The gap between "pro-Israel" contributions and "pro-Arab" ones is indeed large:
***** PRESS CLIPS
A look at the money-in-politics angle of some of this week's top news stories.
By Vikki Kratz
August 15, 2002
...With only a week left until Georgia's Democratic primary, the Atlanta Journal and Constitution reports that challenger Denise Majette has raised more money than incumbent Rep. Cynthia McKinney. Majette now has more than $1 million, while McKinney has raised about $600,000. Most of Majette's financial support is coming from out-of-state donors, however. The Friends of Israel PAC gave Majette a $5,000 contribution earlier this month, and Majette recently attended a fundraiser in New York City. Many of Majette's Jewish supporters say they are turned off by McKinney's unwavering support for Palestine. The Washington Post reports that McKinney has received contributions from at least 18 donors who are under investigation by the FBI for their ties to Muslim foundations. McKinney has said that all the donations she's received were legal. Earlier this year, the Center released a report on pro-Israel and pro-Arab giving that found pro-Israel donors gave substantially more. Since 1989, pro-Israel interests have given $41.3 million in individual, PAC and soft money contributions. Two-thirds of the money went to Democrats. Pro-Arab groups have given just under $300,000 since 1989, 68 percent to Democrats.
<http://www.capitaleye.org/inside.asp?ID=37> *****
"Pro-Israel" voters and donors aren't necessarily Jewish, though. At the national level, the majority of them must be non-Jewish (though I have yet to dig up empirical evidence for my claim here).
At 12:20 PM -0400 8/21/02, Doug Henwood wrote:
>Cian wrote:
>
>>Doug Henwood said
>> >...the use of the rather repulsive phrase "outside Jewish money,"
>>
>>What would be a better phrase?
>
>Name the contributors and institutions instead of using a phrase
>rich with racist associations that invokes images of a vast Jewish
>conspiracy, outsiderhood, great riches, etc.
>
>Doug
According to the Federal Election Commission, Denise L. Majette received $774,907 from 1083 individuals, (the contributors' names are available at <http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/can_ind/2001_H2GA04110>), and $64,400 from "Non-Party (e.g. PACs) or Other Committees":
***** Presented by the Federal Election Commission
Committees Who Gave To This Candidate
MAJETTE, DENISE L THE CANDIDATE
MAJETTE FOR CONGRESS INC PRINCIPAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE OF THE CANDIDATE
Contributor's Name Amount
American Dental PAC 3000.00
Americans for Good Government Inc 1000.00
Citizens Organized PAC
06/04/2002 750.00
Citizens Organized PAC
07/16/2002 4000.00
Equifax PAC 1000.00
Grand Canyon Caucus 1000.00
Hudson Valley PAC 5000.00
Independent Insurance Agents
of America PAC (INSURPAC) 1000.00
International Paper PAC 1000.00
Joint Action Committee
for Political Affairs 500.00
The Loose Group
06/28/2002 5000.00
The Loose Group
07/09/2002 -5000.00
The Loose Group
07/10/2002 5000.00
Zell Bryan Miller
via Zell Miller for Senate Inc 1000.00
MOPAC 2000.00
Southern Company Employees PAC 1000.00
Suntrust Bank
Good Government Group-Georgia 1000.00
Wachovia Corporation Employees
Good Government Federal Fund I 200.00
<http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/can_give/2001_H2GA04110> *****
You can't very well list the names of all 1083 individuals, and, with the exception of some, the PAC names aren't descriptive of their political objectives and/or the social bases of their respective contributors. While I very much agree with Doug on his criticism of Cockburn, especially on the abortion issue, I'm not sure how you can get around mentioning ethnic identities if what you want to analyze sociologically is whether there is any ethnic pattern in campaign contribution and what it may mean if there is any. -- Yoshie
* Calendar of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html> * Anti-War Activist Resources: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/activist.html> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osu.edu/students/CJP/>