Angie Craig pans Peggy Flanagan for ‘deception’ after AIPAC position paper revealed
Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) criticized Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D-MN) after reports revealed Flanagan had written an Israel position paper, despite promising not to accept corporate PAC money. Flanagan has taken an anti-Israel stance and accused Craig of being influenced by AIPAC, which Craig denies, noting she has previously received AIPAC funding but now pledges to avoid it. The report also indicated Flanagan sought to work with AIPAC’s network, but later adopted a more critical position when she realized she wouldn’t gain access to their donors. Craig accused flanagan of deception and hypocrisy, calling for her to release the position paper. The primary race in Minnesota is closely watched as a test of Democratic voters’ perspectives on AIPAC support and party ideology, with polls fluctuating between a lead for Craig and a tie. The election will determine the future direction of the Democratic Party in the state.
Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) knocked Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D-MN) after reports revealed the latter had written an American Israel Public Affairs Committee position paper, despite making a pledge not to accept corporate PAC money in her bid to represent Minnesota in the U.S. Senate.
Since launching her progressive campaign for the Democratic nomination, Flanagan has taken an anti-Israel stance and ripped Craig for having her previous campaigns bolstered by AIPAC dollars. However, reporting by Jewish Insider found that Flanagan wrote and submitted an Israel position paper, which AIPAC consultants viewed as Flanagan looking to work with the PAC’s vast network of donors.
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Following the report, Craig issued a statement claiming Flanagan’s paper amounted to “deception,” as the lieutenant governor had ripped her opponent over support for Israel.
“It is entirely dishonest for the Lt. Governor to deny voters the truth about her position on an issue and try to impose a litmus test that she herself cannot pass,” Craig said. “Peggy Flanagan is a hypocrite who has failed time and time again to be forthcoming about the support she sought.”
As part of her Senate campaign, Craig has vowed not to accept AIPAC money, but has still fielded attacks from Flanagan for having accepted funding from the organization in previous bids. Flanagan has called AIPAC a “band of super villains,” and has alleged the group is looking to “buy” the Minnesota Senate race.
Jewish Insider’s reporting on Flanagan’s position paper, in which candidates typically outline their views on the U.S.-Israel relationship to secure endorsements or funding, follows a Star Tribune report that Flanagan met with AIPAC early in her campaign.
According to the Jewish outlet, a pro-Israel Democratic consultant who claimed to have read Flanagan’s position paper said she was “open to conditioning aid” for Israel and “put a lot of pressure and fault on Israel.” The consultant claimed that when Flanagan realized she would not be getting access to AIPAC’s donor network, she took a harsher position about the organization’s funding.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S NEXT IDEOLOGICAL SHOWDOWN HEADS TO MINNESOTA
“It’s not honest leadership to demand big, bold change when you can’t even say what you stand up for in the first place. That’s the difference in this race: honesty vs hypocrisy,” Craig said. “Minnesotans deserve honest leadership from their next U.S. Senator, not deception.”
Craig also demanded that Flanagan release a copy of her position paper, which Flanagan has not yet done.
Minnesotans will head to the polls on Tuesday in what will become a measure of how Democratic voters view support from AIPAC, as well as where the party is headed. Polls over the primary campaign season showed Craig leading by 5 points in June, the race tied in mid-July, and Craig ahead by 2 points in the final survey before Tuesday’s primary.
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