic presidential candidates would increase our problems.

This is 2019 and we are in a fight for the life and soul of our nation as well as the planet.

No one who spends their time tearing down Democrats who have signed on to our party platform on key issues is going to get my respect or support. I expect it of GOPers -- I will not tolerate it from Democrats/Greens/Socialists/Progressives/Liberals and others who claim to be on the left and are asking for my vote.

[Kaleva]

79. I think canidates ought to be honest and admit it's too late. Climate change is here.

Even the ambitious Green New Deal falls short because it only aim is for the United Stats to achieve a net neutrality in a ten year time frame. A plan that doesn't do anything about the excessive amounts of green house gases already in the atmosphere nor does it do anything about the gases other nation produce.

Nobody is talking about what to do to help those who live in coastal areas that will be flooded or hit by more frequent and more intense hurricanes. Large areas of our nation are experiencing wild fires and long periods of drought. There is no plan to adapt our agriculture industry to the changes.

[Metalmom]

83. A voice of reason

Thank you. And yes you are right, a candidate should be thinking ahead to how we're going to live through this.

[nitpicker]

84. Most people can't (or won't) think long-term about the environment

They are much more concerned with making the rent/mortgage, paying off student loans and car repair bills, etc.

Some are well off enough to be able to save for retirement, their kids going to college, etc. But it's still about them and theirs.

That auditorium only seats about 1500.

If public perceptions were truly changing, I would expect big basketball arenas and football stadiums to be packed.