Netanyahu Attacks Ilhan Omar, Democratic Leaders Join Republicans In Approval

You probably already know that Republicans have launched a new super-PAC, ostensibly to oppose Ilhan Omar's reelection, the Defeat I.O. PAC. But the superPAC is probably more a vehicle to enrich the people running it than to defeat Ilhan. Don't get me wrong; I'm sure they mean her nothing but ill. Her district though, MN-05, is primarily within the city of Minneapolis (D+59) with tiny slivers of Anoka (D+27) and Ramsey (D+44) counties. It's not exactly a Republican-friendly environment. In 2016 Ilhan beat Republican Jennifer Zielinski 267,703 (78.2%) to 74,440 (21.8%). Both times Obama ran, he took over 73% and, although she didn't do as well as Ilhan, even Hillary won the district with 73.7%. Trump only managed to win 18.5% of the vote. (I would like to point out that the district, which is extremely well-educated, is 64.7% white and just 15.5% black.)

In 2016 Keith Ellison (D) had been reelected with 69.1% of the vote and in Martin Sabo's last run there, he also took fractionally over 69% of the vote. I'm pretty sure the Defeat I.O. PAC doesn't imagine it's going to elect a Republican-- just scoop up some money from right-wing racists. Yesterday Ilhan told her supporters that "Trump and other right wing extremists have done nothing but attack me over the last month. Trump even called for my resignation. Their attacks are rooted in Islamophobia, misogyny, and hate. They can’t stand to see me fighting for progress in Congress and they are going to do everything they can to try and stop me." Please consider contributing to Ilhan's reelection campaign by clicking on the Worthy Incumbents ActBlue thermometer on the right and donating what you can. (Every little bit helps.) The danger she faces though comes from her own party, not from the Republicans. There is sure to be costly primary against her, similar to the ones AIPAC ran against Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), Earl Hilliard (D-AL), Gus Savage (D-CA) and other African-Americans who refused to pledge allegiance to Israel's right-wing Likud Party. Listen to this flaming asshole:



Bernie Sanders has defended her but many Democrats, cowed by AIPAC's perceived immense power in Washington, have been silent or negative. After a day of AIPAC freakout about her-- including a rebuke by Netanyahu-- she told the DC media that "It's been fascinating to see such a powerful conference be focused and so fearful of a freshman member of Congress. I hope that they figure out a way to not allow me to have a permanent residency in their heads." In response to Netanyahu's attack on her, she tweeted, "This from a man facing indictments for bribery and other crimes in three separate public corruption affairs."

You can know a lot about a person by who there enemies are. In inhan's case, she's being relentless attacked by Trump, Pence, McTurtle, Kevin McCarthy, Schumer, Steny Hoyer and other garbage scraped from the bottom of a public toilet in the Cannon Officer Building.

One last thought on this. When Steny Hoyer told the AIPAC convention that "when someone accuses American supporters of dual loyalty, I say accuse me." Hoyer is accused every day of dual loyalty-- a tiny bit to voters in Prince George's and Charles counties and a massive amount to the venal K Street lobbyists, always his real constituency.