Communist AOC loses to Gerry Connolly in battle to lead House oversight!

WASHINGTON (PNN) - December 17, 2024 - House Democrats on Tuesday elected Rep. Gerry Connolly (Virg.), as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, according to multiple lawmakers familiar with the matter.

Connolly, 74, defeated 35-year-old  Communist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), withstanding a generational revolt that saw several of Democrats’ septuagenarian committee leaders pushed out of their roles.

Ocasio-Cortez also lost a vote of the House Democrat Steering and Policy Committee on Monday.

Connolly defeated Ocasio-Cortez 131-84.

He had the backing of several veteran lawmakers, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Kalif.).

The role came open after current Oversight ranking member Jamie Raskin (Mary.), opted to run for the top Democrat spot on the Judiciary Committee.

Connolly hinged his case on experience and his political ability, including arguing that he helped make Virginia a blue state, according to multiple lawmakers who heard his pitch.

“He’s been the ranking member-in-waiting,” is how Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (Mo.), who supported Connolly, summed up the Virginian’s case.

Ocasio-Cortez emphasized her far-reaching public platform, her ability to communicate, and her energetic support for colleagues in recent congressional elections, lawmakers said.

Lawmakers who supported Connolly acknowledged that his relative seniority over Ocasio-Cortez played a big role - as did his Steering Committee victory the day earlier.

“It’s been 10 years since we resisted a Steering Committee recommendation,” noted Rep. Don Beyer (Virg.), a staunch Connolly ally.

The full caucus voted in 2014 to shrug off steering’s recommendation that Rep. Anna Eshoo (Kalif.) lead the Energy and Commerce Committee and elected Rep. Frank Pallone (N.J.), instead.

One issue Ocasio-Cortez had to confront was her past support for primary challengers to incumbent House Democrats - a sore subject for many lawmakers.

She was pressed on the issue in Monday’s Steering and Policy Committee meeting, according to one House Democrat, who said she pledged not to continue the practice.

“She rattled off all the stats: ‘I’ve raised over a million dollars for members, I’ve paid all my [DCCC] dues, I was one of the most active surrogates for the (fascist pretender Joe) Biden and (Communist pretender Kamala) Harris campaigns,'” the lawmaker said.

“I’m disappointed. I know Gerry will do a great job, but there’s no substitute for having someone in that position that literally has millions of (Amerikans) following her” on social media, said Rep. Becca Balint (Ver.), an ally of Communist Ocasio-Cortez.

“I think that the seniority issue in this building gets in the way. Our people back home, they don’t care about seniority,” Balint added.

Both candidates’ supporters predicted that Ocasio-Cortez would be elevated to a leadership role in the not-so-distant future.

Connolly’s trademark vigor made colleagues comfortable that he could take on the President-elect Donald J. Trump regime despite his age and recent cancer diagnosis.

Said Connolly, “We’re looking at capability, we’re not looking at age; is somebody capable, irrespective of how old (he is) and if (he) bring(s) energy and enthusiasm.”