November 9, 2018

The fake news about Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez not being able to afford to move to Washington, D.C. until she gets her first paycheck as a Congressperson.

I'm seeing that over on Facebook, where my son John says he's unfollowing The Hill because...
I've noticed multiple inaccuracies, but this was the last straw. This article is simply false about what she said in her New York Times interview, which is the source for the article. (I get the impression the Hill doesn't do original reporting.) This *might* be true for all I know, but she didn't say or even suggest it in the Times interview.
Go to the link for details of what O-C said that was quoted in the NYT and how it was misparaphrased in The Hill (and News week).

87 comments:

rcocean said...

Congress person ? Just say Congress woman.

Good lord.

Seeing Red said...

Then maybe she shouldn’t have been photographed in $600 shoes and a $2800 pantsuit.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Insider democrat graft is all part of the game. She'll be rich soon enough.

Seeing Red said...

Besides donations donations donations.

Wince said...

"Go to the link for details of what O-C said that was quoted in the NYT and how it was misparaphrased in The Hill (and News Week)."

Can't. Some of us have un- or never followed Facebook.

John, another reason to un-platform yourself from Facebook.

wendybar said...

She does say some pretty dumb stuff though. That's why it didn't really surprise anybody.

Original Mike said...

Again, I can’t get to a link. Does it require a Facebook account?

Original Mike said...

Oh, I guess it does.

Ann Althouse said...

Apparently, you need to belong to Facebook to go to a link to a post on Facebook that is intended as a blog post. That's the limitation to "blogging on Facebook," which is what John is doing.

rehajm said...

That's the leftie way- It feels true, ergo, it is true.

Nonapod said...

I prefer "congress creature".

I really hate it when articles reference articles that reference other articles. I don't like having to click through ten things, be bombarded with ads, messages about cookies, using up limited article views before paywalls kicking in, and all the other BS that comes with just trying to get to the original source. It's tedious. In those situations it's not at all surprising that there's all sorts of innaccuracies that'll creep in both innocently and purposefully.

MadisonMan said...

Obviously she needs someone to start a GoFundMe page.

Siphon money from the poor and give it to Congresscritters.

Original Mike said...

”Apparently, you need to belong to Facebook to go to a link to a post on Facebook that is intended as a blog post. That's the limitation to "blogging on Facebook," which is what John is doing.”

Kind of like voter suppresion, huh?

Lash LaRue said...

I thought it was settled as”Congress Critter.”

chickelit said...

Live by Facebook, die by Facebook.
And Zuckerberg gets to sell your personal data.

Expat(ish) said...

I have been reading articles about new congressmen/women having trouble coping with living and traveling to/from congress ... forever.

It turns out that a lot of the newer members, especially, simply don't have the cash to live nicely. IIRC at one point there was a building near the capitol that was called "The Dorm" because so many congressmen/women were rooming with each other in there.

The flights home are a real problem for the newbies too. They get stuck on crappy committees that meet later in the day or early in the morning (like college classes for new profs) so flying home for the weekend on commercial is almost impossible for those living west.

-XC

PS - I actually think this is kind of a big deal and probably why a lot of people don't run for re-election or only do two "tours."

Original Mike said...

Congress should conduct sessions over Skype.

Amy said...

I know a young congressman who slept in his office (on a cot) and showered at the Congress gym when in session. Apparently that is not uncommon. Her home is an Amtrak ride away. Didn't Biden make the taking-the-train to DC commute famous? They named the Wilmington Delaware train station after him for God's sake!
She can figure it out like they all do. No sympathy from me.

Wince said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Wince said...

Original Mike said...
Congress should conduct sessions over Skype.

Or Skype Sessions, now that Trump fired him.

Fernandinande said...

Congress person ? Just say Congress woman.

Congressman is the correct term for a member of Congress.

paminwi said...

The only good person to read from The Hill is Joe Concha, their media reporter.

Geoff Matthews said...

Is Anne grooming her son to take over her blog?

Original Mike said...

There was a move afoot to ban congress critters (sorry EDH) from sleeping in their office. Don’t remember the suposed reason.

Wince said...

