evidence: As one of the most prominent new members of Congress (she has 538,000 Twitter followers), Omar has an opportunity that few ever get. Instead of spending her first few weeks on Capitol Hill pushing a progressive agenda, she’s had to defend herself from accusations of anti-Semitism. Before the latest blow-up, she had already had to address a 2014 tweet saying that Israel "hypnotized the world." What a waste of precious time when you have a real chance to help shape the trajectory of your party’s politics.