Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday singled out AIPAC as a ‘special interest group pushing a wildly unpopular agenda,’ starting a new debate about the pro-Israel organization’s involvement in the party
The debate has been simmering since AIPAC’s United Democracy Project super PAC spent unprecedented sums to unseat two progressive Democrats in their respective primaries over the summer – largely, but not exclusively, bankrolled by donations from Republican megadonors in an election year that was far and away the most expensive in history.
As internal Democratic debate over the party’s ills and its future reached fever pitch in recent days, AIPAC was once again catapulted to the center of the matter.
“Weird to have a whole discourse about ‘special interest groups’ that completely leaves out corporate and industry lobbies – by far the most influential ‘groups’ in the Democratic Party,” Jeremy Slevin, a senior adviser to AIPAC foe Sen. Bernie Sanders, wrote on Sunday.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the most nationally prominent AIPAC critic despite, ironically, being attacked from the left as an apologist for the group earlier this summer, singled out the pro-Israel organization while echoing Slevin’s point. “If people want to talk about members of Congress being overly influenced by a special interest group pushing a wildly unpopular agenda that pushes voters away from Democrats then they should be discussing AIPAC,” she tweeted in response.
AIPAC is blue NRA. They both need to be disbanded.
They aren’t even blue. They do not care about our political parties. Their interest is as a lobby group to benefit Israel. It’s full name is The American Israel Public Affairs Committee. And the contents match the name on the tin.
They aren’t alone, just to throw a dart and find a couple from the hundreds of organizations as an example, there’s the Japan External Trade Organization and the Irish National Caucus. That there is such a group isn’t alarming. What’s alarming is their level of influence in Democratic Party Politics while obviously preferring Trump and conservative Democrats. Other groups simply lobby for their interest, whereas AIPAC seeks to shape the field of play for our domestic politics, in the favor of Israel.
The fact that there is such a group absolutely is alarming. If the DNC had just some SCOTUS picks or a senate supermajority they could end Citizens United, add new maximum political donations, and we could all put this nightmare behind us, but that’s never going to happen.
Biden had a trifecta, they could have pushed legislation to reorganize SCOTUS. This is yet another issue on the flaming pile of things Democrats could have done but did not because it’s better to be able to campaign on it.
Dems had 48 to Republican 50 under Biden’s first two years, only got to pick a majority leader who calls votes because of 2 independents caucusing and the Vice President Tiebreaker.
After 2 years it became 48:3:49 and they no longer held the House, either.
Dismissing SCOTUS judges would require supermajority, while expanding the court was highly controversial.
Re-organizing the court is a normal bill. And yes the Republicans are going to make sure anything they don’t like is highly controversial. If that’s why you aren’t doing something then you’re just keeping their seat warm for them.
Controversial as in even getting 48 Democrats on board would be difficult, but even if they did then they still couldn’t pass a normal bill without Republican help as I outlined they were outnumbered for all 4 years.
The independents are more progressive than them, not less. And keeping the filibuster is a self inflicted injury.
I have no sympathy for the boy who does nothing more than cry wolf while he loses his sheep.
Hell of a picture choice, Haaretz. Bra-vo.
AOC is going to Obama us so hard.
Little known fact about AOC
A corporatist sleeper cell, hand-picked by the establishment.
You should worry about how the new president, congress and house will do to you so hard before you start to complain about some futuristic fantasy scenario. After the burning pain you will wish, nay pray, for an AOC run government as an alternative. Perceived AOC ‘troubles’ will positively feel like Aloe Vera for that burning spot where the sun don’t shine. But first, the relentlessness pounding you will take for 4 years straight.
Ehm, and its not that you voted for the orange clown, did you? Perhaps you are an abstain vote? Could this be a self inflicted pain I wonder?
Do you think I’m not? It’s funny to hear partisan hacks. They don’t know how to defend themselves. They just default to calling someone a Trumper. I’m not a Trumper. Do you have any thing valid to say other than telling that I shouldn’t hold my elected officials (no matter their party) to their words and carefully vetting their alliances? Do you buy into identity politics so heavily that you refuse to research your demagogues? If so, grow up!
Not partisan, I cannot vote for one or the other. There is no need to defend as I encountered no attack. I am grown up.
Your response makes little sense to me. Just warning you about what is going to happen instead of what you propose might happen under AOC.
They’re just participating in a bit of dramatic virtue signaling. Looks like the candidate they voted for is also a member of Justice Democrats, the entire reason he went on his conspiratorial rhetoric about AOC.
