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Surprise: AOC Doesn't Seem to Understand How PACs Work

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  June 20, 2024 2:00 PM

We're now just days away from the New York primaries for U.S. House races, where Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) is likely to lose his primary against Westchester County Executive George Latimer in the 16th Congressional District. Bowman himself has turned to what look to be some embarrassing tactics in the final stretch, but he's also had some help from a fellow Squad member as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). She too is facing a primary challenge, but not one considered as serious. AOC's tactics are just as, if not more so, bizarre as she takes to social media. She's already ranted about how this primary process in the works is a "core threat to democracy," but the posts keep coming.

AOC often takes the chance to brag about how she doesn't accept PAC money as a candidate, and she has also been profiled for it in the media. She did so again over X on Wednesday night in an exchange with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which is supporting Latimer. There is a strong contrast between Bowman and Latimer when it comes to showing support for Israel and their views on the Israel-Hamas war. Both internal and non-internal polls show Latimer leading by double digits, and Democratic primary voters in the district also support Latimer's view on the conflict over Bowman's view. 

The feud looks to have started on Wednesday afternoon, as AOC again ranted and raved about how AIPAC and its allies are spending a considerable amount of money in what looks to be the most expensive House primary race. 

Her post referred to support for Israel and "fear" of groups like AIPAC. "An unspoken secret in Congress is that much of the reflexive, blind, unconditional vote support for nearly any Israeli gov action isn’t from actual agreement," AOC claimed, which is where that "fear" comes in and why members supposedly "don’t vote their conscience," but rather their fear.

AIPAC later responded by reminding how it's actually a popular position to support the Israeli-American "relationship," hence why members vote that way. 

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Members from both parties have voted for pro-Israel legislation, and AIPAC supports both Democrats and Republicans.

That many members of Congress, except for the particularly anti-Israel Squad, support Israel still led to accusations from AOC that AIPAC only spends money, including and especially in such a race, because they're not popular and thus "AIPAC positions" are "bought."

She also stood up for Bowman as "one of the handful of reps who don’t vote the way you tell them to[,]" with regards to his anti-Israel views in opposition to AIPAC. 

Even with AIPAC's positions being popular, the group has a role for spending money in Congressional races. That's really the whole purpose of a PAC, and in AIPAC's case, to support candidates who share their views and to oppose those candidates who do not. Just because AOC and other likeminded candidates don't take PAC money doesn't mean other members have to feel the same way. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) also similarly spoke out against AIPAC and PACs, per Fox News' Chad Pergram. 

"The real race is whether or not America retains its democratic tradition or we allow, we allow big money SuperPACs to buy elections," he claimed in part. Sanders also brought PACs even when asked about Bowman pulling the fire alarm late last September when Congress was voting to avert a government shutdown, despite there being no fire.

"But again, to me, what is important is that we not allow billionaires and their super PACs to be able to buy elections. If that happens, then you're really not a democracy anymore. You can run against me, and if I spend 100 times more than you, I'm going to beat you. That should not be with America is about," Sanders even claimed.

Bowman himself has similarly turned to embarrassing tactics. When it comes to being a member who doesn't vote the way AIPAC tells him to, to paraphrase AOC, Fox News highlighted some particularly noteworthy comments from a primary debate on Tuesday:

The progressive Democrat took shots at the bipartisan-focused American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) several times throughout the event, accusing it of operating as a right-wing organization. AIPAC is supporting Latimer, and its campaign arm has poured millions into the race.

"The majority of his money comes from right-wing Republicans who support Trump," Bowman said of Latimer.

Without naming AIPAC, he said, "They are spending more money in this primary than any PAC has ever spent in U.S. history."

"Why? Because I'm an outspoken person of color. I'm an outspoken Black man. I fight against genocide in Gaza, and I fight for justice right here," Bowman said, before referring back to Latimer and adding, "And his supporters don't want that because it challenges their power."

...

Latimer shot back at him that groups like AIPAC not only supported him but also people like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., and House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y. – none of whom are White.

"The support that they have and I have from individuals comes because of our support of the state of Israel. His opposition comes because he has been anti-Israel, hostile to Israel," Latimer said. "I have never once flipped a position because of campaign donation. Not once."

Bowman responded, "Just because you’ve got a few Black friends doesn’t make you an anti-racist organization."

"He keeps naming off these Black names as if it doesn’t make AIPAC and their supporters racist," Bowman said.

Latimer earlier called accusations of racism against himself "baloney."

Bowman namedropped AIPAC again in his closing statement, arguing, "I work in collaboration with the people, displaying servant leadership, while my opponent is big money in politics personified. He takes billions from right-wing Republicans to serve them and AIPAC."

The idea that AIPAC would oppose Bowman because he is "an outspoken person of color... an outspoken black man," is absurd and involves a display of playing the victim.

When Latimer went to counter that by pointing out that AIPAC supports black candidates, Bowman responded that "just because you’ve got a few black friends doesn’t make you an anti-racist organization," which seems to be painting not just AIPAC but also Republicans as racist. 

It's particularly rich that Bowman would use the "black friends" narrative when it was recently revealed by Jewish Insider that he asked a local Jewish leader in 2022 for pictures of the two of them so he could "show the world I’m friends with Jewish People"

Another talking point we've heard ad nauseum, from those debate moments, as well as Bowman's talking points, the talking points of other Squad members, and their X posts, is that AIPAC dares to fund pro-Israel Republicans. 

Bowman has also used antisemitic tropes before to claim AIPAC has "full control of this district, just like they now have full control of Congress--as they fund everyone in Congress."

Bowman looks to be confused on the concept of PACs spending money on various candidates who support their particular cause as well, then.