Four months after voting "present" when the House voted to support Israel in whatever it wanted to do in Gaza, Congresswoman Donna Edwards of Maryland is already feelin the heat (or the hate, depending how you see these things). Politico reports that she may be on the Cynthia McKinney track, a black progressive congresswoman targeted by the lobby for pro-Palestinian sympathies:
There are already signs that the Jewish community is preparing to back
a primary challenge to Edwards. Last month, Maryland Del. Herman Taylor
attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference
in Washington — in no small part, he said, to gauge support for a run
against Edwards.
“I have a lot of friends in the Jewish community,” Taylor told
POLITICO. “There seems to be a lot of people not completely thrilled
with her lack of support for Israel.”
“I do think there are people who would like to back a pro-Israel
candidate against Donna Edwards,” said Larry Fishbein, the president
and publisher of the Washington Jewish Week newspaper. “She is
certainly opening the door to another candidate who would be more
receptive to the Jewish vote.”
As if it's about a vote. Jews make up 15 percent of her district, per Politico. No, it's mostly about money. Happily, J Street defends Edwards. That may be the real news here. Cover in the Jewish community, and Jewish fundraising community, for Edwards's evenhanded views. Note Edwards's other infraction: she went to Gaza over Memorial Day. Israel too.
P.S. Headline in Politico: Should Edwards be Shvitzing? A Yiddish word for sweating, I think. Do we really need this cuteness when you're talking about political blackmail?
I wonder if J Street could, or would, provide the financial backing necessary to defeat the AIPAC challenge. Will this be a proxy war or is J Street just another pro-Israel lobby in sheep's clothing? It'll be interesting to see what happens. And all of us should put our money where our mouth is.
Time to help Rep. Edwards get re-elected.
When stealth Pro-Israel PACs were being set up in the late 1970's, their comparative advantage was the ability to channel decisive sums to key races in coordination with AIPAC. Single issue donations grew from $99 thousand in 1976 to $10.9 million by 1988. It was enough to knock off Findley, McCloskey and a host of other pols who refused to vote AIPAC's way and completely corrupted Congress. When AIPAC was finally outed by the WAPO violating election laws in 1988, the FEC had to be sued, it refusing to enforce election laws and contribution limits. The FEC has fought till this day (20 years later) and the issue has still not been decided in court (last scheduling hearing was a few weeks ago). In this country, right now, AIPAC could pretty much tie Donna Edwards up in her Aeron and put her in a Shugard storage unit until the election was over. Eric Holder wouldn't prosecute. But if he did, Judge T.S. Ellis would force attorneys to prove they "intended to harm" aspirant Edwards. That is the state we're in. Thank you AIPAC.
single issue politics is what defines aipac and certain members of the american jewish community.. it makes jewish americans look bad when they focus on only whether something is good for israel and vote on the basis of that… aipac and the nra have a lot in common…
When stealth Pro-Israel PACs were being set up in the late 1970's, their comparative advantage was the ability to channel decisive sums to key races in coordination with AIPAC. Single issue donations grew from $99 thousand in 1976 to $10.9 million by 1988. It was enough to knock off Findley, McCloskey and a host of other pols who refused to vote AIPAC's way and completely corrupted Congress.
The NRA, without defending it, has nothing in common with AIPAC: NRA lobbies for issues affecting the US, embedded in the constitution. AIPAC was set up to help a foreign country, by an employee of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. NRA is open in its bullying, AIPAC likes to sneak around. NRA raises funds in the US, AIPAC's founder and parent organization got their startup funding from overseas. NRA isn't routinely involved in law enforcement dustups; AIPAC officials have gone to jail for election fraud and been indicted for espionage, The NRA plausibly complies with IRS and tax regulations that its nonprofit status benefit Americans. AIPAC cannot, but benefits from tax exempt status anyway. NRA trumpets its victories, however controversial (DC gun handgun ban law overturned) AIPAC does not (Iraq invasion) The NRA has 4 million members, the AIPAC claims 100,000.
