House Dems postpone vote rebuking Omar amid pressure from left

[DonViejo]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other liberal allies stepped up their defense of the freshman Democrat.

By HEATHER CAYGLE, JOHN BRESNAHAN and SARAH FERRIS 03/05/2019 10:14 AM EST Updated 03/05/2019 08:51 PM EST

A vote on a resolution condemning anti-Semitism in response to controversial comments by Rep. Ilhan Omar is set to slip past Wednesday amid intensifying pressure from the left both inside and outside the House Democratic Caucus.

An array of progressive groups declared their support for Omar, while both the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Progressive Caucus — two of the most important factions among House Democrats — wanted more time to review the situation, lawmakers and aides said.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said in a closed-door meeting Tuesday that the vote would likely happen Thursday. They also said a draft resolution would be updated to include additional language rejecting anti-Muslim bias, although some Democratic sources believe that an entirely new document might be crafted.

What is clear, however, is that the furor over Omar's remarks — the second time in two months the Minnesota Democrat has made comments that were condemned by her own colleagues as anti-Semitic — is threatening to overshadow everything else happening in the House. House Democrats are set to pass a major anti-corruption package that deals with ethics and campaign finance reform initiatives and voting rights, but much of the attention is on Omar and how party leaders respond to her comments.

"We're still discussing it," Hoyer said on Tuesday. "The sentiment is that it ought to be broad-based. What we're against is hate, prejudice, bigotry, white supremacy, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism."

more
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/05/ocasio-cortez-omar-israel-1203506

[OregonBlue]

1. Keep contacting your Jewish congress critters.

[Autumn]

2. They owe her an apology.

[2naSalit]

4. They sure do! ...nt

[jcmaine72]

9. As Wiiliam Macy would say in the quintessentially Minnesota movie Fargo: "Ya darn tootin'!"

That said, I won't hold my breath waiting. The fact the people who are actively trying to destroy her political career before it gets started are now slinking away amid criticism from the new guard of the Democratic Party is good enough for me....for now.

However, like a stray cat that's been fed a saucier of milk on the back stoop, they'll be back. Her haters have it in for her.

[Power 2 the People]

10. +1000

[pangaia]

3. Glad to hear this... I will call Schumer asap...

This whole thing is a big cock-up---

[watoos]

5. Dems eat their own.

I got to listen to what she said. It was more about the responsibility of having debates about foreign policy.

Bibi's best interests aren't even necessarily Israel's best interests let alone ours.

What's next, Democrats voting to reaffirm Trump violating the Iran peace agreement? Bibi was in favor of that. Was it in Israel's or our best interests to violate that peace agreement?

[procon]

6. Dems would score more points in calling

for a vote on a resolution that affirmed their commitment to prohibiting any money or gifts from all foreign interests, either a state or private entity.

Dem officials neéd to be very circumspect in making their statements and charges of anti-Semitism. There are any number of valid reasons to criticize the sovereign state of Israel that has nothing whatsoever to do with religion, heritage or stereotyped tropes.

US politicians are not reluctant to condemn other countries, and Israel should be subject to all the same complaints we normally register against any of our other friends and allies abroad. This should including the actions of leaders and their government's, foreign and domestic policies, as well as the significant influences that private individuals and lobbying groups have in promoting their special interests through state and private actors to manipulate US legislation to their benefit.

[shanny]

7. Good.

[tritsofme]

8. It should pass by unanimous consent, I can't believe anyone but a Republican

would vote against condemning anti-Semitism.

[Behind the Aegis]

12. Right?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

11. Kick