Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
MAGA donors funnel millions to Democratic Party opponent of Jan. 6 cop
Wealthy MAGA donors are funneling millions of dollars to the campaign of a Democrat who’s running against former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, a report revealed Saturday. Dunn, who was beaten by rioters on Jan. 6, 2017, is outspoken about the insurrection, giving testimony on Capitol Hill and regularly appearing on MSNBC.
He’s running against state Sen. Sarah Elfreth, among others, for the Democratic nomination to represent Maryland’s third district in Congress. The state’s primary is on Tuesday.
But his opponent has received a multi-million dollar flood of donations from a surprising source — a right-wing super PAC that has raised tens of millions of dollars from donations from some of Trump’s biggest supporters. The United Democracy Project is an arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Salon reported that in March it spent $600,000 on a TV ad campaign boosting Elfreth’s support for abortion rights.
Describing itself as a group of “Democrats, Republicans and Independents” who support “America’s partnership with our democratic ally Israel,” Salon reported the group has now spent $4.2 million backing Elfreth — much more than the $1.4 million her own campaign has raised.
https://www.rawstory.com/harry-dunn-2668234088/
9 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
openly puts fealty to the RW Israeli government above American democracy:
In 2022 AIPAC endorsed 109 Rethug traitors who refused to certify Biden, almost of whom still push the Big Lie
Including the christofash Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Gym Jordan, ultra MAGAt Elise Stefanik, Kevin McCarthy, the crazed gunhumper Greg Steube, Ronny 'Trump's drunk Dr Feelgood' Jackson, Joe 'you lie!' Wilson, John 'I am a racist, climate change denying MAGAt, but look!, Henry Cuellar campaigns and fundraises for me so it's all good' Carter, Troy Nehls, etc etc)
Including the christofash Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Gym Jordan, ultra MAGAt Elise Stefanik, Kevin McCarthy, the crazed gunhumper Greg Steube, Ronny 'Trump's drunk Dr Feelgood' Jackson, Joe 'you lie!' Wilson, John 'I am a racist, climate change denying MAGAt, but look!, Henry Cuellar campaigns and fundraises for me so it's all good' Carter, Troy Nehls, etc etc)
Why pro-Israel lobby group Aipac is backing election deniers and extremist Republicans
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/18/pro-israel-lobby-group-aipac-midterms-election-deniers-and-extremist-republicans
The US’s largest pro-Israel lobby group is backing dozens of racists, homophobes and election deniers running for Congress next month because they have pledged to defend Israel against stiffening criticism of its oppression of the Palestinians. The powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) has justified endorsing Republicans with extremist views, including members of Congress with ties to white supremacist groups and representatives who attempted to block Joe Biden’s election victory, on the grounds that the singular issue of support for Israel trumps other considerations.
But Aipac’s support for rightwing politicians has privately embarrassed some Democrats also endorsed by the powerful group and drawn accusations from more moderate pro-Israel organisations that it is attempting to stifle legitimate criticism of hardline Israeli policies. Logan Bayroff, a spokesman for J Street, a group campaigning for Washington to take a stronger stand to end the occupation of Palestinian territories, accused Aipac of attempting to impose a narrow definition of what it is to be pro-Israel amid shifting views in Democratic ranks.
“Their actions have made clear that they view pro-Israel, pro-peace progressive Democrats as threats – and Trumpist Republicans as allies. That worldview could not be more out of touch with the vast majority of American Jews,” he said. “Aipac may hope to silence and intimidate political leaders who believe that settlement expansion, endless conflict and permanent occupation are harmful to Israel, the Palestinian people and US interests. Ultimately, however, these common-sense views are too popular, widespread and important to be suppressed, and will continue to gain strength within American politics and among the American Jewish community.”
