McKinney Loss = Morale Boost for AIPAC, Israeli Hawks, Cheney, and Bush

[flyingobject]

Israeli veteran of IDF, relative of holocaust survivors, says,
"all who truly support peace based on justice and human rights
for all peoples ought to support Cynthia McKinney now"

McKinney Loss = Morale Boost for AIPAC, Israeli Hawks, Cheney, and Bush

In 2002, large out-of-state contributions to their primary opponents
led to the defeats of the two sharpest critics of US policies in the
Middle East,African-American Congressmembers Earl Hilliard of Alabama
and Cynthia McKinney of Georgia. During this period when the US is
giving unqualified support to Israel's massive military strikes in
Gaza and Lebanon with weapons accumulated from about $3 billion annually
in US military aid, our attention should be given to Cynthia McKinney's
current primary run-off election on August 8.
A Jewish newspaper has reported that again the pro-Israel lobby
is supporting her opponent. Similar news is given in Black Commentator. .

Before unsheathing the reflex accusations of anti-Semitism, note that
I am Jewish and an Israeli citizen and that I served in Israel Defense Forces.
I have dozens of cousins in Israel, the oldest generation of whom are survivors
of the holocaust from a Polish shtetl, almost all of whose inhabitants
perished in Treblinka. Information that most out of state contributors
to Hilliard's and McKinney's opponents in 2002 were organized by AIPAC,
the Jewish lobbying organization, was carried in a 2002 article in HaAretz,
Israel's leading newspaper, quoted here....

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_andrew_s_060801_mckinney_loss_3dmorale.htm

[stepnw1f]

1. Is This Why We Have Folks Bashing Her... hmmmm?

me thinks some, not all. But very interesting, none the less.

[Missy M]

2. My thoughts also, very interesting....

will she soon be called an anti-semite?

[QuestionAll...]

7. you bet your ass that's right.

no doubt in my mind, and have a few names burnt in memory from the 'cynthia slugged a cop!' days.

[IntiRaymi]

3. The AIPAC has hijacked our republic

We are turning ourselves into 2nd class citizens, thanks to our political apathy.

[DemFromMem]

4. Double standardo

Why is it that when people support McKinney's opponent in her primary, they're stooges for AIPAC or anyone else?

And then in Connecticut, you're fine to support Lamont and oppose Lieberman. The fact of the matter is primary battles are good for Democracies. Incuments SHOULD be challenged and if their views don't reflect the values of their constituents, it is fair to "throw the bum out."

If you support McKinney and her views, great. Donate money for her. Volunteer for her. Vote for her. But if you think she's irresponsible and her positions are wrong, you are doing nothing wrong in supporting a primary opponent and its nonsense for people to insinuate you're doing something wrong in supporting a challenter.

[JackNewtown]

5. 99.99% of AIPAC's money didn't come from her district

Moreover, AIPAC hardly represents public opinion on Israel (well, not American public opinion ;) ). People were upset that people outside her district in 2002--and in Ike Hilliard's district--flooded the opponents of McKinny and Hilliard with money. To make things worse, it was to make an example out of two candidates who dared criticize Israel, not to promote something most of their constituents favored. I haven't followed her race this year so I don't know if AIPAC is trying to unseat her again.

The Lamont case is completely different. Lamont is not getting big donations from fatcats outside of his state and his popularity is due to public opinion, not the financial edge he received because of a small group of ideological zealots concerned with an issue 99% of the public doesn't care about. Then there is the elephant in the room. The progressives outside of CT who back Lamont do so primarily because they believe the Iraq war damaged the US. They aren't doing it to promote the interests of a foreign government. AIPAC is an entity that promotes the interests of a foreign government in Washington. Many people are uncomfortable with an influential lobby pushing the US to support anything a foreign government does, for obvious reasons.

[DemFromMem]

6. AIPAC doesn't raise money for campaigns

They are the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, not the American Israel Political Action Committee. They lobby. They don't (and cannot) raise money for candidates. So it would be incorrect to say any of their money went to McKinney's opponents.