While Rep. Jamal Bowman, a moron, may have sealed his fate after pulling a fire alarm to delay a House vote on a congressional stopgap bill, the ‘squad’ member’s Democratic primary loss to ‘moderate’ challenger George Latimer has raised eyebrows for other reasons.

Chief among them is what Axios described as an ‘unprecedented financial investment’ by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which spent over $14.5 million to defeat Bowman, mostly via TV ads attacking the incumbent.

While Bowman also faced opposition from a ‘Crypto Super PAC‘ – and Gemini co-founder Tyler Winklevoss posting on X that “this is what happens when you pick a fight with the crypto army,” Democrats tell Axios that AIPAC’s enormous ad spend may have also been meant to intimidate Democrats who are critical of the Jewish state.

“It might change how they talk about [Israel],” one moderate House Democrat told the outlet, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

“The number is gross … I don’t like it,” another House Democrat told Axios, calling the figure “Overkill,” and adding “If anything that much money could backfire, because then you get people that are like, ‘This is just wrong.”

AIPAC congratulates @LatimerforNY on his resounding victory over an anti-Israel detractor.

This triumph by a strong pro-Israel candidate represents a major victory for the Democratic mainstream that stands with the Jewish state and a defeat for the extremist fringe. pic.twitter.com/NG2Y6Eu1ZZ

— AIPAC (@AIPAC) June 26, 2024

According to another House Democrat, “What AIPAC is doing here is they see a vulnerable member they don’t like on their issue and they go after them,” adding “Whatever you think of [AIPAC], they’re pretty intelligent. They’ve got some skin in this in the sense that if Bowman wins, that’s egg on their face. They’re very strategic.”

“When that group saw an opportunity to make a point against someone they think is vulnerable, it doesn’t surprise me. The number is pretty staggering,” another House Democrat told the outlet.

As Axios notes:

Much of the [AIPAC] spending came after a poll in March from pro-Israel group Democratic Majority for Israel showed Bowman trailing by 17 points.
Bowman has emerged as one of Congress’ most vocal critics of Israel in recent years, with Latimer running as a pro-Israel alternative in the heavily Jewish, affluent suburban district. -Axios

Bowman was notably one of just two House incumbents targeted by AIPAC, with the other being Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), another of Congress’ most vocal critics of Israel.

Even Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) said that it was “not necessary for AIPAC to spend so much money,” arguing that Bowman, (a moron), was “sufficiently out of step with the district.”

Another senior House Democrat told Axios of AIPAC: “They do that a lot.”

AIPAC, meanwhile, told the outlet: “Pro-Israel activists are proud to engage in the democratic process and help elect candidates who stand with Israel as it battles Iranian terrorist proxies,” adding “This race presented a clear choice — between George Latimer who reflects the views of the Democratic mainstream in his congressional district and across the country, and his opponent who aligns with the extremist, anti-Israel fringe.”

Meanwhile, pro-Israel Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) told Axios that Bowman “went out of his way to punch, to kick, to offend,” adding “I know there’s a large Jewish population in his district … people want someone that reflects well on their community.”

Another Democrat put it more bluntly, saying “AIPAC didn’t pull a fire alarm. AIPAC didn’t speculate about 9/11.”

Bowman’s election loss isn’t the first recent mention of AIPAC’s influence in DC politics. Earlier this month, Rep. Thomas Massie told Tucker Carlson that AIPAC effectively places “minders” on GOP members to monitor and influence their actions and voting – saying that each Repuiblican seems to have an “AIPAC person” or babysitter.

“I have Republicans, you come to me on the floor and say, ‘I wish I could vote with you today. Yours is the right vote, but I would just take too much flak back home,” adding “And I have Republicans who come to me and say, ‘That’s wrong, what a PAC is doing to you. Let me talk to my AIPAC person.’ By the way, everybody but me has an AIPAC person.”

Fascinating.