Aipac’s backing of extreme rightwing Republicans follows its $27m advertising campaign during the Democratic primaries to defeat candidates who spoke up for Palestinian rights, mostly with attacks over issues that had nothing to do with Israel. The campaign is part of push by more hawkish pro-Israel groups to shore up support in Congress in the face of rising advocacy for the Palestinian cause within the Democratic party and erosion of approval for Israeli actions among American Jews, particularly younger people.
snip
Among those candidates endorsed by Aipac is the New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a Trump loyalist whose home town newspaper criticised her for “despicable” advertising and “hateful rhetoric” that promoted the racist and antisemitic “great replacement theory”, claiming the US is being flooded with immigrants to outvote white people. The Times Union accused Stefanik of “fear-based political tactics”.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/18/pro-israel-lobby-group-aipac-midterms-election-deniers-and-extremist-republicans
The US’s largest pro-Israel lobby group is backing dozens of racists, homophobes and election deniers running for Congress next month because they have pledged to defend Israel against stiffening criticism of its oppression of the Palestinians. The powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) has justified endorsing Republicans with extremist views, including members of Congress with ties to white supremacist groups and representatives who attempted to block Joe Biden’s election victory, on the grounds that the singular issue of support for Israel trumps other considerations.
But Aipac’s support for rightwing politicians has privately embarrassed some Democrats also endorsed by the powerful group and drawn accusations from more moderate pro-Israel organisations that it is attempting to stifle legitimate criticism of hardline Israeli policies. Logan Bayroff, a spokesman for J Street, a group campaigning for Washington to take a stronger stand to end the occupation of Palestinian territories, accused Aipac of attempting to impose a narrow definition of what it is to be pro-Israel amid shifting views in Democratic ranks.
“Their actions have made clear that they view pro-Israel, pro-peace progressive Democrats as threats – and Trumpist Republicans as allies. That worldview could not be more out of touch with the vast majority of American Jews,” he said. “Aipac may hope to silence and intimidate political leaders who believe that settlement expansion, endless conflict and permanent occupation are harmful to Israel, the Palestinian people and US interests. Ultimately, however, these common-sense views are too popular, widespread and important to be suppressed, and will continue to gain strength within American politics and among the American Jewish community.”
Aipac’s backing of extreme rightwing Republicans follows its $27m advertising campaign during the Democratic primaries to defeat candidates who spoke up for Palestinian rights, mostly with attacks over issues that had nothing to do with Israel. The campaign is part of push by more hawkish pro-Israel groups to shore up support in Congress in the face of rising advocacy for the Palestinian cause within the Democratic party and erosion of approval for Israeli actions among American Jews, particularly younger people.
snip
Pretty inclusive, updated list:
https://jstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AIPAC-Endorsee-List-042022.pdf
AIPAC endorsees that voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election results
Robert Aderholt (AL-04)
Jerry Carl (AL-01)
Barry Moore (AL-02)
Gary Palmer (AL-06)
Mike Rogers (AL-03)
Andy Biggs (AZ-05)
Debbie Lesko (AZ-08)
David Schweikert (AZ-01)
Rick Crawford (AK-01)
Ken Calvert (CA-41)
Mike Garcia (CA-27)
Darrell Issa (CA-48)
Doug LaMalfa (CA-01)
Kevin McCarthy (CA-20)
Jay Obernolte (CA-23)
Doug Lamborn (CO-05)
Kat Cammack (FL-03)
Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25)
Byron Donalds (FL-19)
Neal Dunn (FL-02)
Scott Franklin (FL-15)
Carlos Gimenez (FL-26)
Brian Mast (FL-18)
Bill Posey (FL-08)
John Rutherford (FL-04)
Greg Steube (FL-17)
Daniel Webster (FL-11)
Rick Allen (GA-12)
Buddy Carter (GA-01)
Ross Fulcher (ID-01)
Mike Bost (IL-12)
Jim Baird (IN-04)
Jim Banks (IN-03)
Greg Pence (IN-06)
Ron Estes (KS-04)
Jake LaTurner (KS-02)
Tracey Mann (KS-01)
Hal Rogers (KY-05)
John Kennedy (LA-Sen)
Garret Graves (LA-06)
Clay Higgins (LA-03)
Mike Johnson (LA-04)
Steve Scalise (LA-01)
Andy Harris (MD-01)
Jack Bergman (MI-01)
Lisa McClain (MI-09)
Tim Walberg (MI-05)
Michelle Fischbach (MN-07)
Michael Guest (MS-03)
Trent Kelly (MS-01)
Steven Palazzo (MS-04)
