Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez learns to play the insider's game

[DonViejo]

The freshman firebrand isn't tormenting party leaders — she's working with them.

By SARAH FERRIS and HEATHER CAYGLE 06/27/2019 05:02 AM EDT

In Queens, she’s a storm-the-barricades political outsider. But back in Washington, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is working the system.

Ocasio-Cortez once again confronted the powerful New York Democratic machine this week and won — helping propel a little-known, left-wing candidate to likely victory in Queens’ district attorney primary, over an establishment pick backed by some of her own colleagues.

On Capitol Hill, however, Ocasio-Cortez met with Speaker Nancy Pelosi to reshape a contentious spending package for the southern border. And while the New York Democrat ultimately opposed the bill on the floor Tuesday, she declined to mobilize her army of social media followers against it or rile up the progressive base in a bid to tank it.

The freshman firebrand later said that she and her progressive colleagues were “holding out as long as possible” against Democratic leaders to build leverage, a move that she said helped secure key policy wins.

“We continued to hold out, and all of a sudden, what we were told was not possible was suddenly possible in order to secure these votes,” Ocasio Cortez said of the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ ability to change the bill.

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https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/27/ocasio-cortez-pelosi-congress-1385112

[sop]

1. She's a quick study