Ends up their “research” isn’t very good.
And what politician on your ballot passed your highly rigorous ethical research? Who did you end up voting for?
Rashida Tlaib
Lol, Rashida Tlaib is a member of Justice Democrats… The same evil cabal that you accused of orchestrating AOC’s ascension to the future presidency…
How did this get by your super in depth ethics based research?
You voted for Tlaib? Not saying you didn’t, or anything… Just pretty unlikely given that she is 1 of 435 possible Reps.
I was answering your first question.
So did you vote or not?
Yes
Lol, id hardly call Justice Democrats “the establishment”. They are libs of course, but it’s just a pet project of some of Sanders old campaign staff and a dude from the Young Turks.
I don’t think they’re even operational anymore, and there only real goal was to make libs slightly more progressive. Assigning so much control and enigma to the project of a few fail sons is giving them too much credit.
People need to stop engaging in so much conspiratorial thinking, reality is usually much a lot more simple and boring than people like to suppose.
I’m with you on the whole reality being much more boring bit, but simple? I don’t think so.
All of our problems are interconnected. I find it hard to talk about any issue without having to work backwards up the cascading flowchart of money to corruption to capitalism to heirarchy and the deep indoctrination into these systems of control.
And I don’t mean in a conspiratorial way, I mean in the way that any issue you point out has larger, macro issues the feed into these more specific micro issues. In short: the fruit is poisoned because the tree is poisoned because the seeds were poisoned because the farmer was poisoned and the soil itself has taken on the poison and spreads to every other tree.
Maybe a better word for simple would have been straight forward. It’s a complex web of tit for tat, but the underlying motivation and how it’s actually accomplished is fairly straightforward.
There is no reason to believe that there is a need to create a secret society of liberal ngo that hand pick the future president. Pacs and political think tanks are completely legal, and have no real fear of operating in the daylight.
People need to stop engaging in so much conspiratorial thinking
If it barks like a neolib, excuses genocide like a neolib, breaks national labor strikes like a neolib, kisses Papa bear Pelosi’s ass like a neolib, it just might be a neolib.
The same genocide-excusing Sanders that has been the quintessential sheepdog for the DNC since he was cheated in 2016? Sanders literally sold his list of supporter info to the DNC after 2016. Ask me how I know.
If it barks like a neolib, excuses genocide like a neolib, breaks national labor strikes like a neolib, kisses Papa bear Pelosi’s ass like a neolib, it just might be a neolib.
Lol, I wasn’t making any claims on neoliberalism. I was just saying the org Justice Democrats isn’t some cabal of movers and shakers planting neolib sleep agents…
Stop being so fucking dramatic.
I’m not the one appearing in the comment section to excuse a congresswoman that was groomed in an American Idol style talent search and has shown all the signs of someone being primed for the highest office EXACTLY like Obama was.
She’ll bravely grandstand against Trump throughout his presidency. Then, she’ll be the next President. Just watch.
Shall we get the remindMebot in here to let time tell us who was right in 5 years?
not the one appearing in the comment section to excuse a congresswoman that was groomed
Lol, is the leader of the secret society of liberals in the room with you right now?
Again, I’m not defending anyone here. I’m just simply pointing out that the organization you are accusing of being in charge of the entire outlook of dnc is a pretty straightforward liberal think tank that is now defunct.
They did this for dozens of candidates, and failed with the vast majority of them. I think the only two people I can think of who are still around are aoc and ilhan Omar.
You are just giving them and the Democrats way too much credit.
Tbh, I’m not really sure how the dnc will respond to the trump presidency, but it would surprise me if they don’t stumble through the process and ultimately end up even further center right.
It’s called corporate strategy. Regulatory capture is a real, PERVASIVE thing. Come back to this comment section after you read even a paragraph of Chomsky.
Regulatory capture is a real, PERVASIVE
No shit…
How does regulatory capture play into your highly specific accusation?
Does the org have a history of involving itself in regulatory capture? Do it’s members work for other organizations that involve themselves in regulatory capture? What specific bills have Omar or aoc put towards forward that you think are part of regulatory capture, and how is the defunct org that sponsored them in 2016 involved?
Again, you are taking generally true concepts and then applying them very specific accusation with little to no real logic or evidence. This is conspiratorial thinking
Maybe just pump the brakes and breathe for a second? You are starting to sound like some pizza gate schizophrenic.
Bro why are you so mad at this woman? Take a breath.
