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niyad

(113,323 posts)
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 01:33 PM Feb 2019

How Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Won the Cohen Hearing

How Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Won the Cohen Hearing

Too many representatives chose to bloviate instead of interrogate — except for one.

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Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez acted like a good prosecutor while questioning Michael Cohen, establishing the factual basis for further committee investigation.

On Wednesday, Michael Cohen, President Trump’s one-time personal lawyer and “fixer,” testified in front of the House Oversight and Reform Committee about what he says are a variety of shady practices he participated in when working for the president. People around the country awaited riveting testimony, some going so far as to join “watch parties” in bars.
. . . . .

Consider the line of questioning from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. She asked Mr. Cohen a series of specific questions about how Mr. Trump had handled insurance claims and whether he had provided accurate information to various companies. “To your knowledge,” she asked, “did Donald Trump ever provide inflated assets to an insurance company?” He had. She asked whether Mr. Trump had tried to reduce his local taxes by undervaluing his assets. Mr. Cohen confirmed that the president had also done that. “You deflate the value of the asset and then you put in a request to the tax department for a deduction,” Mr. Cohen said, explaining the practice. These were the sort of questions, and answers, the committee was supposed to elicit. Somehow, only the newer members got the memo.

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez continued, asking, “Do you think we need to review financial statements and tax returns in order to compare them?” She pressed Mr. Cohen for the names of others who would be able to corroborate the testimony or provide documents to support the charges. In response, Mr. Cohen listed the executives Allen Weisselberg, Ron Lieberman and Matthew Calamari — names that, thanks in part to Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, we will probably hear more about in the coming months. These questions were not random, but, rather, well thought out. Like a good prosecutor, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez was establishing the factual basis for further committee investigation. She asked one question at a time, avoided long-winded speeches on why she was asking the question, and listened carefully to his answer, which gave her the basis for a follow-up inquiry. As a result, Mr. Cohen gave specific answers about Mr. Trump’s shady practices, along with a road map for how to find out more. Mr. Cohen began his testimony calling Mr. Trump a “con man and a cheat”; In just five minutes, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez actually helped him lay out the facts to substantiate those charges.



. . . . .



https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/opinion/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cohen-hearing.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage
28 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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How Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Won the Cohen Hearing (Original Post) niyad Feb 2019 OP
Uh, Wow DarthDem Feb 2019 #1
And really it wasn't just AOC... thesquanderer Feb 2019 #22
This woman is going to go far. Canoe52 Feb 2019 #2
Yes!! dem in texas Feb 2019 #11
Amazing wonderful post Bernie42020 Feb 2019 #3
She is damned good and I'm glad we have her mind on our side. CaliforniaPeggy Feb 2019 #4
Wowsa! Hangdog Slim Feb 2019 #5
And she didn't even use up her entire five minutes. PoindexterOglethorpe Feb 2019 #6
She was asking him about a menu loyalsister Feb 2019 #18
And she's one of those unencumbered Justice Democrats I've heard so much distraction about. . . . . pdsimdars Feb 2019 #7
I don't think she "won" the hearings. She did an excellent job, but so did many of the other Dems EffieBlack Feb 2019 #8
No surprise here. Trumpocalypse Feb 2019 #25
Ah the Calamari guy.... Historic NY Feb 2019 #9
what a charming individual! niyad Feb 2019 #10
Talk about doing your job... B Stieg Feb 2019 #12
...and RWers think she is dumb and doesn't know the three branches of government! LOL! nt Lucky Luciano Feb 2019 #13
She learned the job quickly and efficiently. defacto7 Feb 2019 #14
AOC was showing adept skills in questioning here ZeroSomeBrains Feb 2019 #15
Yes she did and she paved the way for future hearings. jalan48 Feb 2019 #16
Yes, she did!!! Auggie Feb 2019 #17
Isn't ii a breath of fresh air to see intelligent adults asking intelligent questions? apnu Feb 2019 #19
Yes sacto95834 Feb 2019 #20
Republicans in that room were acting like spoiled children apnu Feb 2019 #21
She's a master of social media and uses that as her "campaign" platform imo Arazi Feb 2019 #28
She was great and, overall, I was more impressed with the new members than the veterans. Vinca Feb 2019 #23
It was a thing of beauty. nevergiveup Feb 2019 #24
What a concept. shanny Feb 2019 #26
Very impressive! smirkymonkey Feb 2019 #27

DarthDem

(5,255 posts)
1. Uh, Wow
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 01:42 PM
Feb 2019

I have been critical of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez for some of what I view as needless attacks on other Democrats, but . . . whoa. Yeah. She's not even 30 years old IIRC and does not, I believe, have any legal training, and she did an outstanding job, both in terms of her presentation and substantively, in obtaining helpful information in a concise, direct, and efficient manner. Bravo!

thesquanderer

(11,989 posts)
22. And really it wasn't just AOC...
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 04:08 PM
Feb 2019

...check this one too:

Next came Ro Khanna, and Jimmy Gomez, and Ayanna Pressley, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Rashida Tlaib. And every one of them drove another nail in not just Trump’s coffin, but the coffin of the whole Republican scheme.

details at...