Two of my rhetorical pet peeves are "congress critter" and any allusion to eating "popcorn" in reference to a brewing controversy.

Original Mike said...

Blogger paminwi said...”The only good person to read from The Hill is Joe Concha, their media reporter.”

John Solomon has been doing reporting on the “Russia probe” that no one else will do. But yeah, The Hill is pretty worthless.

Fernandinande said...

"popcorn"

"Heck, no! I'm going to climb up a tree, cut the soles off my shoes, and learn to play the flute!"

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Yes- the media sucks. They really really suck.

Diogenes of Sinope said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Original Mike said...

Is that you, Mudhead?

Diogenes of Sinope said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Diogenes of Sinope said...

Some leftie one percenter will give a fake job for a couple hundred thousand for the next few months, no worries.

Infinite Monkeys said...

Why would two left-leaning news sources say this? Is it carelessness or intentional in order to promote an idea (the cost of winning an office is difficult for someone with a non-elite job...)?

Inga...Allie Oop said...

It’s only an example of misrepresentation that is passed off as truth. It’s not only the Hill that engages in it on a regular basis. The rightie rags can’t print anything that isn’t dripping with conspiracy theory or outright lie.

Birkel said...

In which Royal ass Inga peddles a conspiracy theory while claiming the other side does what she is doing.

Part 1,736...

To be continued...

Big Mike said...

She can figure it out like they all do. No sympathy from me.

How can she figure things out if she has zero working brain cells?

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

I thought it was settled as”Congress Critter.”

Yeah me too.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

We should build a huge freshman "dorm" for incoming Congresscritters, and they could hold receptions where they are instructed in fundamentals like the Constitution, the electoral college, separation of powers etc.

Ken B said...

JAC is right. The Hil has sexed it up.
OOC isn’t right, with her coming salary and perks she could easily get a loan or work out an arrangement. But it doesn’t look like mendacity, it looks like being slightly scatterbrained.

Original Mike said...

Blogger Mike said...”We should build a huge freshman "dorm" for incoming Congresscritters, and they could hold receptions where they are instructed in fundamentals like the Constitution, the electoral college, separation of powers etc.”

There should be a test to get a waiver from taking the remedial course.

jim said...

She said: "I have three months without a salary before I’m a member of Congress. So, how do I get an apartment? Those little things are very real.”

How is the Hill's inference that she can't afford to move to DC until she is on the government payroll FAKE NEWS, esp for an opinion site?

I don't see her asking for sympathy.

Original Mike said...

”I don't see her asking for sympathy.”

That’s exactly what she’s doing (assuming she said it; I don’t care to sort out the “fake news” aspect of this).

Eleanor said...

She posted it on Twitter herself. Not fake news. "There are many little ways in which our electoral system isn’t even designed (nor prepared) for working-class people to lead.

This is one of them (don’t worry btw - we’re working it out!) "

Comanche Voter said...

Ms. Occassional Cortex could solve her housing problem in one of two ways. She's pretty, young and naive. Surely she could find a Sugar Daddy in D.C.

Or she could go to the pay day loan industry that progressives despise.

MadisonMan said...

Two of my rhetorical pet peeves are "congress critter" and any allusion to eating "popcorn" in reference to a brewing controversy.

Congresscritter is okay. What I hate is "The Big Dance" for the NCAA BBall tourney, or punching your ticket to the Big Dance, or going dancing. Incredibly trite.

Fernandinande said...

Is that you, Mudhead?

Me Porgie. You Mudhead.

Speaking of shocking cultural appropriation.... scroll down a bit.

Eleanor said...

Geezer, I think Ms. Ocasio-Cortez would be looking for a Sugar Mamma. But she already has a "partner" so that might get in the way.

Original Mike said...

“Down with Gravity”. I’m unsure of the message. Are they saying they are comfortable with gravity or are they saying they want to repeal gravity?

JHapp said...

I think she is saying people in DC are all paid too much and driving up the cost of living.

Original Mike said...

I would think the DNC would float her a loan.

Martin said...

The Hill has really become more click-bait than news source. And many of its "Comments" sections are just figurative sewers flowing with bile and human waste.

