* You can click the pics to see the full mailers, but two of Rush Darwish’s pieces in the 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary have contained this reference to candidate Marie Newman…
I gotta say, this made me uncomfortable, particularly since the hit was coupled with a slam on Rahm Emanuel, who is Jewish.
* So, I asked the Darwish campaign why the pro-Israel thing was worthy of inclusion. The response…
From our Baseline Survey, conducted late October 2019
If your next Representative in Congress could only have one of the following traits, which is more important to you?
29% A Congressperson who is being supported by Pro-Israel PACs and whose foreign policy reflects this support.
71% A Congressperson whose foreign policy will reflect the views of his or her constituents, keeping in mind that the 3rd District has the largest Palestinian-American community in the United States.
From our Tracking Survey, conducted January 15- 20, 2020:
Marie Newman claims to be progressive, but political insiders like the former head of Rahm Emanuel’s SuperPAC are raising big money for her. J Street PAC members have also raised nearly $100,000 for Newman. That’s why the majority of Marie Newman’s donors are wealthy elites from outside the 3rd District.
More likely to vote for Dan Lipinski: 24%
More likely to vote for Marie Newman: 12%
More likely to vote for Rush Darwish: 33%
Doesn’t impact my view: 31%
I reached out three different ways to the Newman campaign and haven’t yet heard back.
Your thoughts on this tactic?
- Chuck - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:02 pm:
Love that the 71% number comes as an answer to a classic push poll question.
This is pretty disgusting.
- DarkDante - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:03 pm:
Palatable or not, Rush has obviously identified his base, and is swinging for it.
- Precinct Captain - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:03 pm:
Wouldn’t it be more effective to paint these donations as coming from just DC insiders? At the same time, how many Palestinian Americans are voting the 3rd CD Dem primary?
- JB13 - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:08 pm:
Well, I suppose if there are points to be awarded for being honest about your bigotry, then, we’ve got a winner
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:09 pm:
== Your thoughts on this tactic?==
Probably a good idea. BDS a far-left idea, and since Darwish is trying to run to the left of Newman in a Dem primary in a solidly blue district, it can’t hurt.
- Unionman - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:11 pm:
Does he know that J-Street is about as left leaning as they come when it comes to Pro-Israel lobbying groups. They side with the Palestinians more often than the Israelis when it comes to the Arab-Israeli conflict. It would be different story if she was receiving money from AIPAC.
- Moderate Mike - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:11 pm:
Actually, Lester Holt’s Mustache, Darwish is definitely not to the left of Newman on almost any other issue. He supports Buttigieg-style healthcare plan, Newman supports M4A. Same thing on guns, immigration, etc.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:12 pm:
If… religious bigotry is polling better than what you could positively stand for… while denouncing hatred like this…
… maybe folks just don’t like you.
Another prime example, thank YOU for telling me exactly who you are. Appreciate that.
- JM - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:12 pm:
Democrat party choking to death on its own anti-semitism.
- 44th - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:12 pm:
Pro Israel PAC is bad in and of itself is what he is saying. Terrible.
- Former NorthShore - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:15 pm:
Very disappointed to see the continued politicization of what used to be bipartisan support for Israel. J Street is a progressive organization, and it is quite a statement on the far-left that they are attacking that organization
I can also clearly see where this can quickly devolve to antisemitic attacks, which would be particularly unfortunate given who is running on the GOP side in this race
- JoanP - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:15 pm:
My thoughts? It’s really offensive. It’s a blatant appeal to anti-Semitism.
- Dotnonymous - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:17 pm:
Not palatable…ever…totally disgusting…all ways.
- 'Goose - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:18 pm:
44th- In the 3rd District Democratic Primary, with voters there, Pro-Israel PAC IS BAD. It ain’t the 44th Ward down there buddy.
- Donnie Elgin - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:26 pm:
He is against politicians accepting donations from supporters of America’s oldest and strongest democratic ally in the Middle East. Good to know.
- Sue - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:28 pm:
Hardly surprising- in recent polls the percentages of folks supportive of Israel is appallingly low. Then you have several high profile Dems like Omar and Talib who have frequently made statements condemning Israel. The New Democratic Party is far from the party of either Truman or Jack Kennedy. Actually it’s closer to the Party of Jeremy Corbin. It’s surprising that the vast majority of Jewish Americans still support the Democratic Party - Sanders has been highly critical of Israel and his campaign manager is a Palestinian who himself has a history of negative comments toward Israel.
- Roman - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:30 pm:
== particularly since the hit was coupled with a slam on Rahm Emanuel, who is Jewish. ==
That’s the rub, right there. It is, of course, possible to strenuously oppose Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies and Trump’s embrace of them and not be an anti-Semite. But when you pull Rahm into the debate? That’s beyond a dog whistle.
- 'Goose - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:31 pm:
Sue, exactly
- Demoralized - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:32 pm:
==is appallingly low==
Why is it appalling to not support Israel? Depending on how you are conveying that non-support I wouldn’t find it appalling at all if someone didn’t support Israel.
