Rage on, Rep. Rashida Tlaib!
Dance on, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez!
You’re not listening to or being intimidated by the fake outrage from the Tea Bag Party (formerly known as the GOP) about your salty language, your appearance, your political views, your age, your passion or your dance moves back in college.
And I love it. Because I love strong, defiant, this-is-who-I-am people who don’t buckle under pressure or play the age-old political game of “Gosh, I hope no one’s offended.” For way too long, the Democratic Party has clutched its pearls. Democrats strove to not offend, to not raise eyebrows, to always take safe positions, to never give the opposition ammunition, all in the hope of meeking their way into national office.
It worked so well that, until this week, we had a federal government that was entirely Republican. At the state and local levels, while Democrats were playing nice, Republicans were restricting voter rights and manipulating voting districts. As a result, they have a hammerlock on many states that will take a decade to undo.
It should be a lesson: No one likes meek, just as no one likes Melba toast or damp saltines and weak tea. To win in politics today, you have to fight fire with fire. I know that’s not the Michelle Obama way, but unless you’re Barack Obama, taking the high road will take exactly nowhere.
I guess that’s why I love the injection of backbone and cheek that newbies like Tlaib (a Michigander, yay!) and Ocasio-Cortez are bringing to the Democratic Party. And I’m glad to see that they didn’t get to Washington, D.C. and immediately fade into the background and wait their turn to speak up and speak out.
We can probably thank the right for that. They immediately sought to test the freshman legislators, inadvertently giving each an opportunity in the process, which they immediately took. With Ocasio-Cortez, it was using the rather conveniently timed release of an old video of her dancing in college that has now been used to label her as young, trashy and insubstantial.
When the video was released and the trolls started trolling, I wondered what the response from Ocasio-Cortez would be. Would she go meek? Nope. She said: “I hear the GOP thinks women dancing are scandalous,” she tweeted. “Wait till they find out Congresswomen dance, too! Have a great weekend everyone.” With the tweet she posted a video of her dancing outside her new office on Capitol Hill.
Awesome.
With Tlaib, it was her use of the term “mother-effer” in reference to Trump. That’s not precisely what she said, of course. That’s the unleaded version. Even after 10 years out of newspapers, I can’t bring myself to type something that would give an editor or my AP Style manual the vapors. Plus, I don’t like the term. I think society – after being far too conservative and repressed for generations – has swung a bit too far to the crude.
My main quibble, though, is that, strategically, Tlaib may have been premature in telling a crowd, “When your son looks at you and says: ‘Momma, look, you won. Bullies don’t win.’ And I said, ‘Baby, they don’t.’ Because we’re going to go in there, and we’re going to impeach the mother-fucker.” She’s absolutely right that many of us want Trump impeached, thrown in jail or both for what, in my mind, has been a treasonous presidency. But the best chance of that happening is the Mueller report. I doubt there are enough votes yet in the House to impeach. And the Republican-controlled Senate, right now, would never vote to convict him on impeachment charges. After the Mueller report, things will likely change. That’s what I’m waiting for.
But I love that Tlaib said it anyway and that she refused to back down when, for instance, she was immediately labeled a “foul-mouthed Islamic congresswoman” by the Christian Broadcasting Network.
It’s laughable that a party that elected and supports a man with Trump’s history of raw language, foul deeds and delinquent behavior is suddenly outraged over one term used by one woman in one defiant moment.
What’s funnier is that Tlaib’s comment seems to have hit the target. After it, Trump self-consciously tweeted: “How do you impeach a president who has won perhaps the greatest election of all time, done nothing wrong (no Collusion with Russia, it was the Dems that Colluded), had the most successful first two years of any president, and is the most popular Republican in party history 93%?”
Ha! Love it! Tlaib forced him onto defense. And she wasn’t wrong. Americans, not just Democrats, are indeed coming to impeach and hopefully convict and imprison the worst and most treacherous president in our history.
