24 THE QUEENS COURIER • JULY 19, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
politics
Crowley, Ocasio-Cortez have Twitter beef over third party line
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
rpozarycki@qns.com / @robbpoz
After Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
stunned 20-year incumbent Congressman
Joe Crowley in the June 26 Democratic
primary, the lawmaker was quick to
announce his support for her as the next
representative of the 14th Congressional
District covering Queens and Th e Bronx.
But three weeks aft er the political earthquake,
Ocasio-Cortez claimed on Twitter
on July 12 that Crowley had not only
declined to directly concede to her, but
also that he was mounting a challenge to
her on the Working Families Party line.
Crowley was quick to refute both charges.
Ocasio-Cortez made the statement in
referencing a July 11 New York Times
article about third-party candidacies in
New York state, and their impact on primary
and general elections. In addition to
winning the Democratic primary on June
26, she also won the Reform Party line in
the 15th Congressional District located in
the Bronx and Westchester counties.
Although she turned down the Reform
Party line in the 15th District race, the New
York Times article noted that Crowley
remains on the Working Families Party
line in the 14th District race that Ocasio-
Cortez won. Moreover, Working Families
Party State Director Bill Lipton told the
Times that Crowley’s campaign declined
the party’s request that
Crowley vacate their
line.
While sharing the
Times article on July
12, Ocasio-Cortez
seemed to conclude
that Crowley’s apparent
refusal to drop off of the
Working Families line
was an indication that
he remains a challenger
to her candidacy.
“ @ r e p j o e c r o w l e y
stated on live TV that
he would absolutely
support my candidacy.
Instead, he’s stood
me up for all 3 scheduled
concession calls,”
Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.
“Now, he’s mounting
a 3rd party challenge
against me and the
Democratic Party – and
against the will of @NYWFP.”
Less than an hour later aft er she tweeted,
Crowley took to Twitter (through his
campaign account) to insist that he supported
Ocasio-Cortez, but admonished
her for going public with complaints.
“Alexandria, the race is over and
Democrats need to come together. I’ve
made my support for you clear and the
Photo by Jenna Bagcal/THE COURIER
fact that I’m not running,” Crowley
tweeted. “We’ve scheduled phone calls
and your team has not followed through.
I’d like to connect but I’m not willing to
air grievances on Twitter.”
Addressing his continued place on the
Working Families line, Crowley claimed
on Twitter that he wouldn’t campaign on
the line, but he can’t detach himself from
it that easily.
“Lots questions about
WFP line. Was honored
to have their support. I’m
not running,” he tweeted.
“For record you can only
be removed from the ballot
if 1) you move out of NY;
2) die; 3) be convicted of a
crime; 4) accept a nomination
for another offi ce (in a
place I don’t live).”
Th is statement is in line
with existing state election
laws which regulate political
party balloting and nominating
processes.
During an interview on
CBS news program Face the
Nation, Crowley took responsibility
for losing his primary,
again congratulating Ocasio-
Cortez on her win.
“Th is is a big win for her
and for the future of our
country as well and- and you know the loss
I- I have to take the responsibility for that
I did not do as I preach. You know, I talk
about all politics being local. I didn’t remind
folks of my accomplishments,” he said.
Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic nominee
for the 14th Congressional District,
will face Republican nominee Anthony
Pappas in the Nov. 6 general election.
Queens GOP members mixed on Trump’s meeting with Putin
BY RYAN KELLEY
rkelley@qns.com
Twitter @R_Kelley6
President Donald Trump’s meeting
with Russian President Vladimir Putin at
a summit in Helsinki, Finland, this week
sparked a national outcry over Trump’s
perceived compliance with Putin, and
even Queens Republicans have mixed
reactions.
Shortly aft er the July 16 meeting ended,
Councilman Eric Ulrich — the only
elected Republican lawmaker in Queens
County — said on Twitter that he was
“embarrassed” by Trump’s genufl ection
to Putin and that he values being an
American before being a Republican.
“Ronald Reagan is rolling over in his
grave right now,” Ulrich said. “Th e leader
of the Free World basically genufl
ected before Putin and got nothing in
return. I am an American before I am a
Republican and today I am embarrassed
to say the least.”
Th e frustration expressed by Ulrich,
members of the Democratic Party and
the media stems from Trump’s answers
to questions about Russia’s role in tampering
with the 2016 presidential election.
During a joint news conference aft er the
summit between the two leaders, Trump
did not criticize Putin’s denial that Russia
interfered with the election, nor did he
support the fi ndings of the FBI and other
American intelligence agencies which
point to Russian meddling.
Th e press conference came aft er the
leaders met for two hours behind closed
doors with only their interpreters joining
them.
“I have great confi dence in my intelligence
people, but I will tell you that
President Putin was
extremely strong
and powerful in
his denial today,”
Trump said during
the press conference.
Th e meeting also
came just three days
aft er the indictment
of 12 Russian spies
stemming from
Special Counsel
Robert S. Mueller
III’s investigation
of the election tampering.
During the
press conference,
Putin said he would
go as far as inviting
U.S. investigators to
be present in Russia
while Russian
authorities interrogate
the alleged spies.
Trump called
that invitation “an
incredible off er.”
While the president has been vocal in
his opposition to the Mueller-led investigation
and any accusations of collusion
with Russia, many critics view his decision
to not stand up for his own intelligence
agencies while face-to-face with
Putin as troublesome.
Still, other Republicans in Queens
maintained support for the president
amidst this latest wave of criticism. Joann
Ariola, chair of the Queens County GOP,
told the Courier on July 17 that Trump
did what he was supposed to do by meeting
with Putin, and that it is “hard for
him to get a decent portrayal of what took
place” during their meeting because of all
the negative media attention surrounding
him.
“I’m hoping he will have benefi ted the
U.S. at this meeting by making an initial
contact with the leader of the Kremlin, and
that it’s not an alliance, but a line of communications
was opened,” Ariola said.
Ariola added that the Queens County
GOP will continue its support of the president
going forward, even when she or
other members of the panel disagree with
some of his statements.
“I believe that constant protest for any
little thing he does is an abomination,”
Ariola said. “Maybe I don’t agree with
every tweet he sends, but to support him
in his eff orts is American.”
According to the Associated Press,
Trump walked back his comments from
the summit aft er returning to the White
House on July 17. Th e president told
reporters that he accepts the intelligence
agencies’ fi ndings that Russia interfered
in the election, but maintained his denial
that his campaign had colluded in the
eff ort.
Offi cial White House Photo by Andrea Hanks
President Donald J. Trump and President Vladimir Putin of the Russian
Federation hold a joint press conference on July 16, 2018.
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