Ocasio-Cortez’s Concern Over Councilman Osse’s Ambitions

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has a point: It’s probably not wise for far-left City Council member Chi Osse to challenge House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Sources indicate that Brooklyn’s more radical factions initiated this challenge, despite Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani wanting to focus on his own objectives without internal conflict.

Osse has a somewhat shaky history. He left his local chapter of the Democratic Socialist Party of America (DSA) years ago, stating he felt out of step with the organization. Interestingly, Mamdani has recently rejoined the DSA, likely because it’s gaining momentum.

He claims his actions are purely altruistic, declaring in the radical journal Jacobin that “the groundswell of movement that propelled Zoran to the presidency is bound to grow into a major wave.”

What he really seems to want is to ride this wave into his next career phase.

Many within the DSA aren’t fans of Jeffries, who is more centrist and has recently supported Mamdani right before the election. He is also backing a few moderate Democrats in hopes of securing a House majority for next year.

It’s somewhat amusing to watch the DSA get caught up in its own disputes, grappling over which factions should take Rep. Jerry Nadler’s seat, or even remove anti-Israel Rep. Dan Goldman, or perhaps the influential Queens Democratic boss, Rep. Greg Meeks.

It’s a change to see Ocasio-Cortez, who used to be much more incendiary, adopting a more responsible political stance.

This aligns with Mamdani’s pragmatic approach to lobbying Albany for tax increases and additional funding that could help support a $10 billion plan in its first year.

Ultimately, the new mayor needs to rein in the DSA factions before they wreak havoc on the Democratic Party, potentially jeopardizing any rewards for the Democrats.

In fact, I think it would be quite refreshing to see Mamdani join Ocasio-Cortez in tackling Osse, who many find rather unbearable.