And at the front of the line will be some strong, smart, pissed off, sick-of-men-like-Trump women in Congress.
How’s that for just desserts, Mr. President?
Vickie says
Love the article!
Dave Standridge says
F#*%’n-a right!
Jims says
Very well said.
Abner Devereaux says
I now understand the Democrat stance on everything. I will never compromise with them on anything. They are deranged, violent, cultists. Democrats are basically terrorists that have absolutely no limits on their hatred. In order to even survive, conservatives must destroy Democrats in every way, at every opportunity.
You have brought this upon yourselves. May your pain be epic and lifelong from this battle.
Fred says
I am pretty sure this is a call for violence against Democrats from someone who has no limit to his hatred towards them: “must destroy Democrats in every way,”
Abner Devereaux says
It’s a call for conservatives to defend ourselves against violent, hate filled, cultist, liberal Democrats.
You are a perfect example.
jbcsfl says
The martians are coming!
The Russians are coming!
Take cover, arm your self!
The Dems should be the least of your worries.
Best tip yet, put the Kool-Aid down.
Fred says
You didn’t say anything about defending. You said “destroy Democrats in every way, at every opportunity..”
So if you see a Democrat walking down the street, what are you going to do?
Tommy B says
These hyper-partisan folks just like to talk shit. The truth is most of them and most of us liberals have more in common than not. However, the partisan drum beats over the past 30+ years and the right wing “news” have demonized anything that doesn’t subscribe to what they are told. Besides what does a Democrat look like? What does a Republican look like? I will say, if you are 50 to dead white male, a good guess would be that is a Republican. That said, I meet that description and am totally not a Republican. You can’t judge a book by its cover.
Fred says
I know nobody will hear about this on Fox News, so I will tell it here. Trump used the MF phrase on stage in front of an audience in 2012 to describe immigrants. So spare us your faux outrage about Tlaib, right-wingers. It’s on YouTube if you don’t believe me and it’s not even as bad as what he says he does to women. That didn’t bother you either. Go figure.
You know what I like about Tlaib’s comment the most? It humanizes her. She is a Muslim woman and to many on the right, that is less than human and she should not be here, or at least not in Congress. Now she sounds like many of them. However, I really hope that word doesn’t become the norm. Just like what we said when Trump was elected, how to do we tell our kids and grand-kids not to behave that way when we tolerate it from our elected leaders? I was contemplating writing to Tlaib to tell her that although I appreciate her passion and position, to please refrain from using that word in public again. Remember we should be setting good examples too.
Democrats should not cave to Trump’s border wall demands. The longer the shutdown goes on, the more pressure even Senate Republicans are going to feel to consider the Pence option. Trump has got to go. His rhetoric is out of control. I wonder if he isn’t trying to incite his base to take up arms and come to his rescue. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t like Pence either, but at least he won’t be openly encouraging racism and violence. He also won’t sell us out to the Russians.
Trump’s State of Union address in a couple weeks will be an hour and half or intense raging against the Democratic Party as if they and their voters should be lynched. State of Union speeches are so one sided, only one person will speak and every station will be tuned in. It’s a little scary when you think of that in the era of Trump.
The GOP fears Ocasio-Cortez, because she is a young brown-skinned woman who is loud and charismatic. Kind of like a female Barack Obama. Plus, she knows exactly how to respond to their attempts to discredit her so that it backfires on them in a big way. And jeez….dancing? Really? Come on, right-wingers. Is that all you have?
jbcsfl says
Another excellent article Andy!
This is just the tip of the iceberg.
Hold on for an onslaught of protests concerning our current situation from the nation as a whole.
Even some of the GOP lawmakers have had enough of the mushroom headed one.
trumpty dumpty’s days are numbered, the nation will not tolerate much more of his nonsense.
I am awaiting the Mueller report, if it is damning to trump, the trump organization, the trump family, or his minions, the party will be over for the fibber in chief.