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:32 pm:
He supports BDS because his ethnic community does. However, it is not a winning strategy for the district overall, as evidenced by his dismal poll numbers. On other issues he has tried to position himself as the happy medium between Lipinski to his right and Newman to his left. Not here.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:36 pm:
To continue my thought . . .
I do, however, find this tactic to be appalling. What would be even more appalling would be if the electorate agrees with the tactic.
- Chef Jamal - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:40 pm:
So I’m Arab-American. Marie Newman supported BDS until she decided it wasn’t convenient for her anymore (about halfway through 2018). I don’t agree with Darwish’s language here but the point is is that he’s consistent in saying Israel oppresses Palestinians, which it does. What’s more important, the reality that Palestinians live in every day or the fact that Darwish’s rhetoric is not as careful as it could be?
- PeoriaDem - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 4:55 pm:
“It’s surprising that the vast majority of Jewish Americans still support the Democratic Party - Sanders has been highly critical of Israel and his campaign manager is a Palestinian who himself has a history of negative comments toward Israel.”
Sanders is Jewish, so I don’t think you can credibly call him a anti-Semite. As for his campaign manager, I can’t possibly imagine why any Palestinian would make “negative comments towards Israel”.
I would love to see how many Irish American politicians were lauded for their support of the Irish Republican movement in the 80’s and what those same politicians say about Palestine.
- Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 5:11 pm:
I believe the applicable term here is “coded.”
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 5:16 pm:
Misspelled Lipinski in the first mailer. For me the content of the two is too similar.
- low level - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 5:22 pm:
Darwish will finish 3rd. Voters in that district could care less about most foreign policy issues
- Last Bull Moose - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 5:40 pm:
I prefer that we leave the fights and feuds of the Old World in the Old Word. The reality is that some of them spill into our domestic politics. Objecting to who funds an opponent seems fair.
- Oak Parker - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 6:13 pm:
There is a large Arab community in that District, but even if Rush Darwish gets 90% of their votes, that’s nowhere near enough to win.
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 6:24 pm:
–There is a large Arab community in that District, but even if Rush Darwish gets 90% of their votes, that’s nowhere near enough to win.–
Right. Most recent census data from 2018 puts the figure at about 4%. Have to win by addition. The figure for people of Polish descent, for example was 4x higher.
- Bruce - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 9:16 pm:
Sure he is not fronting for Art Jones? Does Newman counter and say he gets funding from Hamas? Really sad.
We need roads and bridges not ideology.
- ArchPundit - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 9:24 pm:
===Hardly surprising- in recent polls the percentages of folks supportive of Israel is appallingly low.
But what does that mean? It’s meaningless claptrap if the idea of supporting Israel is supporting the current government which is looking to annex large parts of the West Bank.
How do you get to a 2-state solution then?
Search for New Yorker Settlement map and tell me how you create a 2 state solution without significant removal of illegal and legal settlements?
I 100 percent support the State of Israel and it’s existence, but not if it is going to become an apartheid state which is what the current Israeli government is headed towards.
I don’t support BDS as of right now, but if the Palestinian population has no opportunity for full political rights how does anyone not support pressure for democratic rights?
All that said, using this attack with Rahm is wrong and this is an anti-Semitic attack given that context.
- ArchPundit - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 9:37 pm:
===he New Democratic Party is far from the party of either Truman or Jack Kennedy.
Uh huh. This is a problematic view of both men’s view of Israel as uncritical. Truman recognized Israel, but had serious concerns about the impact of partition. JFK fought with Ben Gurion over their effort to nuclearize.
Ronald Reagan was furious about the Osirik raid and had a fairly mixed record on support for Israel. GWB ran towards a more moderate position over Gore on support for Israel.
The US long was a decent neutral arbiter for negotiations and that now has been completely lost. That was a bipartisan position that had Republicans pushing for moderation.
- ArchPundit - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 9:40 pm:
—-Darwish’s rhetoric is not as careful as it could be?
Or they are the same fight for dignity and respect for everyone regardless of their religion or nationality. Using Rahm as a coded way to attack is simply wrong. You can attack Rahm on perfectly good grounds separate from any discussion of Israel.
- Chef Jamal - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 10:25 pm:
ArchPundit - The attack on Rahm is not Israel related, it’s about the fact that Rahm’s people are supporting Marie Newman. The attack on Marie Newman about Israel is separate from the Rahm attack - hence the separate bullet points…
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 6, 20 @ 11:00 pm:
=== The attack on Marie Newman about Israel is separate from the Rahm attack===
Please. They’re right next to each other.
- ArchPundit - Friday, Feb 7, 20 @ 12:40 am:
The two points read as if they are one point. If you want to say Darwish didn’t mean it that way, I can buy that, but for me to buy it, I need some sense that the campaign gets why it’s problematic. I can live with a mistake that is acknowledged.
- Basic Facts - Tuesday, Feb 11, 20 @ 1:50 pm:
Just to clear up the comments here:
Israel is an apartheid state, based on historic and current colonization of Palestine and the Palestinian people. If you claim to believe in justice and human rights, then you cannot exclude the rights of Palestinians. Period.