Big Mike said...

I would think the DNC would float her a loan.

Perhaps they know it wouldn’t get paid back.

Original Mike said...

”Perhaps they know it wouldn’t get paid back.”

No problem, as long as she votes appropriately (and she declares the loan forgiveness to the IRS).

The Godfather said...

Remind me again why I should care if she can’t rent an apartment in DC until she’s sworn in.

bagoh20 said...

Stop calling us fake news! We do the best we can, but we are handicapped. We have a disorder.

bagoh20 said...

So she can't figure out how to support herself or handle a simple move, but she can help run the United States government. Great work, lefties.

mccullough said...

O-C can bunk in one of the 150 spare bedrooms Pelosi controls in DC to get these idealistic newcomers to keep her in power.

Or find a lobbyist boyfriend.

Sigivald said...

"But the only 'fake news' is Foooox!!!!"

They wonder why their business model is failing and nobody respects them anymore.

bagoh20 said...

I'm amazed at the quality of people in politics lately. In this giant well-educated nation we can't find more qualified, intelligent, experienced people than the likes Ocasio and others. We elected Obama twice, a man with virtually no accomplishments other than going to school with an undisclosed level of success. Ocasio shows what you get from that with degrees in economics and foreign affairs and still knowing virtually nothing about either. They never ran anything, never built anything, never had a day of real world challenges and problem solving in organizations or the kind of work of most Americans. You might as well elect someone raised by wolves. At least they would have some understanding of self-reliance - the core of the American soul, and something the left despises.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

The internets has just informed me that Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez has big teeth.

bagoh20 said...

I was her age once, and I had already amassed years of experience in multiple endeavors, and lines of work, had been granted patents, hired and fired, made payrolls, etc, but I was still an idiot. I never would have considered myself qualified for office at that time.

bagoh20 said...

Who are the Republican equivalents to Ocasio who thinks low unemployment is caused by people having to hold multiple jobs, or Hank Johnson who fears Guam might tip over from too many people on one side.

Yancey Ward said...

It takes a few months for the graft to kick in. This is why CongressCritters can't have nice things......immediately.

Jason said...

The Hill is absolute shit.

They're also absolute intellectually dishonest shit: I've caught them deleting my comments on their webpage. Not for any rule violations whatsoever. Just for catching errors.

FullMoon said...

So, AA posts that the news that Cortez cannot afford to move is fake.
Then some of our usually intelligent commenters basically reply 'tough titty'.
Check it out. SHE NEVER SAID THAT. That was AA's point.
Jezze, I am probably one of the laziest people here but even I took 127 seconds to read the linked NYT story.
Here is what she said to the NYT.

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said the transition period will be “very unusual, because I can’t really take a salary. I have three months without a salary before I’m a member of Congress. So, how do I get an apartment? Those little things are very real.” She said she saved money before leaving her job at the restaurant, and planned accordingly with her partner. “We’re kind of just dealing with the logistics of it day by day, but I’ve really been just kind of squirreling away and then hoping that gets me to January.”

Fabi said...

She could get a room at the Trump hotel in the old Post Office.

gahrie said...

In this giant well-educated nation we can't find more qualified, intelligent, experienced people than the likes Ocasio and others.

They're too smart to subject themselves to the shit storm that is politics today.

Anthony said...

Fernandistein said...
Congress person ? Just say Congress woman.

Congressman is the correct term for a member of Congress.


I agree, although I've always thought that calling them "MCs" (Member of Congress") like they do in the UK with MPs would work well.

Scott M said...

The flights home are a real problem for the newbies too. They get stuck on crappy committees that meet later in the day or early in the morning (like college classes for new profs) so flying home for the weekend on commercial is almost impossible for those living west.

With modern telecommunications, most of this could be done from their office back in their home state with only minimal facilities and residences in DC, one of the most expensive places to live in the country.

JaimeRoberto said...

Why would two left-leaning news sources say this? Is it carelessness or intentional in order to promote an idea (the cost of winning an office is difficult for someone with a non-elite job...)?

