An embattled “Squad” Democrat dealing with a hotly contested major ignited a feud with a neighboring congressman he mentioned is pandering to the pro-Israel foyer to realize political energy.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman – an Israel critic who’s trailing average challenger George Latimer by 17 share factors, in response to a current ballot – took a shot at Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres in a podcast final week.
“I feel that he’s making an attempt to realize political energy for himself in the direction of an final goal,” Bowman instructed Marc LaMont Hill on the “Evening Faculty” podcast final week.
“I don’t know if it’s [for] US Senate. I don’t know what it’s,” the Yonkers Democrat mentioned of Torres.
Torres fired again Sunday, telling The Put up that Bowman’s opinion is “worse than a rubber stamp” and referenced Bowman’s conviction final 12 months for falsely pulling a fireplace alarm final 12 months within the Cannon Workplace constructing that delayed a vote to avert a authorities shutdown.
Bowman’s challenger, Westchester County Government George Latimer, has gained the within observe largely because of the incumbent’s stance on Gaza and a sequence of different political missteps.
The race is for the sixteenth Congressional District that takes in a lot of Westchester and elements of the northern Bronx.
Hill, who can also be a critic of the Jewish state, has requested Bowman why Torres is a staunch backer of Israel regardless of siding with progressives on a bunch of different points.
“Ritchie could be very calculating on this approach … Ritchie – he simply appears to be all the time plotting, all the time calculating one thing,” Bowman mentioned.
He mentioned Torres and different Democrats are cautious of bucking the pro-Israel place due to the “energy of the Israel foyer” whose supporters fill marketing campaign coffers.
However Bowman gave a move to pro-Israel Home Democratic Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, who has already endorsed Bowman’s re-election.
He mentioned Jeffries appears “genuine” in comparison with “calculating” Torres.
Torres has to date remained impartial within the Bowman-Latimer race – however issued a withering response to Bowman’s criticism of him. They each have been elected to Congress in 2020.
“As for Jamaal Bowman, I care as a lot about his opinion on me as I do about his opinion on correctly pull a fireplace alarm or his opinion on stay in Congress,” Torres mentioned Sunday.
“His opinion is worse than a rubber stump — it leaves no impression, very similar to his legislative document or his current attendance document.”
Torres famous he’s been a staunch backer of Israel for some ten years, noting his go to to the Jewish State as a metropolis councilman in 2015.
Bowman additionally famous that Torres isn’t a part of the “Squad” that features liberal Democratic Socialist Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Cori Bush of Missouri, amongst others.
“The Squad has a gaggle chat. Ritchie Torres ain’t in it,” Bowman additionally mentioned on the present.
Torres instructed The Put up 4 years in the past he wouldn’t be part of the “Squad” as a result of some members help the boycott, divestment and sanctions motion towards Israel, which he considers antisemitic.
In the meantime, Bowman has flip-flopped on his alliance with the anti-Israel Democratic Socialists of America, which backs the BDS motion.
He was backed by DSA in 2020 however had a falling out after some members criticized him for visiting Israel and voting for Iron Dome protection funding for the Jewish State.
At one level he claimed he let his membership lapsed, however lately sought and received DSA’s endorsement once more – after telling members of the group throughout a current assembly that he supported the BDS motion towards the Jewish State and now opposes navy help to the nation, accusing it of committing “genocide” in Gaza.
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