I doubt J Street ever got anyone elected. It's time for you "progressives" to ante up.
Judge Ellis is a superb judge. You "progressives" are just bad losers.
We will.
AIPAC also has the blood of 5,000 American soliders on its hands. Neo-con nation.
Ellis is a traitor.
Is there a way we can get all these AIPAC loyalists in a stuck elevator with David Duke?
single issue politics is the connection.. that's all.. actually those who vote on the basis of single issues are generally more fanatical and i would give both the nra and aipac this same description as well..
Hopefully they would beat his arse. Your antisemitism, if that is what it is and you are not a 'false flag' dork trying to turn readers off from this site, is not welcome here.
How about NARAL?
This is corruption, yet our government points to the corruption of other countries' elections…
Judge Ellis is so superb that he hasn't yet bothered to send convicted spy for Israel Larry Franklin to prison. Mr. Franklin pled guilty 3 years and 4 months ago, and is still walking around free collecting a United States government pension check every month, after betraying it and our people. The travesty of justice that was the AIPAC spy case continues. There is a story here. Federal Bureau of Prisons, Inmate Locator, Larry Franklin http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Tran...
Already written, Franklin walks: DOJ moves to reverse AIPAC espionage case guilty plea and jail time http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_4...
a few comments: first, i am unaware of all the legal questions regarding contributions to political campaigns, but from a certain perspective, if there is a 15% jewish constituency in edwards' district, this makes it far more "fair" for jewish hardliners to make contributions and it makes it unfair for you to use the term black mail. also: i think it is in poor taste for politico to use the word shvitz, which indeed means sweat not because it's too cute, but because of its similarity to the word shvartze, which is usually used as a derogatory and means black.
My republican congressman has voted "present" on every foreign and aid bill concerning Israel. He's voted that way for 20 years and hasn't been bothered by AIPAC. He is obviously untouchable by the lobby..due to the fact that we are southern mid atlantic east coast.without a large number of jews….a jewish candidate running on support for Israel would never make it in my region. If you notice Jews get elected mostly in states with large numbers of jews….NY, Fla, Nev,Calif. NJ,etc.. I think the time is not far off when we will have an opposition group, or strike force so to speak, to the jews that will operate in campaigns in various states. Now that we have killed the anti semite meme of the zionist and put the jewish/ Israel questions where it belongs…. the question of "America's" interest vr the foreign country of Israel's interest….AIPAC can now be fought easily by numerous public figures and the now educated public on the subject.
Obviously you have no sense of humor…..that was funny…and obviously meant to be funny. Thumbs down to you……get over yourself..
The political process allows for targeting specific elected officials to oppose. Anti-war advocates targeted the pro-war and pro-torture senator from Connecticut and anti-Israeli aggression advocates should target Rep. Harman of California to oppose in her next election. Rep. Edwards is being targeted by pro-Israeli expansion advocates, and she should call them dual loyalists and point out all of the non-Maryland money being poured into her opponent(s) campaign(s). One does not know if the voters in Maryland are as stupid or as blood thirsty as those in Connecticut, but they should be given the benefit of the doubt and have their civic duty appealed to.
RE: "Time to help Rep. Edwards get re-elected." Donna Edwards for Congress – http://www.donnaedwardsforcongress.com/
American, You need to do a bit of research into the way that AIPAC works. First, they don't back Jewish candidates only. They would probably prefer, in your "southern mid atlantic east coast" area, to back a goy who will dance to their tune. Second, the number of Jews in your area is meaningless; if they want to take your congressman down, the donations to his opponent will come from NYC, New Jersey, Florida, and California. PM
Relax webmaster. I don't think you call the shots here.
Watch the film: 'The Israel lobby – The influence of AIPAC on US Foreign Policy' – 51:12minutes It will provide some insight.
Bullshit. There is no such congressman. http://www.weaselzippers.net/blog/2009/01/five-co...