Jim H says
The fact that anyone supports this haenous comment from a POS Muslim tells me that we have a country full of lowlifes! Anyone that supports Cortez is obviously low on the intelligence bracket, but why am I not surprised! The democrats are the scourge of our great nation and they demonstrate that on a daily basis. Glad I quit drinking the koolaid shortly into Obama’s term. Thank God for President Trump!
Mark says
heinous, there fixed it for you, spellcheck is your friend. Please have another sip of the Orange-Aid
bookieb says
Love this article! I just hope the Dems will not lower themselves to Trump’s level of bad language, lying and exaggerating about everything.
Tommy B says
There is nothing wrong with calling this President a Motherf*cker. What is wrong is calling this Motherf*cker a President.
Oldugly says
Tommy, That put a big smile on my face. Thank you.
Jims says
Me too, Tommy!
jbcsfl says
Best zinger ever!
Well said Tommy B
Andrew Heller says
Best line of 2019 right there, Tommy!
Tired of the BS says
They hate these women because the are scared of them, and rightfully so. They try to demonize them, because that is what they do to anyone they perceive as a threat. The right knows that they are the future. They should be scared.
Rage and dance on, indeed!
Dawn Webb says
I love it! These women are smart, articulate (can drop the “F” bomb when needed) and passionate. Planning on watching Cortez on 60 minutes tonight.
I’ve already called the right wingers out on this. Trump drops the “F” bomb on the campaign trail and his base cheers….Tillerson calls Trump an effing moron and there is laughing….Biden tells Obama it’s a big effing deal and everyone smiles….seriously Tlaib says it and she gets called a potty mouth and people want her to conform. Well I’ll call BULLSHIT – we don’t get treated differently just because we are girls. I love it!
Oldugly says
Yes!
The Librarian says
A net Devereaux,
Yup, violent hate-filled cultist. You are definitely the “right” example. Always remember when you point a finger, there are three pointed back at you.
MLT says
She is a “foul-mouthed Islamic congresswoman”
Trump is foul-mouthed at times but that doesn’t excuse this female (not a lady by any means) for being foul-mouthed. You think this sort of thing helps parents who are trying to bring up their kids not to be foul-mouthed.
Connie says
Love the article and agree 100%.
I was so happy to see this article on Facebook because I have missed reading your column since you left the Flint Journal! I didn’t know you had a blog! Keep up the good work! Thank you.
Andrew Heller says
Hi, Connie. I’m glad you found me. I hope you sign up for email notifications of new material. Just look on the home page and you’ll see how to do it.
NativeOfMichigan says
Nasty women are
strong,
competent,
tough,
intelligent, &
tenacious.
Nasty women VOTE!
The GOP is anxious and nervous.
Hee-haw!
jimiii says
Andrew, would you and any other of the liberal posters here on this site have the same positive comments on a Republican woman saying the same exact words about a liberal/democrat politician?
I think that you and the other liberal/Democrats posters would get up on your soapboxes and smear and condemn her.
You would be calling her all sorts of not so nice names and smearing her name and character.
If was not for double standards, most liberals/Democrats would not have any standards.
As to this border/wall standoff event going on.
All those Democrats who now are against the wall now, who were for it under obama’s time in office.
Especially the ones who are in the 1 to 2% rich in the nation. Ones like Pelosi, Schummer, Clinton and other members of congress and other rich liberals in America.
They are now claiming that a border wall will not work. They need to remove the walls and gates that surround their homes/estates.
Then and only then will I barely start to believe them about border security.
There are too many things in his column to post in one bite. I might comment on those items later.
Tommy B says
Ridiculous comment. First of all, Obama never wanted a wall like Trump is talking bout. We don’t need one either.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/01/08/facts-donald-trumps-border-wall-address-nation-immigration-shutdown-column/2503981002/
We need to build a wall around Trump to keep him from doing Putin’s bidding.