The party is not CONGRESS. They have their hands full with things we cannot do. The PARTY is us, the people, the state leaders not bogged down trying to prevent rotten bills passing. And they all are on the job. Stop demanding Congress be the leaders. WE are the leaders.
“Stop demanding Congress be the leaders.” Wow.
That is NOT what @churchlady320.bsky.social meant. The job of Congressional Dems is to fight for us in CONGRESS. We, as voters, didn’t give them any tools & now we’re blaming them for doing what they can. Repubs support their leaders no matter what; Dems attack theirs - also no matter what.
Thank you! I thought that was obvious, but apparently not. They are out there in town halls, at press conferences no one but social media cover. Why isn't Ari interviewing Inslee and the "shadow cabinet"? Divisions of labor matter in BROAD opposition. We don't WANT a Glorious Leader but a movement!
I agree!
Interview Inslee pretty regularly actually. And I cover the town halls and interview the reps and the candidates. I do all of this. You’ve told me you don’t watch so I understand, but until and unless you do you’ll have to take my word for it. It’s what I do every single day
Covering town halls doesn’t give you a pass to feed a false narrative that there are things Dems could be doing “if only they [fill in the blank].” Dems in & out of Congress are fighting to get us out of the mess voters got us into. If we want Dems to be able to fight we have to VOTE FOR THEM.
Elected democrats have only as much power as voters gave them. I wonder why you don’t demand anything from the majority party 🥴
OK. That's what I liked when I did watch. But right now the evil is palpable. This is not a drill. Critiquing Dems is like saying Patton had a bad attitude and ignoring panzers bearing down. NOT the time for style, for 'shoulds', for anything but broad-based exposure of fascists. ONLY YOU CAN DO IT!
Congress should step up and do their job
We didn’t empower them with the votes to do their job. We put them in the minority instead.
Sad but true
And what would the Dems do that one thinks they are NOT? Is the status of MINORITY party unclear even now?
Now you're just being willfully obtuse.
I actually did a 15 minute segment on this. You can call me a lot of things - stupid, even - but not obtuse
Stupid you are not, however would like to see reporters and journalists that feel as I do, that our country is in trouble, also do their bit to fight back with good trouble.
It would SO help if people didn't demand elected officials do something they're not elected to do. Not one social movement has ever started or been led by legislators. They carry out legal changes to help us secure what we get on the streets. Now Dems are a minority and can't grow new things. VOTE!
Agree and I would like to see more dem leaders lead some protests and put themselves out front, like brave activists do, I wish that journalists and reporters wouldn’t hide behind their press credentials and cause good trouble too, because our country is in real trouble.
Why? Can you tell us when that ever happened in civil rights, anti war, women's rights ANYTHING? That's what WE do, and their job is to secure the rights we win on the streets, put it in LAW to keep it for us. Oh, sure ceremonial marches for commemoration, but they don't have time to lead. WE do!
I think Congress has lot of time away from DC work, John Lewis, Hank Johnson, AOC have led protests and been arrested. I am a reliable dem voter and I want see dems win in 2026, and what I see now are concerted efforts to divide dems based on various agendas from the center to the far left.
You get no credit on this.
Well then you're definitely stupid. And willfully ignorant. And dangerously full of shit.
Let me tell you what Americans are being for, Ali, since I'm an American. I'm begging for white people to get their shit together and stop voting for the party that's killing ALL of us.
I'm begging for journalists like you to stay attacking the Republicans with the same fervor that you're attacking Democrats with. And I'm begging for ALL Y'ALL to LISTEN. TO. BLACK. WOMEN. THEY are the Democratic base.
All of this.
YES YES YES!!!!
They won’t. Their paychecks come from rich Trumpers like themselves
Did he block you too?
Not yet but the screenshot is in case he does.
Defaulting to simplistic whining is obtuse. Fifteen minutes out of the last 8 months? Big whoop. YOU are a voice that could tell the story daily if you would. Rely on Ariella if you need info. We all see the BREADTH of the resistance. It's no longer business as usual. All hands are ON deck.
All hands are definitely NOT on deck. Happy only on Ariella for info but I actually do tell the story daily of people who are doing the work. Congressional leadership and the DNC are not.
You, a few others are the last hope we have to get the truth out about the breadth of resistance from all sides. Defaulting to your critique is business as usual for poor media. We are asking you to be our champion of truth telling. Stress the positive that is reflected in massive Dem wins. YOU can!
Ariella just showed you are incorrect. They ARE doing the work because the MOVEMENT is not like anything ever seen before. And they're rising to the challenge. Relying on two people is a fool's errand, a default to 'business as usual' when it's NOT usual. Be the scribe of the change not the past.
They are NOT our "leaders" POLITICALLY. They are our LEGISLATORS. They give press conferences - media ignores them. Been true since Obama. I got daily press briefings that NEVER showed up on TV or in print. You have a position that can highlight ALL the voices. We aren't looking for just 2. YOU are.
At this point, shitting on Schumer & Jeffries for doing the only damned thing a legislator can do, has been turned into a profit center. And as a Black person, I see anyone claiming progressive politics but doing this shit, as someone working against progress.
I think people want to see a public face of urgency. It’s not just being a legislator, it’s carrying a message and being fierce against the enemy in doing so, although I do think the complaints get rote and overdone.
They are fighting the good fight. Schumer stopped the shutdown KNOWING it would give Trump free rein to kill EVERYTHING including courts and not reopen Congress. Stopped HUGE policy dangers in BBB (aka BUB) that prevented Trump from having "Congressional OK" for his evil. THAT is outstanding.
