AOC is a better Representative than Ted “Cancun” Cruz is a Senator
Posted by Warm Southern Breeze on Monday, February 22, 2021
(L-R ) Congresswomen Sheila Jackson Lee, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sylvia Garcia help distribute food at the Houston Food Bank on February 20, 2021 in Houston, Texas. – Texans are in need of aid after an unprecedented and deadly “polar plunge” burst pipes and left millions in the US state shivering without power or clean water for days. (Photo by Elizabeth Conley / POOL / AFP)
You KNOW things’re bad when a renown New York City Progressive Democrat has more chutzpah, and gets more things done for Texans than does their ne’er do well, out-of-touch privileged U.S. Senator Ted “Cancun” Cruz.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/22/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-texas-fundraising-future/index.html
The Stunning Political Power Of AOC
Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large
Updated 3:51 PM ET, Monday February 22, 2021
(CNN) – Last Thursday, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) announced her plan to raise money to help victims of the extreme weather — and power grid failure — in Texas.
On Sunday night, her office confirmed that she had raised almost $5 million for that effort in less than 96 hours.
Obviously, the most important thing here is that millions more dollars will go to Texans still struggling to find potable water and deal with the damage from last week’s deep freeze. (Ocasio-Cortez also traveled to the state over the weekend to see the situation firsthand.)
But it’s also extremely important — in terms of AOC’s political future — to note how incredible it is for a second-term House member to be able to raise so much money so quickly for a cause she chose to advocate for.
Many politicians — especially in the House — don’t (and can’t) raise $5 million in the course of a two-year election cycle. That AOC can do so by simply saying she wanted to help Texans who were hurting speaks to not only her immense national donor base but also the level of allegiance those people feel for her.
Remember this: For all the bad press money in politics gets, it remains one of the best ways to gauge loyalty and passion for a candidate. If you can get lots of people to open their wallets for you, it means they truly believe in you and what you are doing in the public space.
When you can raise $5 million for a cause — and not even one in your state or having anything to do with you — in the space of four days, well, that’s real power.
It’s that power that has even Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (New York) bending over backward to make nice with AOC — and court the liberal left — in hopes of keeping her from primarying him in 2022. (She hasn’t ruled out a bid yet.)
It’s that power that makes every Democrat ambitious for national office — whether in 2024 or beyond — acknowledge that AOC is a prime mover in any presidential primary race she decides to compete in. (AOC will turn 35 just before the 2024 election, which makes her technically eligible to serve as president.)
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Ocasio-Cortez Fundraising Drive For Texas Relief Raises $4 Million
February 20, 2021; 9:17 PM ET
by Matthew S. Schwartz
A fundraising effort spearheaded by New York Reprsentative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to help storm-battered Texans has raised more than $4 million in just a few days.
On Saturday, she was on the ground in Texas to celebrate the success of the fundraising effort, which will go to local organizations providing Texans food assistance, homelessness relief and elder care, and was joined by Democratic Texas Representatives Sylvia Garcia and Sheila Jackson Lee, all of whom helped fill boxes at the Houston Food Bank.
Ocasio-Cortez told reporters that, “When disaster strikes, this is not just an issue for Texans; this is an issue for our entire country. And our whole country needs to come and rally together behind the needs of Texans all across this state. That’s the New York spirit, that’s the Texas spirit, and that’s the American spirit.”
Winter storms across Texas left dozens dead, knocked out power for millions for days and many still do not have safe drinking water.
Garcia said the fundraising idea was spurred by Representative Ocasio-Cortez, who sent her a text saying she wanted to help. Representative Garcia told reporters, “You know, we’re from Texas right? Who does things with New York? We always kind of make fun of New York. But this time we love New York.”
Representative Ocasio-Cortez announced the fundraising Thursday afternoon on Twitter. Within two hours, the effort had pulled in $325,000 in donations. By Friday morning, the total was up to $2 million. As of Saturday afternoon, $4 million, according to Ocasio-Cortez.
As Houston Public Media reports, the money will go toward several organizations, including the Houston Food Bank, Family Eldercare, Feeding Texas and the Bridge Homeless Recovery Center. But charity itself, while helpful, doesn’t replace the need for policies that prevent power grids from failing in the future, Ocasio-Cortez said.
“We need to make sure that we make short- and long-term policy decisions to that this devastation — preventable devastation — never happens again,” she said.
A number of factors contributed to the massive power failures in Texas, which relies on its own electricity grid.
AOC Raises Nearly $5 Million In Texas Relief Efforts
By Shawna Mizelle, Natasha Chen and Kevin Conlon, CNN
Updated 6:40 PM ET, Sun February 21, 2021
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/21/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-texas-relief/index.html
(CNN) – Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had amassed $4.7 million in her fundraising efforts to help Texans hard hit by last week’s winter storm as of Sunday evening, her press secretary Ivet Contreras confirmed to CNN.
The New York Democrat launched her fundraiser Thursday after extreme cold weather, ice and snow caused the power grid managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to fail — leading to rolling blackouts and a boil-water advisory for nearly half of Texas. The fundraiser had hit $1 million by Thursday evening. The next day, Ocasio-Cortez said that donation figures had risen to $2 million, and she announced she would visit the state.
The congresswoman’s efforts come as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a political adversary, faces backlash — including from members of his own party — for flying to Cancun, Mexico, last week as many of his constituents were left without power or water. To raise money, Ocasio-Cortez is using Act Blue, a Democratic fundraising tool, that helps her build an email listserv as she receives donations.
On Friday, the congresswoman said she would fly to Houston to join Democratic Texas Rep. Sylvia Garcia to distribute supplies. While in Texas, the progressive lawmaker and other Democrats visited food distribution centers, water delivery sites and toured the damage left behind from an unprecedented storm.
Ocasio-Cortez, alongside Garcia and Texas Rep. Al Green, said Saturday that she wanted to work to get assistance to Texans after volunteering at the Houston Food Bank and touring the home of a family who was affected by the winter storm.
“It’s one thing to read about what’s going on but it’s another thing entirely to see the damage for ourselves,” she said. “The message in Washington is let’s not let people get caught up in a bunch of red tape. Let’s try to get this assistance out the door as much as people need and as quickly as we can.”
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