Clinton-backed, 16-term Democrat LOSING to black progressive educator in NY primary
Echoes of AOC’s surprise win against incumbent Joe Crowley in 2018
Jamaal Bowman speaks at a watch party as he leads in the democratic primary for New York’s 16th Congressional District June 23, 2020. © Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Progressive educator Jamaal Bowman is trouncing his 31-year incumbent establishment opponent, Democratic Congressman Eliot Engel, in a New York district primary, despite Engel’s support from Hillary Clinton and pro-Israel groups.
Engel, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is losing by 26 points. He was endorsed by Hillary Clinton and even had Republican money funneled into his campaign via the Democratic Majority for Israel super PAC, which spent over $600,000 attacking Bowman and supporting Engel, the Intercept reported.
Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) endorses Congressman Eliot Engel for Re-Election!#EngelforCongress #TeamEngel #ny16 #vote2020 pic.twitter.com/RBouAVnltY
— Engel for Congress (@TeamEngel) June 22, 2020
Bowman is a former Bronx school principal who supports Medicare for all and the Green New Deal, has called for an end to racial profiling and the defunding of police. He has received endorsements from high-profile Democratic socialists like Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – as well as from Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. His website calls on New Yorkers to elect a Democrat who will “fight for schools and education, not bombs and incarceration.”
Bowman’s likely upset against Engels has echoes of AOC’s surprise win against incumbent Joe Crowley in 2018. In his speech on Tuesday night, the political newcomer said if he gets to Congress he will hold accountable politicians who are “beholden to corporate interests.” He has also said he does not “take a dime from weapons manufacturers,” unlike the hawkish Engel
Jamaal Bowman, who has a lead in his primary against Eliot Engel, just spoke to supporters. “Our movement is designed to restore that faith, to restore that hope, to bring back the belief in what is possible, to root our values in everything we do.” pic.twitter.com/wkt0E0gd6Z
— Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) June 24, 2020
Engel voted for the Iraq war, saying it would be a “monumental mistake” not to, and he opposed the Iran nuclear deal. He fought to stop legislation to ban the selling of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia and controversially said he didn’t want to see that country’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman punished for the slaughter of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
A staunch supporter of Israel, Engel (Pictured here) also celebrated President Donald Trump’s controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s relocated capital, and slammed Barack Obama’s mere abstention from a 2016 UN vote on Israeli settlements. His largest campaign contributors are the pro-Israel PAC’s Pro-Israel America and NORPAC.
Fellow hawk Clinton even included a nod to Engel’s interventionist credentials in her endorsement, saying he was “deeply committed to working with our allies to maintain American leadership” around the world.
Engel’s campaign received a blow at a news conference about Black Lives Matter protests earlier this month when he was caught on mic saying, “If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care” about speaking on the local unrest. Bowman, who is black, has also called for the repeal of the 1994 Crime Bill, which Engel supported.
The Bowman campaign said it is surprised to see him leading even in precincts where Engel was expected to have strong support. The primary won’t be called for more than a week, however, as absentee ballots cannot be counted until eight days after election day.
_________
Related from RT
Meddling, anyone? Pro-Israel groups spent $22 million on lobbying & campaign contributions in 2018
.
*********
(TLB) published this article from RT-USA News with our sincere gratitude for the coverage and availability
Pictorial content and placement added by (TLB) Editors
Related articles from The Liberty Beacon:
Dark roots of AIPAC, ‘America’s Pro-Israel Lobby’
AIPAC Returns to Washington as a ‘Policy Conference’
Trump’s “Jerusalem Promise” to AIPAC – seeking protection?
••••
••••
Stay tuned to …
••••
The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)
••••
Comment Policy: As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. This also applies to trolling, the use of more than one alias, or just intentional mischief. Enforcement of this policy is at the discretion of this websites administrators. Repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without prior warning.
••••
Disclaimer: TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.
••••
Disclaimer: The information and opinions shared are for informational purposes only including, but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material are not intended as medical advice or instruction. Nothing mentioned is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Leave a Reply