Sam Graves (MO-06)
Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03)
Jason Smith (MO-08)
Matt Rosendale (MT-02)
Adrian Smith (NE-03)
Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02)
Yvette Herrell (NM-02)
Chris Jacobs (NY-24)
Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11)
Elise Stefanik (NY-21)
Dan Bishop (NC-08)
Virginia Foxx (NC-05)
Richard Hudson (NC-09)
Greg Murphy (NC-03)
David Rouzer (NC-07)
Steve Chabot (OH-01)
Bill Johnson (OH-06)
Jim Jordan (OH-04)
Stephanie Bice (OK-05)
Tom Cole (OK-04)
Kevin Hern (OK-01)
Mike Kelly (PA-16)
Dan Meuser (PA-09)
Scott Perry (PA-10)
Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14)
Lloyd Smucker (PA-11)
G.T. Thompson (PA-15)
Jeff Duncan (SC-03)
Ralph Norman (SC-05)
Tom Rice (SC-07)
William Timmons (SC-04)
Joe Wilson (SC-02)
Tim Burchett (TN-02)
Scott DesJarlais (TN-04)
Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03)
Mark Green (TN-07)
Diana Harshbarger (TN-01)
David Kustoff (TN-08)
John Rose (TN-06)
Jodey Arrington (TX-19)
Brian Babin (TX-36)
Michael Burgess (TX-26)
John Carter (TX-31)
Michael Cloud (TX-27)
Lance Gooden (TX-05)
Ronny Jackson (TX-13)
Troy Nehls (TX-22)
August Pfluger (TX-11)
Pete Sessions (TX-17)
Beth Van Duyne (TX-24)
Randy Weber (TX-14)
Roger Williams (TX-25)
Chris Stewart (UT-02)
Ben Cline (VA-06)
Morgan Griffith (VA-09)
Rob Wittman (VA-01)
Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05)
Carol Miller (WV-01)
AIPAC Talking Points Revealed
https://prospect.org/world/2024-03-14-aipac-talking-points-revealed/
NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND – This week, approximately 1,600 foot soldiers from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) congregated inside the garish yet functional Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, for the PAC’s annual policy conference. It took place this year amid Israel’s bloody war in Gaza, which has left at least 30,000 Palestinians dead and is turning into a critical wedge issue in the 2024 elections. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed attendees by videocast, along with Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog. According to an incomplete speaker list, the entire Democratic and Republican leadership in Congress delivered remarks—Sens. Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell and Reps. Hakeem Jeffries and Mike Johnson. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) were both in attendance, among other representatives.
In past years, the conference has been a media spectacle, with a widely disseminated lineup of powerful speakers to showcase AIPAC’s enduring political influence. This year, however, it was locked down, with few social media posts and broadcast speeches, largely because of the threat of disruptions from anti-war protests. The goal of this year’s low-key gathering was to fire up attendees for AIPAC’s 2024 agenda, before sending them off to Capitol Hill to strong-arm Congress on supporting Israel. The Prospect has obtained documents from the conference that preview the PAC’s lobbying blitz on Capitol Hill this week. The documents reveal AIPAC’s legislative strategy and the talking points it will use to support an unconditional $14 billion military funding package that has thus far been held up, among other policy changes. They also include numerous positions on aspects of the U.S. response to the war that have not previously been made public, from abolishing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to opposing recent restrictions imposed by the Biden administration on Israeli settlers. There is no mention of a two-state solution.
“This is damning evidence that AIPAC is completely aligned with the far right of the Israeli government even as tensions emerge between Netanyahu and the Biden administration,” said Raed Jarrar, advocacy director at Democracy for the Arab World Now. Though many of the policy positions are consistent with AIPAC’s past advocacy, this trove of files offers a rare glimpse into the conversations the PAC holds with members of Congress behind closed doors, and the arguments it’s deploying. Though the primary motivation for the conference was lobbying, the event also informed members about the PAC’s congressional spending plans. AIPAC has pledged to drop over $100 million on campaigns this election cycle to defeat any congressional candidates critical of Israel. This week, the PAC touted its prowess to members as “dollar for dollar, the largest contributor to candidates in the 2022 midterm elections,” via its super PAC United Democracy Project. One brochure even pulls quotes from critical articles in The Intercept and Slate as testaments to its pre-eminence as an electoral juggernaut.
