Thomas Massie, Democrats, and AIPAC

Thomas Massie and Ed Gallrein

If there is one phrase that would describe Representative Thomas Massie’s view about American support for Israel, it would be ZOG (“Zionist Occupied Government”). One might remember that phrase from a while back. It was used by antisemitic fringe groups like neo-Nazis and white supremacists who believed that the legislative branch of government was occupied by people owned by AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) - the Israel supporting lobby. Accusing his colleagues of putting Israel’s interests ahead of those of the United States.

While it is, of course, true that lobbyists who support Israel will naturally support candidates with favorable attitudes toward Israel, that does not mean those candidates were bought by an Israel supporting lobby — any more than politicians are “owned” by any other lobby in Washington.

The right to petition our government is a constitutional right. The notion promoted by some politicians that AIPAC is somehow doing something unethical - is not only pure nonsense, but often an indication of underlying — if not overt — antisemitism.

This describes the lame-duck congressman from Kentucky, Thomas Massie, who just lost the Republican primary for reelection to an eighth term. His primary opponent, former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, defeated Massie by 10 points.

Massie’s thinly disguised antisemitism is similar to that of Tucker Carlson. Whose rhetoric about Israel’s “control” of Congress mimics that of fringe antisemites on the far right. He may as well have used the term ZOG to describe Congress.

Nor is he the first Republican member of Congress to say similar things about his colleagues. One may recall former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel — later Secretary of Defense under Barack Obama — saying something along the lines of, “Some members of Congress forget which country they represent.” That was in reference to the overwhelming financial support for Israel within his party.

Thankfully people like this are not mainstream. They are mavericks who delight in the publicity they get from their controversial views. And now this latest ‘maverick’ will soon be gone

Massie’s defeat is good news for Israel. One less antisemite will be replaced by a pro-Israel supporter who was hand-picked and endorsed by the president.

The media points to the president as being responsible for Massie’s loss. As was the case with virtually all of the candidates Trump has endorsed in primaries across the country. The Republican Party has increasingly become the party of Trump. If you support him, he endorses you and you are likely to win among Republican voters. If you oppose him on almost any issue, you are politically finished. Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, a two-term veteran of the Senate, found that out the hard way, losing to his opponents, the relatively unknown Julia Letlow and John Fleming, who advanced to a runoff.

Although it is now a hard political reality for Republicans that they are either “with him or against him,” and that this determines whether they can run successfully as Republicans, I think there was more at play in Massie’s case...

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