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* Rush Darwish hasn’t received much publicity in his Democratic primary bid against Congressman Dan Lipinski and second-time challenger Marie Newman. Until today, that is…
At a campaign kick-off event in June, Darwish in a speech incorrectly said Lipinski got $15,000 from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel influential lobbying group. However, AIPAC is not a political action committee, does not endorse and does not donate to campaigns. AIPAC members and allies, like anyone, can contribute as individuals and use their personal networks to raise money for candidates.
Darwish provided no details to back up his $15,000 assertion when the Sun-Times asked him about it, saying “what I can do at this stage” is “take a closer look. … So if I technically said it wrong, then, I would have to look into that.”
Also at that kick-off event, Darwish turned to Newman, who ran for the seat in 2018.
Darwish said Newman “flipped” her position on the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement targeting Israel and “opposes the right of return, opposes equal rights for all and supports a two-state solution,” which Darwish said no longer “works.”
Darwish then said that Newman, when “asked by key members in the community, our community, ‘Marie, why the change of heart?’ she admitted, ‘I want to attract more Jewish donors.’”
Newman told the Sun-Times the Darwish tale is “an absolute lie.” Go read the rest because there’s more from Lynn Sweet.
…Adding… Darwish responded this afternoon. Click here to read it.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 9:26 am
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Wow…this stuff is getting ugly.
I know politics is a bloodsport…and
has it always been this cutthroat?
Comment by Honeybear Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 9:31 am
Isn’t Newman running again?
Comment by LC Illini Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 9:37 am
“However, AIPAC is not a political action committee, does not endorse and does not donate to campaigns.”
That’s….a little misleading and underplays AIPAC’s influence with Members of Congress.
Comment by K3 Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 9:40 am
Will Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa endorse Darwish?
Comment by East of Harlem Avenue Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 9:41 am
They’re downplaying AIPAC’s influence a bit. AIPAC “suggests” that wealthy donors give money to certain candidates and, if they DO, then AIPAC organizes get togethers with Congressmen/women where they can mingle and say whatever they want to say. Basically selling access. Nothing illegal or even particularly unusual there, but it’s what AIPAC does.
And Darwish’s comment about all Jews not being good people isn’t good. Even with the walk back, where he says his problem is specifically with Israel, eesh.
Comment by Perrid Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 9:44 am
===Will Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa endorse Darwish?===
He endorsed Marie Newman already.
Comment by Urlacher4Ever Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 9:45 am
There is a significant Palestinian-American population in the district, but this issue isn’t going to move the needle with many of the rest of the voters. Catering to them, at best he could pull a few points off Newman and maybe be a primary spoiler. If he seriously wants to win, what else has he got?
Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 9:50 am
=== Darwish’s comment about all Jews not being good people isn’t good. ===
Actually, he didn’t say they are not all good, what he said was that taken as a whole, they are bad.
He might as well have said “Evil empire.”
Comment by Thomas Paine Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 9:52 am
@Anonymous 9:58 -
Look again. It’s there.
“ Back in 2015, as a provocative radio talk show host, Darwish excoriated a guest, Ray Hanania — who, among other things, comments on and writes about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Darwish told Hanania he sounded “like you are praising the Israeli people and the Jewish civilization as if they are great people.”
Comment by JoanP Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:01 am
If I were a voter in Darwish’s district, I would be asking how will his adversarial slant help him get things done in Congress for his district. Darwish seems to want the job to advance his own interests, not those of his constituents. And unfortunately that is a big problem in U.S. politics in both parties.
Comment by A Jack Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:04 am
Yes, Marie Newman is running.
Comment by Cheryl44 Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:10 am
What is it with this District and anti-semites? First an actual Nazi, now this meshugener…. what a district!
Comment by Just Another Anon Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:12 am
=== Wow…this stuff is getting ugly. I know politics is a bloodsport…and has it always been this cutthroat? ===
This is not ugly, cutthroat politics… this is antisemitism… let’s call it what it is.
=== “However, AIPAC is not a political action committee, does not endorse and does not donate to campaigns.” That’s….a little misleading and underplays AIPAC’s influence with Members of Congress. ===
Donating and endorsing is different than influence. AIPAC, despite the widespread ignorance that it does, does not endorse or donate via any sort of PAC. It’s not that complicated.
Comment by Just Observing Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:34 am
Darwish obviously won’t win, but it’s harder than you think to determine who he helps/hurts. Dividing the opposition is almost always helpful for an incumbent. But Arab-Muslim voters (especially men) can be socially conservative. So maybe Darwish actually takes Arab votes that would have gone to Lipinski.
As @Ron Burgundy points out, the Arab population is booming in the southwest ‘burbs. It’s still too early to tell what sort of influence that will have on politics in the area — or if it will have any influence at all.
Comment by Roman Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:35 am
Lipinski’s gotta love having Rush in the primary; BDS support is polling at only 20% support. He will pull the progressive votes to his camp thus weakening Newman.
https://tinyurl.com/y7k5ovaw
Comment by Donnie Elgin Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 10:43 am
How does this hurt him in his district?
How would this hurt his fundraising when his fundraising consists of raising money from Arab Americans across the country?
This is bad oppo.
Comment by Fax Machine Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 11:36 am
===How does this hurt him in his district?===
That ridiculous question says more about you than you probably realize.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 11:43 am
If two identical men were stranded on an Island…would they seek out any minuscule difference they could fight each other over?
Comment by Dotnonymous Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 12:14 pm
Apparently, Chicagoland has both a Yu Darvish and a “Who? Darwish.”
Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 12:17 pm
Just what we need another anti-Semite in Congress. Does he realize calling for the destruction of Israel puts him in the same class as every other Muslim terrorist. Wearing a suit doesn’t make him a moderate.
Comment by Downstate Illinois Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 1:02 pm
He thinks the two-state solution no longer “works” and attacks Ray Hanania for not sufficiently backing the Palestinian cause. Really? This guy is way out of the mainstream. He rejects the basic tenants of the peace process and thinks any Palestinian who disagrees with him is some kind of sell out.
Comment by TNR Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 1:28 pm
“ Just what we need another anti-Semite in Congress.”
But Steven King’s constituents love him.
Comment by 17% Solution Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 1:34 pm
Anyone ever read Revelation 2.9 and 3.9
Comment by Real Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 2:12 pm
=== Anyone ever read Revelation 2.9 and 3.9===
Not off the top of my head, have you seen “Raiders of the Lost Ark”?
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 2:13 pm
=== Anyone ever read Revelation 2.9 and 3.9===
I also think they covered those passages in “Ghostbusters”
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 2:18 pm
Well played OW. BTW I saw JoJo Rabbit this afternoon and I recommend it. It is darker than the ads suggest.
Comment by Cheryl44 Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 2:22 pm
–Not off the top of my head, have you seen “Raiders of the Lost Ark”?–
That part where the hateful bad guys (avoiding a certain word to not set off Rich’s filter) got their faces melted off? That was awesome.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 3:05 pm
This is going to be a very interesting election in my district. I got it all wrong last time, so I will observe and not speak.
Comment by Southwest Sider Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 4:10 pm
Rich, if I agree with Fax Machine’s take from a realpolitik perspective, what does that say about me?
Comment by ‘Goose Friday, Oct 25, 19 @ 4:24 pm