Following Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’ (D-NY) proposal to increase the tax rate on top earners to 70% to finance her Green New Deal initiative, she and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) held a twitter debate on Saturday night. Obviously, with Scalise arguing that Americans should be allowed to keep more of their hard earned money, the two were far apart on this issue.

Scalise you will recall, was shot by left-wing activist James Hodgkinson, a Bernie Sanders supporter, in June 2017 at a Congressional baseball practice. He and several others were seriously wounded in the attack.

At one point, intellectual giant AOC tweeted: “You’re the GOP Minority Whip. How do you not know how marginal tax rates work?”

You’re the GOP Minority Whip. How do you not know how marginal tax rates work?

Oh that’s right, almost forgot: GOP works for the corporate CEOs showering themselves in multi-million💰bonuses; not the actual working people whose wages + healthcare they’re ripping off for profit. https://t.co/R1YIng2Ok1

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 6, 2019

Of course, AOC’s followers loved this remark and responded with the following tweets.

“Snipe his ass.”

“She’s got better aim than James Hodgkinson, that’s for sure.”

“Kick his cane.”

Hi @AOC. Happy to continue this debate on the Floor of the People’s House, but it’s clearly not productive to engage here with some of your radical followers. #StayClassy pic.twitter.com/lZCO3oiLUZ

— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) January 6, 2019

Following AOC’s colossally stupid statement and the equally stupid responses of her followers, Scalise ended their exchange tweeting, “Hi @AOC. Happy to continue this debate on the Floor of the People’s House, but it’s clearly not productive to engage here with some of your radical followers. #StayClassy.”

And that was the end of that.

Unfortunately, it’s not the end of the political world’s fascination with AOC. Before signing off, I just wanted to mention (and to recommend) an article by American Greatness’ Julie Kelly that takes a look at what might account for the public’s fixation on this young woman? (Here is the link.)

Kelly calls AOC the “Shadow Speaker” and believes that she’s even had an affect on Nancy Pelosi. AOC has “agitated the Democrats’ policy agenda and created her own caucus of diverse, radical soulmates.” In Pelosi’s acceptance speech, she refers to climate change as “the existential crisis of our time, the climate crisis, a crisis manifested in natural disasters of epic proportions.”

Kelly speculates on why people are paying attention. She writes that AOC is “armed with a hubris born out of inexperience and a leftist worldview born out of economic and historical ignorance, Ocasio-Cortez’s real charm is that she is unafraid to confront the old-guard leadership on Capitol Hill.” Kelly writes:

Her fabulism could be written off if Cortez wasn’t so popular and persuasive. She has a hardcore following in Congress; 40 House Democrats have signed on to her New Green Deal, including Reps. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.) and John Lewis (D-Ga.).

Newcomers Ilhan Omar, an anti-Semite now representing Minnesota, and Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who was joined by activist and anti-Semite Linda Sansour at her swearing-in on Thursday, are Cortez adherents. (Tlaib sparked controversy Thursday night when video leaked of her screaming, “We are going to go in and impeach the motherf—er.”) Omar tweeted a photo of the women with the comment, “They ain’t ready.”

There’s no question Ocasio-Cortez is the star of the Democratic Party right now. Given her cult-like following in Washington, the national press, and on social media, Cortez will be highly sought-after as a campaigner for Democratic presidential hopefuls. She also will be a prolific fundraiser, the fastest way she can curry favor in politics while strong-arming lawmakers and candidates to sign on to her radical agenda.

Nancy Pelosi might have the title, but there is little question who has the might and the message. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the shadow speaker who will refuse to stay in the shadows. This might make for the most interesting political sideshow of 2019.

Looks like we better get used to her.