AIPAC and its allies funnel Republican and (illegally) Israeli money into Democratic primaries to defeat progressives. Last cycle they spent millions of dollars to replace Andy Levin (D-MI) and Marie Newman (D-IL) with more conservative candidates. At the same time, they financed conservative candidates against Donna Edwards (MD), Christina Garcia (CA)— elected a lifelong Republican masquerading as a Democrat in a heavily blue district— Nina Turner (OH), Jessica Cisneros (TX), Daniel Lee (CA), Erica Smith (NC), Nida Allam (NC), Angelica Duenas (CA), Summer Lee (PA) and others. The only candidate on that list who prevailed was Summer Lee. And this year, AIPAC is back for another attempt to defeat her.
In fact, AIPAC is boasting that it and its allies will spend $100 million against progressives this year. In immediate danger are the progressives on this page: Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Angelica Duenas (D-CA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Pervez Agwan (D-TX), Cori Bush (D-MO) and, as we mentioned, Summer Lee. AIPAC has been doing this for a very long time, although only recently with money from Republican billionaires. In the past they financed defeats for Democrats who didn’t tow the Likud line, like Cynthia McKinney (GA) and Earl Hillard (AL).
The corrupt Allegheny County political machine is working with AIPAC to elect Bhavini Patel, their right-of-center candidate against Summer Lee. Congressional Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, Pete Aguilar and Ted Lieu have all endorsed Summer. Voters in the area are sick of the corruption and in recent years the machine not only lost to Summer but also lost the Pittsburgh mayor’s office, the county executive’s office and scattered races where progressives have pulverized them.
Yesterday former Ohio state Senator Nina Turner told us that “The pouring in of millions of dollars of dark money from AIPAC and DMFI completely suffocated the voices of the voters in Ohio 11th Congressional District on 2021 and 2022. Moreover, the targeting of Black progressive leaders using more centrist Black candidates as cover is deeply disturbing and has layers of anti-Black racism. More pointedly, groups like these deprive the Black community in particular of picking their own leaders, which hurts the community in the long run. Candidates running for Congress should be able to prioritize the needs of their district first, not the needs of groups lobbying for a foreign government. “
Former Congresswoman Marie Newman had a similar perspective: “More than anything else I'm deeply concerned about how AIPAC, Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) and their 20 affiliate PACs are putting a huge wedge in the Democratic Party, particularly in the House. Those groups are desperate to have all members be conservative or centrist, so they can control them and their votes. In the last 3 months I've talked to several Members of Congress who live in absolute fear of AIPAC and DMFI working against them or primarying them. Ultimately, their bullying of members and donors is starting to backfire. Voters now know who they are and their vile tactics. I believe that this now will work against AIPAC/DMFI/affiliate candidates. I'm hoping that Dem leadership will stop being intimidated by the pro Israel lobby. Rank and file Jewish Americans like my husband want the divisiveness to end. I hope members will stop being intimidated by them.”
Please consider contributing to the candidates being threatened by AIPAC, one of them, all of them, any combination of them. It’s time for all of us to talk to our allies who take money from AIPAC and who empower them. Ethnic cleansing, apartheid and genocide go beyond politics.
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