AIPAC has long described itself as a bipartisan organization that endorses the full leadership of both parties, despite the fact that financial disclosures show that many of its top donors overwhelmingly back GOP candidates, including former President Trump. Yet in 2022 and this year, almost all of AIPAC’s electoral spending has come in Democratic primaries. At the conference, the lobby did not hide its slant in campaign funding. In one pamphlet given to conference attendees, the only featured Democrats were from safe blue seats where they’d defeated a more progressive “anti-Israel” candidate in the primary, such as Reps. Haley Stevens (D-MI), Shontel Brown (D-OH), and Glenn Ivey (D-MD). The featured Republicans, however, either flipped their seats or represented highly contested frontline races held by only narrow margins. Those were Reps. Young Kim (R-CA), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Ken Calvert (R-CA). It’s been clear for several election cycles that AIPAC might sway the electoral map more so for Republicans, but this document all but signals that directly to its members.
snip
https://prospect.org/world/2024-03-14-aipac-talking-points-revealed/
NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND – This week, approximately 1,600 foot soldiers from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) congregated inside the garish yet functional Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, for the PAC’s annual policy conference. It took place this year amid Israel’s bloody war in Gaza, which has left at least 30,000 Palestinians dead and is turning into a critical wedge issue in the 2024 elections. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed attendees by videocast, along with Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog. According to an incomplete speaker list, the entire Democratic and Republican leadership in Congress delivered remarks—Sens. Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell and Reps. Hakeem Jeffries and Mike Johnson. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) were both in attendance, among other representatives.
In past years, the conference has been a media spectacle, with a widely disseminated lineup of powerful speakers to showcase AIPAC’s enduring political influence. This year, however, it was locked down, with few social media posts and broadcast speeches, largely because of the threat of disruptions from anti-war protests. The goal of this year’s low-key gathering was to fire up attendees for AIPAC’s 2024 agenda, before sending them off to Capitol Hill to strong-arm Congress on supporting Israel. The Prospect has obtained documents from the conference that preview the PAC’s lobbying blitz on Capitol Hill this week. The documents reveal AIPAC’s legislative strategy and the talking points it will use to support an unconditional $14 billion military funding package that has thus far been held up, among other policy changes. They also include numerous positions on aspects of the U.S. response to the war that have not previously been made public, from abolishing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to opposing recent restrictions imposed by the Biden administration on Israeli settlers. There is no mention of a two-state solution.
“This is damning evidence that AIPAC is completely aligned with the far right of the Israeli government even as tensions emerge between Netanyahu and the Biden administration,” said Raed Jarrar, advocacy director at Democracy for the Arab World Now. Though many of the policy positions are consistent with AIPAC’s past advocacy, this trove of files offers a rare glimpse into the conversations the PAC holds with members of Congress behind closed doors, and the arguments it’s deploying. Though the primary motivation for the conference was lobbying, the event also informed members about the PAC’s congressional spending plans. AIPAC has pledged to drop over $100 million on campaigns this election cycle to defeat any congressional candidates critical of Israel. This week, the PAC touted its prowess to members as “dollar for dollar, the largest contributor to candidates in the 2022 midterm elections,” via its super PAC United Democracy Project. One brochure even pulls quotes from critical articles in The Intercept and Slate as testaments to its pre-eminence as an electoral juggernaut.
AIPAC has long described itself as a bipartisan organization that endorses the full leadership of both parties, despite the fact that financial disclosures show that many of its top donors overwhelmingly back GOP candidates, including former President Trump. Yet in 2022 and this year, almost all of AIPAC’s electoral spending has come in Democratic primaries. At the conference, the lobby did not hide its slant in campaign funding. In one pamphlet given to conference attendees, the only featured Democrats were from safe blue seats where they’d defeated a more progressive “anti-Israel” candidate in the primary, such as Reps. Haley Stevens (D-MI), Shontel Brown (D-OH), and Glenn Ivey (D-MD). The featured Republicans, however, either flipped their seats or represented highly contested frontline races held by only narrow margins. Those were Reps. Young Kim (R-CA), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Ken Calvert (R-CA). It’s been clear for several election cycles that AIPAC might sway the electoral map more so for Republicans, but this document all but signals that directly to its members.
snip
Kick in to the DU tip jar?
This week we're running a special pop-up mini fund drive. From Monday through Friday we're going ad-free for all registered members, and we're asking you to kick in to the DU tip jar to support the site and keep us financially healthy.
As a bonus, making a contribution will allow you to leave kudos for another DU member, and at the end of the week we'll recognize the DUers who you think make this community great.
