Dem Senator Says Party Needs to Stop Attacking ‘Oligarchy’ and Focus on Losing ‘Woke’ Reputation

who claimed her responsibilities fighting Trump’s government cuts forced her “to be more than just an AOC.”

Alright, why are you less than an AOC then?

I understand all of the "we can't just be activists, we have to be effective and use our power" arguments if (a) you have power -- which they're split-minded about, sometimes it's "well, you know we are the minority party" and sometimes it's bullshit like this -- and (b) you use it to do something more than an activist does. The minority party in the Senate has done less than be activists. They caved and gave Trump the continuing resolution he needed to continue dismantling the government and wiping his ass with the Constitution. Slotkin isn't even doing as much as Corey Booker.

They had leverage and they refused to use it, because despite all of the rhetoric, deep down they still believe this is the time for politics as usual.

We're well along the path where we could be post-political in a real sense, where political enemies are sent to the gulag in CECOT or "suicided" by shooting themselves in the back of the head. As a former CIA person ought to know, changes in rhetoric aren't going to save you from that.