AOC gets just 60 seconds at Biden convention, former GOP Gov. John Kasich gets more

Members of the progressive wing of the Democratic party are voicing their discontent with the Democratic National Convention's decision to allot freshman congresswoman and "Squad"-member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a mere 60-second speaking time.

Progressives take specific issue with AOC's shortened speaking time relative to the lengthier speeches that will be delivered by Republican John Kasich, the former Ohio governor and two-time failed GOP presidential candidate, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was a Republican until 2007. 

Ocasio-Cortez referenced her allotted speaking time in a tweet on Wednesday, in which she quoted the poem "God's Minute," written by civil rights leader Dr. Benjamin E. Mays.

One progressive journalist, Jordan Chariton, tweeted about the announcement of AOC's 60-seconds, "With the @DNC giving John Kasich, Michael Bloomberg, Peter Buttigieg and other Republicans/Republican-lites significantly more speaking time than @AOC...one of the most popular politicians in America...one has to wonder whether they're trying to lose."

The disappointment from progressives surrounding AOC's role at the convention is compounded this week by their disappointment at Joe Biden's selection of a running mate for his presidential ticket. Though Sen. Kamala Harris was the rumored frontrunner for the VP nod for months prior to the official announcement on Tuesday, progressives take significant issue with her history as a California prosecutor.

Cori Bush, a progressive activist who just won a congressional primary in St. Louis, unseating Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr., said of Biden's selection, "I'm not going to tear down another woman of color. But as a progressive, I have to stand with my progressive values. I applaud her for the way she has evolved, but people were hurt while she was figuring out how to evolve." 

Next week's lineup also includes Barack and Michelle Obama, as well as Bill and Hillary Clinton, in addition to a series of other candidates who contended for the presidential nomination this cycle, including Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, and Cory Booker.