I'd wager that's the same advice the RAT Old Guard gave Occasional-Cortex early on.
She likely told them to get bent - SHE is the new face of the RAT Party, don-cha-know, and NO old fogey RATs are gonna try to control her!
As a result, the RAT Old Guard are loving every minute of the AOC meltdown. She pisses off her Governor and her Mayor!
So when some pissant little newly-elected Congresswoman disses you, and starts scaring the older constituents (forget about the SJW kids who love her), you step aside and let the little Chihuahua drown in the deep end of the pool.
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When Occasional-Cortex crashes and burns (and what is also likely, gets her legs broken by the New York pols), Pelosi et al. can shed crocodile tears.
(My guess is they're grooming some easily-led Hispanic to challenge her in 2020).