Hillary Clinton on Wednesday endorsed Democratic challenger George Latimer who is running against the incumbent, Squad member Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), over New York’s 16th congressional district.
On Tuesday, The Hill/Emerson gave Latimer 48 points over Bowman’s 31.
Clinton tweeted: “With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever. In Congress, George Latimer will protect abortion rights, stand up to the NRA, and fight for President Biden’s agenda—just like he’s always done. Make a plan to vote by June 25th!”
Latimer tweeted: “I’m honored to have the support of Hillary Clinton, whose decades of service are an inspiration. Early Voting kicks off on Saturday. Vote Early before 6/23, or vote on 6/25. Just make sure you vote for Real Results Not Rhetoric!”
Latimer also said about the Clinton endorsement, “Her voice gives even more momentum to our grassroots campaign, which keeps gaining strength because we stand strongly and honestly for our values and for our belief in delivering meaningful results for the communities we serve.”
Bowmann’s popularity took another dip this week, after he appeared in Mt. Vernon with Squad cohorts Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib (watch them take turns to his left), and attacked Latimer, accusing him of being “in the pocket of Republican billionaires … who are racist,” and, “He is also not just anti-Black racist, he’s anti-Muslim racist.”
Meanwhile, another squad member, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on May 17 requested an earmark for the group Bronx Defenders to “improve justice in the criminal system” for low-income residents of the Bronx. AOC said the grant will help low-income defendants “mount a robust defense,” against what she called the vast resources of police departments. A reminder: AOC was a leader of the Defund the Police movement.
The thing is, last December, the NY Times reported that at a mandatory Bronx Defenders training session on antisemitism that took place four weeks before the October 7 Hamas attack, one of the attorneys in attendance interrupted the proceedings to speak against the notion of Jews and Arabs living in peace together, declaring instead there was “No Israel,” which was followed by the by now familiar chant, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Times reporters Santul Nerkar and Jonah E. Bromwich wrote: “That September confrontation was just a prelude. After the Oct. 7 attack, the union representing the Bronx Defenders staff issued a statement. It referred to Israel’s assault on Gaza … as genocidal, voiced support for ‘Palestinian liberation and resistance under occupation’ and did not mention the 1,200 Israelis killed in the Hamas attack.”
The controversy has jeopardized the prospects of the publicly funded organization, Nerkar and Bromwich suggested, noting that the dispute in the Bronx concerning a distant conflict may lead to tangible repercussions for the almost 20,000 individuals whom the Defenders represent each year in legal proceedings such as eviction cases, child custody disputes, criminal trials, and various other legal matters.
The Free Beacon noted that “Ocasio-Cortez’s request highlights the tightrope she has tried to walk as a leader of a progressive movement that has become increasingly hostile to Israel—and as an emerging ally of President Joe Biden, whom anti-Israel activists often refer to as “Genocide Joe.”