In response to a J-Street email I just made a donation to the Donna Edwards re-election campaign. How about it progressives?
I've actually seen AIPAC sponsored groups with "Israeli officials" in tow visiting churches in small towns in the South where there are few, if any, Jews. Also, I'm not exactly sure of the boundaries of Cynthia McKinney's old district, but I don't think it had a very large Jewish constituency, either. My understanding is that AIPAC sends money all over the nation, like most large lobbying groups. BTW, Cynthia McKinney is a nut, and she kept her position as long as she did for one reason, and one reason only. If progs claim her, it truly says something about them.
The problem with this sort of 'democracy' is its dependent on who has the most money. It ensures that corruption flourishes,and the worst sort gain entry to office. Its not surprising that Congress adn senate are so pro-israel…who has pays the piper calls the tune.
See the comments at 1:09 by McKinney's racist Black Panther security guard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2CRQAY0QOQ When McKinney lost her re-election bid, it was the best thing possible for Georgia and the USA: During her congressional career, she voted: against the development of a national missile defense system; against the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001; against the post-9/11 anti-terrorism measure known as the Patriot Act; against allowing the U.S. government to use electronic surveillance to investigate suspected terrorist operatives; against an October 2002 joint resolution authorizing U.S. military action in Iraq; against the establishment of military commissions to try enemy combatants captured in the war on terror; in favor of withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq immediately and by a preordained date; against the Real ID Act, which proposed to set minimal security requirements for state driver licenses and identification cards; against separate proposals calling for the construction of some 700 miles of fencing to prevent illegal immigration along America's southern border; against a proposal to grant state and local officials the authority to investigate, identify, and arrest illegal immigrants; against major tax cut proposals in September 1998, March 2000, May 2001, and May 2006; against a welfare reform bill designed to move people off the welfare rolls and into paying jobs; in favor of prohibiting oil and gas exploration in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR); against a proposal to fund offshore oil exploration along the Outer Continental Shelf; against school vouchers in Washington, DC; against ending racial preferences in college admissions; in favor of legislation to impose nationwide same-day voter registration on election days (a move that would have eliminated most checks and safeguards that prevent fraudulent voting); and in favor of cutting U.S. aid to Israel.
You're a delusional twit. Many Americans have been murdered by Hezbollah (241), the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Iraq. All Islamic groups.
I don't know about Edwards, but McKinney's first defeat had nothing to do with AIPAC or Jewish money, rather it had to do with the crossover vote of Republicans in the 2002 primaries. The idea that this was somehow connected directly with Jewish money had to do with the fact that her father appeared on television the night before the election and claimed that "Jews have bought everybody … J-E-W-S." That was the extent of it. In 2006, McKinney was turned out of office by the voters because, basically, she is a nut who, among other things, attacked a Capitol Police Officer for demanding her identification.
C'mon, you can blame it on the Jews. its ok. Just go with it : )
Do we really need this cuteness? C'mon, Phil, you use 'cute' headlines too. It's an almost universal and so far incurable Jewish-American journalistic vice.
Schvitzing does mean "sweating" in Yiddish, but not in the English sense. It actually is more like "showing off".
No god bless Cynthia McKinney.
I voted for Cynthia McKinney and I do not regret it one bit… She wrote a very honest letter to President Obama: Cynthia McKinney Statement on Obama Actions Thus Far re Gaza "Mr. President: Give Us a Clean Break from War" http://www.opednews.com/articles/Mr-President-Giv...
I don't usually evaluate politicians by what their security guards say (or don't say). As for the substantive part of your post, she sounds like a fantastic politician to me. (And, pray tell, what do school vouchers in D.C. have to do with the Israel/Palestine question? (And what, incidentally, was the position of D.C.'s pseudo-representative on the question?))
I think you meant to say "she sounds like a FANATIC politician". At least that's what an intelligent person would gather from her nutty comments about 9/11, Jewish "control" and other conspiracy theories.