- WASHINGTON (JTA) - Cynthia
McKinney is one step closer to returning to Congress.
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- The former Georgia lawmaker, who has been targeted by
Jewish donors in the past because she is perceived as anti-Israel, surprised
many by avoiding a runoff and winning outright Tuesday's six-person Democratic
primary for her old seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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- Jewish donors, concerned about McKinney's re-emergence,
had anticipated backing McKinney's opponent in a runoff next month, but
now are faced with the likelihood that McKinney will return to Washington
after winning in November in a heavily Democratic district.
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- McKinney, who represented the 4th congressional district
for 10 years before losing to Denise Majette in the primary two years ago,
received 51 percent of the vote Tuesday.
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- Liane Levetan, a Jewish state senator, received 21 percent,
and Cathy Woolard, a former Atlanta city council president, garnered 19
percent.
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- McKinney, Georgia's first black congresswoman, will face
Republican Catherine Davis, who also is black, in November.
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- The resurrection of McKinney's career comes as a surprise
to many Jewish donors, who spent time and money to defeat her two years
ago after a controversial tenure in Congress. McKinney had consistently
angered many Jews because of her anti-Israel comments and vocal opposition
to votes supporting Israel's right to self-defense.
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- Though much was made of the Jewish community's role in
McKinney's primary defeat in 2002, Jews had not been particularly active
so far this year in trying to prevent her return to Congress.
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- Jewish donors were caught off guard in March when Majette
announced she would seek the state's open Senate seat rather than run for
re-election in the House.
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- The announcement came just days after McKinney made clear
she would try to reclaim her old seat, and Majette was seen as having the
best chance to keep McKinney from returning to Congress.
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- Majette's 2002 victory over McKinney was credited in
large part to out-of-state Jewish support, though there was apparently
discontent from local voters over her performance as well.
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- But Jewish donors were not watching this primary race
very closely or donating to McKinney's opponents in great numbers.
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- Analysts said this year's race was a conundrum for Jewish
donors. There was some fear that aiding Levetan would be seen as a blatant
attempt to force a race between a Jew and a black woman. Yet aiding another
challenger wasn't a viable option because Levetan is popular in the local
Jewish community.
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- Fund raisers also said the Jewish community largely has
turned its attention to the presidential race, relegating congressional
battles to a back seat.
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- It's unclear how much money will go from Jewish coffers
to Davis now that she is taking on McKinney.
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- Morris Amitay, a Washington pro-Israel lobbyist, suggested
that support for Israel in Congress was now at levels that made containing
McKinney less urgent than it was previously.
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- "I don't think anyone is wearing sack cloth and
ashes, the last test of support was 427-9," he said, referring to
a recent House vote supporting Israel's plan to disengage from the Gaza
Strip and parts of the West Bank.
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- Supporting her Republican opponent, he said, would be
a "waste of money" in such a strongly Democratic seat.
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- In addition, analysts say McKinney worked hard in this
primary to avoid hot topics that have gotten her in trouble in the past
with both Jewish and non-Jewish voters. In addition, her anti-Bush rhetoric
played much better this time around.
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- Shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, McKinney
asked a Saudi prince for a $10 million donation he had pledged for disaster
relief. New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani had rejected the money because
the prince suggested U.S. support for Israel provoked the attacks.
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- McKinney also suggested that President Bush knew of the
terrorist plot to attack the World Trade Center, but didn't prevent it
because he wanted a pretext for war. Some voters said recent information
about faulty intelligence validated McKinney's views.
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- McKinney has enjoyed strong support from the Arab and
Muslim community, which views her as a prime backer of a Palestinian state.
A review of her Federal Election Commission filings shows a slew of Arab
surnames, and she received $1,000 from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee.
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- Levetan received $5,000 from the pro-Israel Hudson Valley
Political Action Committee.
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- Some Jewish leaders hope McKinney's changed demeanor
on the campaign trail will carry through to Washington if she wins in November.
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- If not, analysts said, there's always the chance to target
her again = in 2006.
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