[raw]
[/raw]
Antone Melton-Meaux, Ilhan Omar’s Fifth District primary challenger, raised nearly seven times what the incumbent did in the second quarter of 2020. Melton-Meaux brought in $3.2 million, compared to the $471,000 Omar raised in the same time period.
This time last year, few had heard of Melton-Meaux, a lawyer with a background in employment practice and mediation. Now, his flyers are all over CD5 doorsteps and his ads are all over TV.
Melton-Meaux didn’t begin his campaign with a head start in fundraising. In previous reporting periods, he lagged significantly behind Omar in terms of money raised. He raised a fraction of what she did in 2019 and significantly less in the first quarter of 2020.
[raw]
[/raw]
So how did a political newcomer suddenly manage to outraise an incumbent with a national profile in a primary challenge?
Donor differences
Closer inspection of Omar and Melton-Meaux’s filings show differences in where their money comes from.
Over the course of the campaign, Omar has outraised Melton-Meaux in unitemized individual donations — these are contributions from people who gave less than $200 and whose identifying information isn’t required to be reported to the FEC — by more than ten to one. Three quarters of the money Omar raised in the second quarter came from these types of small donations.
Melton-Meaux, by contrast, outraised Omar by more than two to one in itemized contributions — money from donors who gave over $200 and whose names and addresses are required to be reported by the campaign to the FEC. Of the $3.2 million he raised in the second quarter of 2020, $3 million of it came in donations of $200 or more.
[raw]
[/raw]
Since they’re not itemized, details on small donations are scarce, but from data reported on larger-dollar donors, we know that Omar has donors in every U.S. state and has raised a lot of money in California, New York and other populous places. Her donors include actors Susan Sarandon, Ben Affleck and Bradley Whitford, and the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir. In the second quarter, about 86 percent of Omar’s itemized contributions came from outside of Minnesota. For Melton-Meaux, it was 94 percent.
Despite being the DFL-endorsed candidate in the race, Omar’s donor list does not include a lot of the usual suspects who typically give big to DFL candidates in statewide and Congressional races.
[image_credit]REUTERS/Erin Scott[/image_credit][image_caption]Rep. Ilhan Omar[/image_caption]
Melton-Meaux’s donor list includes a lot of local names you might recognize from the public policy sphere, including 2019 Minneapolis mayoral candidate Tom Hoch, former University of Minnesota presidents Bob Bruininks and Eric Kaler, former U.S. attorney in Minnesota Andrew Luger, Metropolitan Council Chair Charlie Zelle.
It also includes prominent local business people like Fairview Health Services CEO James Hereford, Ecolab CEO Douglas Baker, Kelly Doran, of Doran Companies, Vance Opperman, and Marilyn Carlson Nelson, the co-CEO of Carlson Holdings.
Also among Melton-Meaux’s Minnesota supporter base is Second District Rep. Angie Craig’s wife, Cheryl Greene, according to a list of ActBlue donations compiled by nonprofit news outlet ProPublica. Craig hasn’t endorsed anyone in the CD5 race, but she formerly worked with Melton-Meaux at St. Jude Medical. Her former deputy finance director Aidan Johnson now works on Melton-Meaux’s campaign. Greene gave $199 to Melton-Meaux’s campaign in March.
Melton-Meaux has support from major national donors, too, including John Gray, of private equity firm Blackstone, and Seth Klarman, a hedge fund billionaire who has given millions to Republicans.
PACs
Melton-Meaux has also raised about 20 percent of his large-dollar donations with the help of pro-Israel Political Action Committees that bundled donations — meaning they collected them on behalf of the candidate.
Melton-Meaux raised $382,000 in donations bundled by the Pro-Israel America PAC, a nonpartisan political committee that supports both Republican and Democrat pro-Israel candidates. He also raised nearly $106,000 in bundled donations through NORPAC, a political action committee that supports conservative policies in Israel.
Besides the bundled donations, Melton-Meaux’s campaign has directly raised $34,000 from PACs. They include: Citizens Organized, Friends of Israel, Grand Canyon State Caucus, Heartland PAC, Maryland Association for Concerned Citizens, Mid-Manhattan PAC, Pro-Israel America PAC and Sun PAC, all listed as pro-Israel by OpenSecrets.
