75-Year-Old Democrat Who Beat AOC for Key Role Resigns After 4 Months

[Brenda]

Reminder that in December, Nancy Pelosi, from her hospital bed, whipped the vote for Gerry Connolly—who'd recently been diagnosed with throat cancer—against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

On Monday, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) tendered his resignation as ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, a key role during a presidential administration that’s churning out hourly (minutely???) corruption scandals. He’ll be “stepping back as Ranking Member of the Oversight Committee soon,” he wrote in the resignation letter, without offering a precise date, and adding that this will also be his last term in Congress. Six months ago, Connolly, who’s 75 years old, announced his throat cancer diagnosis—in his letter, Connolly shared the devastating news that “the cancer, while initially beaten back, has now returned.”

Hey Democratic leadership: You're doing it wrong!

https://www.jezebel.com/75-year-old-democrat-who-beat-aoc-for-key-role-resigns-after-4-months

[BeyondGeography]

1. Who'da thunk it?

[Autumn]

2. I've known three people who have had that cancer. He lasted longer than what I

thought he would last In office. The treatment is brutal. Damn shame Nancy had to have him instead of someone who would last.

[JBTaurus83]

3. Perhaps this is the time

to place AOC in the position.

[getagrip_already]

30. Or not... there are more senior and experienced people ahead of her....

Being part of the squad, calling for dems to not vote, isnt a cause for advance.ent.

[IzzaNuDay]

4. Who didn't see this coming?

Though I feel some bit of sympathy for Rep. Connolly that he had this condition, the fact remains he knew this cancer is a hard one to fight, even if he were not leading the oversight committee. He could have been more effective not taking the role, allowing AOC to lead and he and/or others mentor her.

But it’s all about power and control. SMH.

[Raven123]

18. Exactly. Connolly has served well, but should have stepped down from that position.

[LymphocyteLover]

20. maybe it was his last wish? Give the guy a break

[Shipwack]

23. "Give him a break"? With Democracy on the line? That's a big negatory, good buddy. nt

[LymphocyteLover]

34. He was not going to be the difference FFS. The GOP controls that committee and have not even had

hearings of any note.

[Alpeduez21]

24. My last fucking wish could be America doesn't become

A fucking fascist regime. I guess for some people being in congress isn’t considered enough. We need people who will fight for us not dreamers from the make a wish foundation

[delisen]

32. A fascist Demicratic party would have dumped him.nt

[LymphocyteLover]

33. He wasn't going to keep us away from fascism, FFS

[IrishBubbaLiberal]

5. " hasn't exactly been energized to take on an existential political fight for the soul of the nation..."

Jezebell:

(…….)

It’s entirely understandable that he hasn’t exactly been energized to take on an existential political fight for the soul of the nation over the last few months. What’s not understandable is why he even ran for this position, and why top Democrats like Nancy Pelosi so determinedly went to bat for him. The Oversight Committee is charged with ensuring efficiency and accountability in the federal government. So, Democrats on the committee are naturally taking on an incredibly dire role right now. Trump’s first term was nothing if not a hotbed for corruption, what with his lack of tax returns, or all the suspicious activities surrounding his businesses. In his second term so far, Trump and his entire family appear to be profiting massively off scam-y memecoins, while other members of his administration, including Vice President JD Vance, are partaking in their own suspicious activities.

Trotting out a justifiably fatigued 75-year-old man recovering from cancer to lead such a dogged fight was never a good idea. In the last three-and-a-half months, Connolly has routinely disappeared during key moments when Democrats needed visible leaders front and center, communicating to the American public and highlighting the stakes of everything that’s happening. And it’s not as if Democrats didn’t have other options with the demonstrated ability to do all of that: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who’s far and away the party’s brightest star right now, also ran for the role in December.

[Skittles]

11. not just a bad idea

pretty fucking insulting

[Shipwack]

25. But... but... but... You don't understand!

It was his turn!

[Skittles]

27. OH! OH! and it would be AGEIST to not give him his turn!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[Dan]

7. I am thinking that the Democratic Party that survives this Trump mess

Is going to be one lean mean fighting machine. A take no prisoners type of party with no tolerance for peace with the republicans.

[sop]

9. One would hope.

[LymphocyteLover]

21. it will be a different party, for sure

[IrishBubbaLiberal]

8. Pelosi's belief in the Old School DEMs to the detriment of all Democrats.

He obviously is a good man.
Been in Congress a long time.
A dependable Democratic Party member.

Thank you Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.)
I hope you get well.


BUT I never understood how bizarrely Pelosi thought it was so
important to defeat AOC.

Pelosi has seen her crown age, it’s really rusty and crusty, tarnished now,
And for whatever reason Pelosi belief in the Old School DEMs
to the detriment of all Democrats.

I would LOVE to see more young DEM new faces.
Democrats in their 20s and 30s in office, in Congress
Instead of the elderly DEMs of 70s and 80+ years old.

Yet some of the Congress who are old,,
Like Independent Bernie…have THE FIRE RAGING STILL.
JOHN LEWIS when elderly STILL HAD THE FIRE RAGING STILL.

