A Battle Between a Progressive and a Fascist in the U.S. Congress

By David Starr

 

There was chaos in the U.S. Congress when Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) took verbal jabs at each other. This was during a House Oversight Committee meeting held on May 16, 2024.

 

Not surprisingly, Greene initiated the sharp exchange when she said that Crockett had false eyelashes and couldn’t see beyond them. That was a response to a question Crockett was asking about Attorney General Merrick Garland, who the Republicans accused of being in contempt for withholding information from the Congress that involved an audio tape of a discussion between President Joe Biden and Special Counsel Robert Hur.

 

The footage of the argument can be viewed here.

 

Quoted by Rebecca Beitsch in The Hill, Crockett asked, in response to some of Greene’s rhetoric, “Please tell me what that has to do with Merrick Garland. Do you know what we’re here for?”

 

Greene then responded with a cheap shot, “I don’t think you know what you’re here for. I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading.” But it also must be asked, what does that have to do with Merrick Garland?

 

In any case, Greene’s insult didn’t go unanswered. Crockett replied that Greene had a “bleach blonde bad built butch body,” as quoted in The Hindustan Times. And the argument continued.

 

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez joined in the fray by condemning Greene’s remarks as “unacceptable.” Ocasio Cortez added that the remarks were disgusting, and that they be stricken from the record.

 

Then, this exchange occurred between Greene and Ocasio Cortez:

 

Greene: “Are your feelings hurt?”

 

Ocasio Cortez: “Move her words down!”

 

Greene: “aww.”

 

Ocasio Cortez: “Oh! Do not even play, baby girl!”

 

Greene: “Baby, girl? I don’t think so.”

 

In the aftermath, Crockett accused Greene of being “absolutely” racist with her remarks. And Crockett continued: “She is racist. I mean, I don’t have any questions about that. Because, I mean, I don’t know that she’s ever attacked her own colleagues.” 

 

Greene has attacked current House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican and a MAGAite. She wants him to resign from his position. Green struts around like a demented enforcer, lashing out at people who are not up to her standard of purity. 

 

One thing Crockett did not do: she didn’t call Greene a fascist. That label, however, fits Greene. There’s no doubt that there are those on Greene’s side who are fascists. And racist. And ultra-nationalistic.

 

In December 2023, The HuffPost quoted Crockett from an interview with “Charlamagne the God” (?), the host of a talk show. Crockett was asked about a comment she made, calling the Republicans “assholes.”  Crockett replied, laughing, “Cause they are, what do you mean?” There are many reasons to call Republicans assholes, and Crockett’s reason was that they perpetuate “all the drama” in the House Oversight Committee.

 

Crockett then said, “This is where the impeachment inquiry is, and it’s insulting that we have idiots like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Paul Gosar, Jim Jordan. You just name all of the nonsense Republicans, and they sit on this committee, and they sit there so high and mighty. And they talk noise constantly, and they’re like, “Oh, the Biden crime family.’ And I’m like, ‘Sorry have you met the Trumps?’” Although the Biden administration is not totally innocent, Crockett’s sarcastic question is wise and necessary to ask. There is, indeed, a Trump crime family, the biggest example being the 91 indictments against Trump.

 

Although the Democrats and Republicans are ideologically the same, both trying to maintain and expand the rule of capital, which usually is detrimental to the working class and poor, (although the Democrats have a few Left/Progressives), the animosity from both parties is real. In their domestic policies, the Democrats can be called progressive sometimes, while the Republicans are consistently reactionary, and greedy. 

 

The Republicans say they won’t raise taxes, trying to give the impression that they are helping the working class. But they cut taxes for the wealthy while throwing crumbs to the people, like the way trickle-down economics works, which is a failed system.

 

In foreign policy, both parties are essentially the same. But while the Democrats are not as gung-ho as the Republicans for war, both have been responsible for several invasions, occupations and bombings over the years, especially in the Global South. And both have that bottom-line ambition to maintain and expand capital. That’s what it comes down to.

 

Meanwhile, there is that animosity between Democrats and Republicans on the domestic front. Social issues are being paid attention to, with the Democrats favoring certain policies that help the people, like labor rights, trans rights, diversity, etc.  Republicans, especially the MAGAites, wanting to turn back the clock to around the 1950s or even the 1890s when patriarchy was a priority, and racism, discrimination, homophobia and “conquering nature” followed suit.

 

The battle between Jasmine Crockett and Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress is a microcosm of the struggle between progressives and fascists in these times.