That’s not what he does. At all. What you are doing is what’s simplistic, reducing his whole body of work to “whining.” Thats silly
If his focus is mostly on what's not working, then it's misfocus. Especially since he knows there's not much else to do that isn't citizen led. Have you seen a segment on how quiet unions are right now? No. Everything is on Schumer & Jeffries.
They are the leaders. Of course that’s where focus lies. It’s okay for people not be satisfied. And he’s done many segments on what’s working. This idea that there’s no room for criticism or disagreement is silly.
They aren't your leaders. Your focus on them isn't useful. It isn't ok to not be satisfied when you're not clear on what they can do. You're a fan, cool. I'm not. That's all and we're done.
Schumer and Jeffries aren’t our leaders? Lol
That’s not what she said. Congressional leaders are elected by their caucuses to navigate that congressional session.They are NOT elected as leaders of the country. Good grief.Their job is literally in the constitution.They are local politicians chosen as congressional leaders. NOT national leaders
What a completely dishonest and disingenuous misinterpretation of a comment. Pathetic. I know you know better.
Yes. What resistance was ever led by LEGISLATORS? It's led by PEOPLE and those in the party not fighting on the floor of their respective Congress convenings. We are diverse and have LOTS of voices. They do legislation, town halls, lay grounds for suits that WE don't do. Division of labor WORKS.
Step up yourself - it's easy to heckle from the cheap seats.
I am. I fight creeping authoritarianism on my show every single day.
You're helping the fascists when you shit on the Dems. Stop pushing this phony agitprop that the Dems aren't doing anything blah blah blah. Those of us who have been PAYING ATTENTION and don't have a LIST OF DEM-BASHING TALKING POINTS FROM OUR BOSS know different.
You went on a rant about them not endorsing a socialist. Do you realize that would hurt Democratic candidates across the country if they did that? Socialism is still a dirty word throughout most of this nation. They should not be endorsing the guy who supported uncommitted & Abandon Harris.
Democratic socialists are not socialists, just to be clear. Socialism is government control of production. AOC is a democratic socialist as is Bernie and they don’t seem to have problems winning voters. What’s your actual beef with Mamdani? Because democratic socialists perform pretty well
Definately. In Scandinavian countries amongst others.
Democratic socialists in Europe are completely different than the Democratic Socialists of America. They have very different policies, especially their foreign policies. For one thing, European groups don’t support authoritarians.
Have you read the platform on the Democratic Socialists of America website? They call themselves socialists. Much of their foreign policy platform mirrors Putin’s goals.
I know what socialism is. What do you think city owned supermarkets are? That’s the government controlling the means of production. Just like the government controlling shares of Intel.
Actually grocery stores would be more like single payer healthcare - government as the means of distribution, not production and hence, not socialism. More like a food coop. The intel thing is much more like state capitalism thought I’m not sure I disagree with it. It has its merits.
There have been city owned grocery stores tried many times in several cities in this country and every single time they’ve failed. You’re supposed to be a journalist and you don’t know this? And single payer healthcare would never work in this country.
Yeah again I’m not going to make my voting decision on city-owned grocery stores but your data is incorrect - a couple have worked, and none have been in “socialist” cities.
Ali, I’m waiting for you to list where there have been successful city owned grocery stores.
Most countries with universal healthcare don’t have single payer. They have hybrid systems that combine both private & public healthcare.
Think of what it is you want democratic leadership to do - then go do it.
We elect Americans to congress to LEAD us. WTF are you on?
We didn’t empower them with the votes to take action. That’s our fault.
Yes, it’s the millions of Americans who voted trump, voted third party, or much worse, didn’t bother to vote that put us here.
No you elect them to fight for legislation for us which they have been doing. We have a whole party with people not weighed down with standing against Trump's take over in the Capitol. They are out there. Read Ariella - she lists what they're doing regularly. Look at the STATES. THAT is resistance
Yes and again I don’t think you listened to my piece because I specifically discuss the people in the states. Spend a few minutes and watch it before you keep posting
I'm responding to what you wrote.
Discuss the whole of CONGRESS and what they're doing. Town halls in Red districts - over 137 last count in 50 states and NOT just to Dems and Bernie cult followers but to scared, angry Trump voters. Talk about Swalwell and others who do videos daily on issues. They're carrying the messages!
Velshi seems to not appreciate your feedback. That's too bad he's twisting your words around, hon. I agree with you. And I listened to every word of his video twice.
We are on tenterhooks here. Not sure if he gets it or doesn't. But I said my say. In a time of crisis, you don't invent new tasks for people already doing what's assigned, and you don't critique their personalities either. He can take it or leave it. Thank you, dear Rosey for your kind support!
I do appreciate your words and I told you as much earlier. Thank you for your engagement
🎯👍. Love the show Ali and you are a rock star. 💙🥰
He is. But he needs to do better. These are not normal times. He's one of my favorites, but he can DO BETTER.
He is one of the few journalists covering these topics. I would say ALL the other shows need to DO BETTER and catch up to Ali. Then as a collective people will hear it.
I don't argue with that, but bashing legislative leadership for not being POLITICAL leadership is not helping anyone.
We DEMs have to be better at both. GOP does both. They choose not to legislate but make it political so people buy it. It is an ugly trick they do but sadly people buy it. We have TRUTH on our side and state leaders fighting but the top leaders in Congress can’t get out of their bubble to fight.
For pushback we need voices NOT in leadership but from a wide range of people. NO resistance or rebellion is ever led by legislators. NEVER.
I want to amplify: Read Ariella.
But I like your challenge - when has a Speaker or Leader of the Senate ever led street action? Not just here - ANYWHERE?
She has the goods - she's the real deal.
Yeah, this person isn't serious. Claiming to have been alive since 1950 and saying all that time we elected members of Congress to lead street protests and civil rights demonstrations and so on? Bull fucking shit.
