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In reply to the discussion: HOW INFLUENTIAL IS AIPAC? LESS THAN BEER SELLERS, PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS, AND TOYOTA [View all]Mosby
(16,493 posts)37. The article addresses the differences in spending and organization of AIPAC vs. PACS
...AIPAC is a public affairs committee and not a political action committee; as a result, the group itself donates nothing to candidates or campaigns. By far the largest pro-Israel donor to political candidates last election cycle was JStreetAC, which gave entirely to Democrats.
AIPAC has a somewhat unique model that a simple dollar comparison might miss. AIPAC-linked activists often begin donating to future members of Congress early in their political careers, thus encouraging other pro-Israel donors to fund and otherwise support candidates with long-term promise. Pro-Israel activists are a political force, but the reasons apparently go beyond sheer spending power or the influence of AIPAC-linked networks. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, pro-Israel donors were the 34th largest-giving interest group to members of Congress in 2018, slightly behind the nonprofit sector and slightly ahead of building-trades unions, neither of which are generally thought of as the invisible hand guiding American policy.
Even a large and impactful donor network is fairly useless without a Washington operation that can translate its priorities into actual legislation. The way AIPAC is talked about, youd think theyd be a lobbying juggernaut, surely one of the largest in the nations capital.
AIPAC has a somewhat unique model that a simple dollar comparison might miss. AIPAC-linked activists often begin donating to future members of Congress early in their political careers, thus encouraging other pro-Israel donors to fund and otherwise support candidates with long-term promise. Pro-Israel activists are a political force, but the reasons apparently go beyond sheer spending power or the influence of AIPAC-linked networks. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, pro-Israel donors were the 34th largest-giving interest group to members of Congress in 2018, slightly behind the nonprofit sector and slightly ahead of building-trades unions, neither of which are generally thought of as the invisible hand guiding American policy.
Even a large and impactful donor network is fairly useless without a Washington operation that can translate its priorities into actual legislation. The way AIPAC is talked about, youd think theyd be a lobbying juggernaut, surely one of the largest in the nations capital.
Even adjusting for donor contributions via bundlers, AIPAC is 34th in influence for the year 2018.
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HOW INFLUENTIAL IS AIPAC? LESS THAN BEER SELLERS, PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS, AND TOYOTA [View all]
Mosby
Mar 2019
OP
Ah, I see your confusion. There are two categories of spending opensecrets tracks
Recursion
Mar 2019
#27
what did the chamber spend 1.5 billion on if not infuence, favorable legislation?
Mosby
Mar 2019
#12
Wouldn't a more accurate example of 'parsing words' be ignoring other forms of influence
LanternWaste
Mar 2019
#18
Do beer sellers, accountants, and Toyota attempt to influence US policy toward Israel?
Mr. Smith
Mar 2019
#14
Nothing. The soldier ran over her knowing that he would walk Scot free and our politicians
Blue_true
Mar 2019
#41
Progressive Democrats have a solution for America's distrust of politicians: Stop accepting corporat
Mosby
Mar 2019
#25
Highly influential if you consider the 127 billion lifetime aid delivered to Israel
Devil Child
Mar 2019
#29
The article addresses the differences in spending and organization of AIPAC vs. PACS
Mosby
Mar 2019
#37
Why are we quibbling over a dollar amount of bribes paid to corrupt politicians?
procon
Mar 2019
#38