‘Completely Disingenuous’: Minnesota Democrat Senate Candidates Take the Gloves Off Over AIPAC

Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) and Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan (D) dropped the gloves during a debate this week where they both called out each other’s connections to the lobbying group AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee).

Craig and Flanagan, both of whom are running for Senate in Minnesota, took part in a debate on MPR News with MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst moderating.

Flanagan called out Craig and her connection to AIPAC, vowing she would not take any donations from the group and calling them Craig’s “biggest funder” over her entire political career. Flanagan, a vocal critic of Israel who has called the strikes on Gaza a “genocide,” also called out Craig recently voting for more than $3 billion in funds for Israel.

“Craig has a track record of supporting [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu and his agenda. She, again, was the only Minnesota Democrat to send 2,000-pound bombs to Netanyahu and has had an incredible amount of support from AIPAC. They’ve been her biggest funder throughout her entire political career. My values do not align with AIPAC. I’m not taking their money, and I think that this matters when it comes to how we engage in foreign policy,” Flanagan said.

Craig argued in favor of a “two state solution” and said “terminology” like genocide does not help those efforts.

“I actually think we need to fund the rebuilding of Gaza in a very dramatic way. I also think that, as I’ve said just a moment ago, we have to rethink our strategic foreign policy with the state of Israel. And right now, with Benjamin Netanyahu, I think that’s going to be very difficult to do,” Craig said.

She later called out Flanagan over the AIPAC comment, accusing her fellow Democrat of being “completely disingenuous.”

“The lieutenant governor is being completely disingenuous about her soliciting support from APAC. The Star Tribune covered this. She met with AIPAC, she also provided a position paper to AIPAC so again, this is Peggy Flanagan who has been very hypocritical,” Craig said.

Flanagan acknowledged meeting with AIPAC and said the lobbying group views her as a “threat.”

“I met with AIPAC, I met J Street, I am endorsed by Bend the ARC, and I think it’s important to know that the moment that I said that I would have supported Bernie Sanders’ resolution blocking offensive arms sales to Israel last summer, that was the moment that AIPAC decided that I was a threat,” she said. “They called me a threat, and to be clear, I stand by that, and they have held over a dozen fundraisers for Congresswoman Craig this cycle. AIPAC is out of step with where Minnesotans are at, and their support for Congresswomen Craig is clear.”

Watch above via CSPAN.

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