ROCKAWAY - The question was about health care, or more specifically, Medicare for All.

That's an easy one for CD-11 Congresswoman Analilia Mejia.

She strongly supports Medicare for All, but as she spoke at a Friday night "town hall" at the Islamic Center of Morris County, she deviatred a bit.

"I look at Mitch McConnell and I look at Tom Kean, they took four months of paid leave," Mejia said, referring to the officials' long absence from Congress earlier this year for medical reasons.

The point was obvious. That's a benefit all Americans should have.

As for those who oppose paid family leave and expanding health care, Mejia was quite blunt.

"They are fools and they are selfish," she said, adding that they need to be called out.
Needless to say, the condemnation of Kean, who represents the neighboring 7th District, was more meaningful locally than her criticism of the senior senator from Kentucky.

Earlier, Mejia, who got to Congress after winning a special election in April (replacing Mikie Sherrill), said she likes to think of herself as an "organizer"  and activist more than a politician.

To that end, she expressed disappointment that she sees some of her colleagues in the House voting on some issues merely for political reasons.

Too many people in DC, she said, are beholden to money and the influence it wields, which she called "golden handcuffs."

Winning the special election was easy in a district with about 65,000 more registered Dems than Republicans.

But to get there, she won an 11-person primary, helped by her organizing skills and left wing views.

Those views have not changed.

There were also questions about AI, which has been all over the news the last week.

Noting that AI executives themselves have raised alarms about the future, she said, "We need a moratorium, It has to be global."

The potential of AI is unknown, which leads to fears, or at least, uncertainty.

The congresswoman said she doesn't want to scare anyone, but, "You should be alarmed."

Mejia faces Republican Joe Hathaway in the November election in a rematch of the April contest.