Well, the new progressive wing of the House Democratic caucus has made their voices known, and not all of it good. They’re pushing for a shoddy and utterly laughable Green New Deal, which would economically destroy the country. It calls for the end of the combustible engine, the transitioning away from fossil fuels within the year, welfare for the lazy, and the killing of cows for farting too much. This is on top of the jobs guarantee, free college, and Medicare for All.
For Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), she’s embroiled her whole party with an anti-Semitism fiasco that isn’t going away. It’s not her first time either. It’s pervasive. It’s repetitive. It brings forward legitimate allegations that she’s an anti-Semite. She said in 2012, that Israel is hypnotizing the world, then came the “all about the Benjamins” tweet concerning contributions and AIPAC, and now the gross accusation of dual loyalty concerning those who support Israel. The latter public relations flap is what forced the House to vote on a resolution that was initially one against anti-Semitism, but some Democrats found that problematic. Why should Omar be singled out? Oh, also Trump is…bad. Yeah, he was brought up. It showed that Nancy Pelosi is a weak speaker, who caved to this radical element within her party. What we got was a watered down resolution against…bad things.
As I said, this isn’t Omar’s first time. Back in Minnesota, she met with Jewish leaders who were concerned about her past remarks, especially the 'Israel hypnotizing the world' tweet. She hasn’t learned. And these folks are reportedly no longer treating her with kid gloves anymore. Minnesota State Sen. Ron Latz was the one who hosted the meeting prior to her election to the House last year. Now, he’s hearing chatter about local Democrats searching for people who can challenge Omar. The position is quite clear though; the local Jewish community has had it with Omar who refuses to listen (via The Hill):
Recommended
Some Minnesota Democrats, aghast at controversial comments made by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D), are taking initial steps to recruit a candidate to run against her in next year’s primary election, seeking to buck history in one of the nation’s most progressive legislative districts.
Several party leaders said they have had discussions about finding a candidate to take on Omar, just two months into her first term in Congress.
But even those who were deeply offended by Omar’s comments about Israel concede they have not yet found anyone to challenge her.
“There’s definitely some buzz going around about it, but it’s more a buzz of is anyone talking about finding someone to run against her than it is anyone saying they’re going to run against her or contemplate it. There’s definitely talk about people wanting someone to run against her,” said state Sen. Ron Latz (D), who represents a portion of Omar’s district.
In her first weeks on the job, Omar sparked outrage for comments that critics said relied on anti-Semitic tropes — first for suggesting that politicians who support Israel do so for financial reasons and then for suggesting that lobbyist are pushing for “allegiance to a foreign country.
[…]
“Our community is exasperated by Rep. Omar’s unfulfilled promises to listen and learn from Jewish constituents while seemingly simultaneously finding another opportunity to make an anti-Semitic remark and insult our community,” Steve Hunegs, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, said in a statement.
Omar met with Hunegs last month, after her initial remarks received widespread condemnation. She has continued to meet with Jewish leaders both in Minneapolis and Washington, a spokesman said.
“Unfortunately, having the opportunity to speak with her about that point didn’t dissuade her making that statement,” Hunegs told The Hill in an interview Wednesday. “We were appalled.”
Some Democrats are eyeing Bobby Joe Champion, a state senator who has served in the legislature for a decade. Others hope to entice Minneapolis City Councilwoman Andrea Jenkins, the first openly transgender African-American woman elected to public office in the United States.
“I’d be pretty uncomfortable supporting Rep. Omar right now, given what I’ve learned about her since the election and given her apparent inability to stop insulting Jews,” said Latz, who represents the city of St. Louis Park, home to a large Jewish population, and who supported Omar’s chief rival in the 2018 Democratic primary.
As The Hill noted, however, no one is really jumping to spark a fight with Omar. For starters, the areas that they need to make inroads would be a slog, requiring tons of money. Omar’s district is the entire city on Minneapolis and its white suburbs. They city outvotes the suburbs. And the publication added that in the state’s history, no House Democrat has ever been successfully denied re-nomination. Still, there’s a campaign to boot her. Let’s hope its successful for the sake of ridding Congress of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic influences, but it’ll be bloody. Democratic bloodsports usually are and in 2020, any break in the ranks we should exploit. Jenkins is a hard pass on challenging Omar. Champion did not respond to The Hill for comment. The folks who are sick of Omar want to rip off the gloves, but you can’t do that until you find a solid candidate to boot her. With her nabbing the city, it could be tough, but it sure adds to the narrative that the Democratic Party has become increasingly hostile to Jewish people.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member