To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

×
Promising a 'Radical Realignment of Our Priorities,' Ocasio-Cortez Tells Los Angeles Crowd That the Sanders Campaign Can Change the Country

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) speaks at a rally for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in Venice, California on Saturday. (Photo: Penny Lane/Twitter)

Promising a 'Radical Realignment of Our Priorities,' Ocasio-Cortez Tells Los Angeles Crowd That the Sanders Campaign Can Change the Country

"For anyone that accuses us of instituting purity tests, it's called having values. It's called giving a damn."

A crowd of around 20,000 people listened on Saturday as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez laid out how the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign would work to reshape society in a fundamentally fairer and more democratic way.

"This is a movement decades in the making," said Ocasio-Cortez.

The first-term New York Democrat told the crowd that the fact pundits and politicians only care about how to fund government programs when they benefit the poor, but not when they're for war or tax breaks for the rich, shows that budgets are moral documents that determine a society's priorities.

"They tell us, dollar and dime, how much we value ourselves and our priorities," said Ocasio-Cortez. "In that order."

"And what this campaign is about," she continued, "is a radial realignment of our priorities in the United States of America."

The crowd for the rally was estimated at 20,000 people.

Before Ocasio-Cortez spoke, actor Tim Robbins and activist and professor Cornel West both took the stage to rally the crowd.

Ocasio-Cortez asked the crowd of supporters to do whatever they can for the Sanders campaign.

"I want to ask you to wear out your shoes for this," she said.

The congresswoman also dismissed the centrist argument that asking for progressive values to be reflected in Democratic leadership is too much.

"For anyone that accuses us of instituting purity tests, it's called having values," said Ocasio-Cortez. "It's called giving a damn."

Join Us: News for people demanding a better world


Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place.

We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference.

Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today!

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
alexandria ocasio-cortezbernie sanders

A crowd of around 20,000 people listened on Saturday as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez laid out how the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign would work to reshape society in a fundamentally fairer and more democratic way.

"This is a movement decades in the making," said Ocasio-Cortez.

The first-term New York Democrat told the crowd that the fact pundits and politicians only care about how to fund government programs when they benefit the poor, but not when they're for war or tax breaks for the rich, shows that budgets are moral documents that determine a society's priorities.

"They tell us, dollar and dime, how much we value ourselves and our priorities," said Ocasio-Cortez. "In that order."

"And what this campaign is about," she continued, "is a radial realignment of our priorities in the United States of America."

The crowd for the rally was estimated at 20,000 people.

Before Ocasio-Cortez spoke, actor Tim Robbins and activist and professor Cornel West both took the stage to rally the crowd.

Ocasio-Cortez asked the crowd of supporters to do whatever they can for the Sanders campaign.

"I want to ask you to wear out your shoes for this," she said.

The congresswoman also dismissed the centrist argument that asking for progressive values to be reflected in Democratic leadership is too much.

"For anyone that accuses us of instituting purity tests, it's called having values," said Ocasio-Cortez. "It's called giving a damn."

A crowd of around 20,000 people listened on Saturday as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez laid out how the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign would work to reshape society in a fundamentally fairer and more democratic way.

"This is a movement decades in the making," said Ocasio-Cortez.

The first-term New York Democrat told the crowd that the fact pundits and politicians only care about how to fund government programs when they benefit the poor, but not when they're for war or tax breaks for the rich, shows that budgets are moral documents that determine a society's priorities.

"They tell us, dollar and dime, how much we value ourselves and our priorities," said Ocasio-Cortez. "In that order."

"And what this campaign is about," she continued, "is a radial realignment of our priorities in the United States of America."

The crowd for the rally was estimated at 20,000 people.

Before Ocasio-Cortez spoke, actor Tim Robbins and activist and professor Cornel West both took the stage to rally the crowd.

Ocasio-Cortez asked the crowd of supporters to do whatever they can for the Sanders campaign.

"I want to ask you to wear out your shoes for this," she said.

The congresswoman also dismissed the centrist argument that asking for progressive values to be reflected in Democratic leadership is too much.

"For anyone that accuses us of instituting purity tests, it's called having values," said Ocasio-Cortez. "It's called giving a damn."

alexandria ocasio-cortezbernie sanders