They are libs of course,
oooOOO! Those libs! So cucked! wompwomp
Jesus fucking christ.
How performative… Everyone, please clap.
I get your point but I feel like she’s much more of a mid liberal than a “sleeper cell”.
Call it what you want. I’ve seen it so many times, I’d be shocked to be wrong at this point.
You would have to admit to being wrong first which from your comments seems like something beyond your ability.
Blocked
This account is might be one to un-block. Does great work on spreading awareness about how terrible first past the post is. A necessary component of a saved world. It’s not all bad.
😂
So glad you blocked me.
Now, why would you go and waste your time replying to someone who blocked you when they’re never going to see it? Unless… is it possible that you’re upset about it? Did you want the last word?
I did it for your sake, clearly.
It’s the latter. I understand now, thanks.
Well the elections are over. Now the politicians who fell in line for the 2024 neocons can get out of line. So they can ensnare a new base to fall in line for the neocons in 2028.
Wouldn’t want those people to organize around an alternative party which is not the Democrats.
I understand the downvotes you’re getting, but this take isn’t far off the level of cynicism I’m feeling now.
That’s the weirdest support for a third party I’ve ever seen. None.
WHO are you talking about? Jill Stein? One of the Pokemon or something? What fully-considered third party is your gravely serious suggestion?
I know. You don’t have one. And you won’t for 3.5 years.
Having an active imagination is great. But all the third parties did not pack up their bags and go to a hotel in Moscow.
They are all still in America. Still working on the ground. Including the Greens.
Keep a close eye on that Green party, my guess is that you will see and hear nothing for 3.5 years and then they magically start bleating again in the next presidential election.
In fact, I would put money on it but the betting offices are no fools and do not take that particular bet.
Just because Democrats stop talking about them does not mean they stop existing
Existing and being relevant are two very different things. They don’t try to win local elections or midterms. As far as a party goes… they’re like a surprise party with one person, no decorations, no cake, and no presents. And then they get pissy when you call that out and leave.
Harris had a 5 point lead until she opened her mouth.
The greens aren’t still working on the ground; they’ve already accomplished their goal of getting Trump elected.
Nobody has put in more work to get Trump elected than Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
I am still amazed they managed to pull off this massive of a loss against the easiest possible opponent.
against the easiest possible opponent
If policies or respect actually mattered in politics, I would agree with you. But, Trump has a few things going for him:
- A cult of personality.
- Endless media coverage.
- Alternative facts.
- Emotionally-driven campaign goals.
- His “tell it how it is” attitude and lack of self-censorship.*
*Not that much of it is based in reality, but freedom of speech diehards appreciate that.
How exactly is Trump the “easiest possible opponent”?
Harris had 5 point lead before opening her mouth.
Harris dropped out in the 2020 primary because she polled less than 1%. She only got to run because the the DNC convinced themselves they could run an even worse candidate against Trump until three months before the election.
They are all still in America. Still working on the ground. Including the Greens.
Hahahaha… Assuming any of this is good faith, you must be very young.
The Green Party is not a real party, and if you think they’re going to do shit until the next presidential election (assuming we have one), then you’re in for a massive disappointment.
They’ve been doing this for at least 30 years now. If they were a real party, they wouldn’t vanish for 4 years.
Now is not the time to talk about third party, there is barely 4 years until the next election.
Let me start by saying I do get the sarcasm. I’m one of the people who likes to solidify behind the leftmost feasible candidate which is always the Dems.
Now it’s exactly the time to go full bore third party and try to get ranked choice voting on ballots. Make the joke all you want about it being too late, I stand behind my decision and believe that anything after primary season, no matter what fuckery occurred during the primaries, is too late. No one thinks it’s too late today except people who are paid to think that.
Next election? You sure?
Thanks to the disaster that is first past the post, that battle will either
A) be fought and won as a battle for control of the Democratic party, or
B) be a fight between democrats and new party, with Republicans emerging the victors.
The only option under first past the the post is a united left and center, including the corporatist fascist-chasers. We need to unite (which is easier under better, progressive ideas) as one giant anti-extremist blockade.
Any plan that does not factor in the facts in this video has a 100% chance of failing: https://youtu.be/s7tWHJfhiyo
Dissatisfaction must be channeled in ways that do not feed further failure.
What the fuck are you even talking about and how does drivel like this get upvoted? This election seems to have fried some people’s brains.
Who are the “neocons” you’re referring to? Seems like you don’t know what that word means.
