Israeli lobby sends wake-up call: Alabama race may come to haunt McKinney

Wow. Take a look at that list again:

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION CLOUT
Top candidate recipients of campaign money from the pro-Israel lobby, Jan. 1-June 30:
1. Artur Davis (D-Ala.)
2. Sen. Bob Smith (R-N.H)
3. Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.)
4. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)
5. Sen. Jean Carnahan (D-Mo.)
6. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.)
7. Sen. Bob Torricelli (D-N.J.)
8. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.)
9. Rep. Steven Rothman (D-N.J.)
10. Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.)

The four Democrat Senators in bold are all incumbents facing tough re-election fights this November in the battle for control of the Senate.

The one Republican in bold, Senator Smith, is also up for re-election but faces a strong primary challenge from Rep. John Sunnunu. Most people following that race say that Smith would have little or no chance of defeating the presumed Democrat nominee Gov. Jean Shaheen, while Sunnunu would almost certainly win. So in a way, donations to Smith could be seen as a backhanded way of supporting his likely Democrat challenger...

Looks like the Israeli lobby is lining up behind the senate Democrats again big time. I wonder why. And I wonder why this isn't getting more coverage.

Anyone know anything about the others on this list? Torie, you're usually on top of these things. Would love to hear what you think.

Some of us have been warning for months it is all a con. No shift is going on. Smith has been done in South Florida on Jewish Affairs radio and TV programs all winter raising money. Lieberman and Levin are calling for an investigation of Harkin and Halliburton. Every major Jewish group in the country came out against the Supreme Court voucher decision and vowed to fight vouchers in state legislatures everywhere they are proposed. Clinton was in Miami-Dade in February picking up bags of cash from a Ladies Zionist group and just this week got standing ovations at a $1,000 a plate (not a couple) dinner before a Jewish group.

I wish none of this were true. It would be great if a shift were occurring. I don't want to be able to say "I told you so" on Oct 8th. But I think I will.

The GOP is truly the stupid party, Republicans are helping Democrats knock out candidates such as Hilliard and McKinney who, if they can't be beaten (and it is possible) are unacceptable to other Democrats and mainstream Americans.

Anyone know anything about the others on this list? Torie, you're usually on top of these things. Would love to hear what you think.

I have no idea who's contributing to who, however you might want to review some of those numbers at a source such as Political Money Line where you can check totals and review who (individuals, pacs, etc.) is making contributions in each race. Frankly, the amounts in the article look far too small to me to be accurate, at this stage in the cycle most Senate campaigns have brought in multi-millions.

And I assume Cantor is Jewish, which is the ONLY reason that he's on the list, even though Republican (Don't know the guy. Pretty straight Pubbie, or a RINO?)

Wasn't Jacob Javits a Pubbie?

I'm with LarryLied on this: I wish it weren't so, but by far the Jewish contributions go to the Leftist wing of the Democrat party.

Many on FR are in deep denial about this, because we want to believe that Jews, who tend to be enlightened and who generally support Israel, that shibboleth (pardon the expression) of the religious right-wing.

But there is a HUGE disconnect between American Jews as a cultural establishment, and Judaism as a religion.

I don't know the numbers, but it wouldn't surprise me if Reform and/or Conservative Judaism has more adherents in the United States than Orthodox.

Orthodox Jews have not tended to be very political, where the Reform and Conservative congregations regularly host fundraisers and political fora featuring the Lefties every chance they get.

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