In this case I think it is just one reporter misinterpreting what she said, and then another reporter repeating it assuming that the first reporter must have done his homework. I think that's how most news operates, especially if it confirms the reporters' biases.

stevew said...

"In this giant well-educated nation we can't find more qualified, intelligent, experienced people than the likes Ocasio and others."

They're out there bagoh20, they just choose to stay there rather than run for office. And I, for one, don't blame them.

Bilwick said...

It's the anniversary of the destruction of the Berlin Wall, and Ms. Ocasio-Cortex (aka "Occasional Cortex," aka "Crazy Eyes Alex") has been too busy mourning the loss of the Wall to deal with this matter.

mccullough said...

Doesn’t 0-C just pay herself a salary to wind down her campaign corporation. She has to supervise the administration of her campaign and the campaign corporation is still an active company.

Most of these candidates take six-figure salaries for themselves. Once you’re in office that’s unseemly (and against congressional ethics) so you put your spouse and kids into six figure campaign administrative salaries like Bernie Sanders does with his wife and are daughter.

0-C should keep cashing in until she’s sworn in. Squirrel away a good-sized nut.

BUMBLE BEE said...

"He's so good with the servants".

Big Mike said...

Jezze, I am probably one of the laziest people here but even I took 127 seconds to read the linked NYT story. Here is what she said to the NYT.

And don't think I, for one, do not appreciate your reading the Times and telling us what she did say, but I am not going to subscribe to the Time nor am I inclined to use up one of my free monthly peeks behind their paywall on Ms. Ocasio-Cortez.

John said...

Apparently, CBS does the same fake reporting the Hill does. Or maybe this is fake as well. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-says-she-cant-afford-washington-dc-apartment-before-congress-starts/?fbclid=IwAR1zlYCZcHD8IEoZqghFm6XSPuSAk1sEPGJkacj_hZEtmuk4Ewp04fT3Gb8

Rabel said...

Ocasio-Cortez said:

"I have three months without a salary before I’m a member of Congress."

The Times didn't want to point out that she has been drawing a salary from the campaign - allowed by law but not very woman-of-the-peopleish. That salary, by law, ended on election day, so the three months comment makes sense.

However:

"The salary must not exceed the lesser of the minimum annual salary for the federal office sought or what the candidate received as earned income in the previous year"

The salary would or should have been limited to bartender pay.

Dave D said...

This is how I KNOW that SNL is in the tank for the left from top to bottom. A O-C is PRIME territory for satire and will be for years, yet they continue with the same old Trump bashing.

Joe said...

When I got my latest, relatively cheap apartment out here in the west, since I had just started my job, they wanted copies of my signed job offer. Do congresspeople have signed job offers?

Opfor311 said...

I've always thought that all members of the congress should be housed in company-grade base housing at Fort Belvoir. They could also be transported on a U.S. Army bus driven by a Private to and from the Capitol. Just think how much money could be saved. After all, why should they live better than our troops?

narciso said...

Her rich architect father can spot her the cash, how does everybody else do it.

Bunkypotatohead said...

She advocates for free college education, but her bachelor's degree in economics only led her to wait tables and serve drinks. Now she'll spend the rest of her life on the public dole.

Original Mike said...

Why doesn’t she just, ...what did she say about paying for Medicare For All? You just pay it. (or something to that effect.)

funsize said...

I'm with you, MadisonMan. Those sports phrases are extremely overused.

MB said...

She is too young and pretty for the hardships of Congress life. Some manly man needs to step up and protect her.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Ken B said...
JAC is right. The Hill has sexed it up.
AOC isn’t right, with her coming salary and perks she could easily get a loan or *work out an arrangement.*

On crazydaysandnights.net they call that "yachting." I suppose she could make a go of it. She's no Brenda Snipes, but she seems to clean up OK.

Tina Trent said...

I didn't read the Hill but the Times sure floats a whopper with the caption about her voting "not far" from where she lived as a young child.

Yeah for five minutes before Miss Socialist Westchester got digs upstream from the little people.

That's not inaccurate: it's just sleazy and misleading with the intent of helping a lying young politician keep her fake narrative of youthful poverty rolling on. But whatever.