Within this latest iteration of the Democratic Party, it has become a cardinal sin to accept “big money” donations, likely thanks to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
Sanders, an avowed Democratic Socialist, has long eschewed the idea of taking money from “millionaires and billionaires”, (despite being one himself), preferring instead to cultivate a culture of “grassroots” support.
Given how poorly the Democratic Party was received in the wake of elevating corporately-funded pseudo-oligarch Hillary Clinton to the nomination back in 2016, the Bernie approach to fundraising has become the new norm.
That’s why when 2020 hopeful Pete Buttigieg started courting the upper class, the Democratic masses began their attack. The only problem is, like many things within the Democratic Party, hypocrisy runs rampant through this argument.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., criticized South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg over the weekend for holding a fundraiser at what has been called the “billionaire wine cave,” but she wasn’t exactly up front about the campaign contribution she received from billionaire Democratic donor and current 2020 candidate Tom Steyer.
The freshman congresswoman railed against the one percent at a campaign rally for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., over the weekend and took some not-so-veiled shots at the Indiana mayor over the fiery spat he had with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., at last week’s Democratic debate.
“For anyone who accuses us of instituting purity tests, it’s called having values,” Ocasio-Cortez told the Venice, Calif., crowd. “It’s called giving a damn. It’s called having standards for your conduct, to not be funded by billionaires but to be funded by the people, which is different.”
But…
According to OpenSecrets.org, Steyer made a $2,700 campaign contribution to the Democratic “squad” member in August of last year.
Once again, the Democrats are proving to be the “do as we say, not as we do” party.