[Skittles]

10. gee, who would have thought that about a 75 year old with cancer

WTF

[IrishBubbaLiberal]

12. Think u and I also used to agree a lot when DU first started

In 2001, 2002,
I believe my DU name back then was
ProtectFreedomImpeachBushNow

(Or maybe that was my 2nd DU name,,, can’t remember anything
anymore in detail for sure)

Anyway

GOOD TO SEE YOU ARE STILL HERE

😎

From July 2003
https://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x75626

[Skittles]

13. heyyyyy!

excellent that we are still here to FIGHT

[Ms. Toad]

14. What ageist and ableist claptrap.

Trotting out a justifiably fatigued 75-year-old man recovering from cancer to lead such a dogged fight was never a good idea. . . . It shouldn’t have taken a 75-year-old man receiving a second cancer diagnosis for the party to see that.

I'm "only" 69, but I have two cancer diagnoses - breast cancer and sarcoma; the latter extremely aggressive and hard to treat. The first is from 9 years ago; the second from 4 years ago. None of those things render me incapable of doing my job. I was back on the job Monday after a partial mastectomy for the first - and worked through radiation therapy, and I was teaching from home via zoom 3 days after the final stage of limb-sparing surgery for the latter. Between the two, I broke my tib-fib (spiral fracture) and was back to work 7 days later. It would have been earlier, except that my University initially violated the ADA by refusing to allow me to return until I was able to work in the building 40 hours a week without accommodations.

Asserting that someone is incapable of doing a job based solely on the fact of their age, or the fact of their diagnosis is ageist and ableist claptrap and has no place on a progressive discussion board.

Was he the best for the job? I don't know. Was he impaired by either his age or cancer? I don't know.

But I find the suggestion offensive that we should have known better based solely on his age and cancer diagnosis.

[Brenda]

15. No, it is not ageist, it is about truth.

And Ageism in reverse. Ignoring young people got us here.

[Ms. Toad]

17. That would be true IF the fact of AOC's age were what was used to reject her.

Or to justify giving her the job.

There are competent and experienced 35 year olds - and competent and experienced 75 year olds. Simply reciting an age and rejecting someone based on that age is ageist. As to age, the article recited the fact of his age, and no more (beyond that he was a young 75 year old) as a reason we should have known better. That is the very definition of ageist.

[ancianita]

16. Totally agree. This isn't about any old school Dem leadership.

The House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee voted 34 to 27 to appoint Connolly -- Ranking Democratic Member of the House Oversight Comte. -- with the full caucus vote being 131–84.

[blue_jay]

19. I agree, will never understand why so many are so quick to throw experience out with the bath water...

Don't get me wrong. I understand the frustration and impatience of youth and getting things moved forward (I was rooting for AOC too) but am not convinced that allowing the elder dem some dignity and reward that he put in the work and hours for to have the opportunity to achieve this, (before he either got better from illness or didn't) caused irreparable harm. Also think we can never truly know which the better choice would have been. Perhaps he did things the younger gen dem would not have known to do, perhaps we lost time. Honestly haven't been able to pay any attention to his committee so I may be way off base (so please forgive my ignorance). Just think perhaps they knew this would/ could happen and ultimately gave both people the opportunity to fill that position and not dishonor someone who has put in more of the hours. I hope I'm right. I know politics is a vicious dicey game and who knows who will replace him or if it will be fair. Perhaps whatever happens next will change my views in the future.

All that said, I am still against the suspicious and consistent agenda against the progressives and am looking forward to more and more like AOC gaining seniority and changing the dynamic of this party. I believe it can/ will happen sooner than we think.

[MadameButterfly]

22. I do believe Conolly got the job because Pelosi stepped in and Pelosi's

reason was not age but resistance to a Progressive firebrand. She will not be able to stop AOC's rise in the end. She and the DNC will attempt to keep her from a presidential run, and don't want to give her the limelight to help her get there. So AOC did rallies with Bernie instead and got even more attention. I was glad she was free of the chairmanship so she could do that. Now it's time for her to run again.

The wisdom of running another woman with a double glass ceiling who looks like a child of the 60's for president--if indeed that's where she is headed-- is not mine to know right now. We just need to use all the talent we've got. And nothing the establishment tries to do will keep AOC down.

I want to add that I deeply respect Pelosi who I think is the greatest Speaker in history. I think AOC could follow in her footsteps.

[Gore1FL]

26. Thank you, Gerry Connolly, for your years of service. I hope you recover from your cancer.

I hope AOC slides into the position of the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.

[riversedge]

28. Cancer is so horrid! Just when you think you have it beat--it pops up its head again. I have known

some friends that this has happened to. It is so horrible-not just for the person with cancer but for their families.

[Chasstev365]

29. Not A Good Look, Nancy

I sincerely mean this: You did so many great things for us, but shutting out AOC as the ranking member for Gerry Connolly with his age and cancer was not one of them. She's not that far left.

AOC's "radical" ideas were the mainstream views of the Democratic Party of FDR, JFK, LBJ, and RFK. She's also a fighter. Please give her a chance.

[question everything]

31. Sorry to hear this. I hope that he gets treatment. This does not mean that AOC should just slide

into the position.