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/2/28/1838239/-Republicans-might-not-know-it-yet-but-the-Michael-Cohen-hearing-was-history-s-door-swinging-shut


 

Bernie42020

(22 posts)
3. Amazing wonderful post
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 01:45 PM
Feb 2019

So this is how a democratic socialist represent themselves? Hmmm, quite impressive, eh?

I have to say, I like it, so far.

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,627 posts)
4. She is damned good and I'm glad we have her mind on our side.
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 01:47 PM
Feb 2019

She obviously had done her homework and it shows.

More power to her.

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,861 posts)
6. And she didn't even use up her entire five minutes.
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 02:02 PM
Feb 2019

Not sure why everyone is comparing here to a prosecutor. My take is that she's not hampered by a law degree and simply is sharp and savvy and good at getting right to the point of things.

She used to wait tables. Too many look down on people like her, but it takes more skill than most realize.

 

pdsimdars

(6,007 posts)
7. And she's one of those unencumbered Justice Democrats I've heard so much distraction about. . . . .
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 02:07 PM
Feb 2019
 

EffieBlack

(14,249 posts)
8. I don't think she "won" the hearings. She did an excellent job, but so did many of the other Dems
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 02:07 PM
Feb 2019

One of the things I appreciated about yesterday's hearing is that it's obvious the Democrats were organized and coordinated their topics and questions in advance so they all covered different areas without stepping all over each other. They also followed up on each other's line of questioning where appropriate, as Ocasio-Cortez did in her questioning.

It was great that Ocasio-Cortez covered this area since it's right in her wheelhouse given her position on Financial Services, which will enable her to follow up on that committee, as well. And she was well-prepared, cool, and sharp. Impressive.

They all did a great job. I was proud of them.

defacto7

(13,485 posts)
14. She learned the job quickly and efficiently.
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 02:56 PM
Feb 2019

I have now come to the conclusion that she really may be ahead of the rest. She hasn't compromised her positions or her zeal but has tempered her delivery so the rest of us and her colleagues can decide for ourselves/themselves of her extraordinary ability. It doesn't need to be telegraphed, just produced. She's going to be (is) a steller representative.

ZeroSomeBrains

(638 posts)
15. AOC was showing adept skills in questioning here
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 03:02 PM
Feb 2019

I think she picked the right committee to show her abilities in cross-examining witnesses and skillfully getting short succinct answers to important direct questions. She is going to be a huge value to Cummings and other Democrats on the committee.

apnu

(8,756 posts)
19. Isn't ii a breath of fresh air to see intelligent adults asking intelligent questions?
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 03:24 PM
Feb 2019

More members of Congress should do this instead of giving campaign speeches with their committee time.

sacto95834

(393 posts)
20. Yes
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 03:29 PM
Feb 2019

I think Ro Khanna and AOC laid the foundation for further investigation. Very happy with the questioning by the Dems. All the Republicans could say was ...but Cohen lied. Like we didn't already know that.

apnu

(8,756 posts)
21. Republicans in that room were acting like spoiled children
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 03:47 PM
Feb 2019

I think the Democratic caucus had a plan yesterday and they choose those three amazing people to execute it, and left Rep. Cummings to throw down in the final statements. The Dems were prepared, the Republicans not so much.

Arazi

(6,829 posts)
28. She's a master of social media and uses that as her "campaign" platform imo
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 08:41 PM
Feb 2019

That frees her up to be direct and concise in these really high profile committee hearings whereas other less tech savvy MOC use these hearings to "campaign", or show off for their constituents at home.

It's a sea change and every Dem needs to master this as well. Immediately

nevergiveup

(4,762 posts)
24. It was a thing of beauty.
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 04:37 PM
Feb 2019

She is totally winning me over. She is sharp as a tack and smart as a whip.

 

smirkymonkey

(63,221 posts)
27. Very impressive!
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 07:38 PM
Feb 2019

Questions that are direct and relevant. There are a number of people who should imitate her style, particularly republicans.

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