Omar has raised about $54,000 from PACs, including the American Federation of Teachers, the Machinists Non-Partisan Political League of the International Association of Machinists, the National Association of Realtors PAC, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association PAC and the Sierra Club Political Committee.
[raw]
MP.highcharts.makeChart(‘.chart-CD5’, $.extend(true, {}, MP.highcharts.columnOptions, { xAxis: { categories: [‘2019’, ‘Q1′,’Q2’] }, yAxis: { title: { text: ‘Total contributions’ } }, tooltip: { formatter: function(){ return ‘ ‘ + this.x + ‘‘ + ‘: ‘ + this.series.name + ‘ raised $’+ MP.formatters.number(this.y,0) + ”; } }, series: [{ name: ‘Ilhan Omar’, data: [2907493.10,446824.39,471624.66]
}, { name: ‘Antone Melton-Meaux’, data: [185126.15,209796.17,3220904.2]
}] }));
MP.highcharts.makeChart(‘.chart-CD5category’, $.extend(true, {}, MP.highcharts.columnOptions, { xAxis: { categories: [‘Itemized (>$200)’,’Unitemized ( ‘ + this.x + ” + ‘: ‘ + this.series.name + ‘ raised $’+ MP.formatters.number(this.y,0) + ”; } }, series: [{ name: ‘Ilhan Omar’, data: [1525142.23,2290492.84]
}, { name: ‘Antone Melton-Meaux’, data: [3384023.94,208677.58]
}] })); [/raw]
I think Meaux will be a wonderful choice for MN. Not sure why Minnesotans want to cling to the deflated life raft of the vastly divisive, reckless and anti Semitic pedant that is Ilhan Omar. I find Meux better experienced, much better educated and so much more capable to serve everyone in Minnesota. This guy has a reconciliation business and is person of faith who does not espouse religious supremacism. Can’t see where he is on the issues? Go right to the man’s page. It’s all there. I’m disabled and disability rights and services are very important to me. Omar’s positions on disability rights and services? Crickets! I am a proud Wellstone Democrat and progressive. I was pleased when MN citizens elected her but that very quickly ended. To say I dislike her would be false because she needs to stay home …from DC in Minnesota. She is a Soros stooge who can’t keep her cool because she’s in such a hurry to slash and burn and take down names. Unfortunately for me if Meaux can’t stop her this time and I think he has a great chance then I intend to cross party lines in November. Her district runs through St. Louis Park. DFLers may limply support her to her face but given 2 vastly superior and actually really likable dfl opponents she may be working outright for CAIR come Jan 2021. And yes I’m just going to go there…”Some people did something…” No wait! She did something..Actually a lot of things. Gotta go and make another small donation to Antone Melton-Meaux.
Claiming to be a Wellstone Democrat, a progressive, and yet you’re calling someone a “Soros stooge”?
A comment like this makes me less likely to support your candidate.
Indeed, unlike Ms. Omar’s statements, which continue to be mischaracterized by those with an agenda, “Soros stooge” is the anti-Semitic slur of all anti-Semitic slurs: “the Jew who secretly runs the world.” The Soros meme was spun from thin air by Viktor Orban’s campaign consultant specifically to name a shady internal enemy and capitalize on underlying Hungarian anti-Semitism. It is of course a propaganda go-to on the Right and, as you note, not a term a Wellstone Democrat and progressive would use. It appears there is substantial interest in this election from outside of the 5th District.
A “proud Wellstone Democrat” is raising the CAIR bogeyman?
As long as no one is violating the campaign reporting laws, this article is exactly what helps voters decide to support. It is the free press, doing their job.
It is extremely unfortunate, in my view, that although Representative Omar issued immediate apologies for intemperate language she used in the course of defending Palestinian rights, apologies which seem to be entirely sincere and noteworthy in part because so few politicians ever (1) Admit they were wrong or mistaken and (2) Make a pledge to try to understand why language they used was considered so fraught with unintended bigotry, and unintentionally hurtful.
Also extremely unfortunate, in my view, is that various persons commenting on, or running ads about this contest, seem almost completely incapable of admitting Representative Omar issued those apologies.
Instead, their approach appears to be one of continuing to insist Ilhan Omar is some kind of bigoted anti-Semite, rather than a forceful advocate for universal human rights, rights which consistently encompass Palestinians and citizens of the State of Israel, along with every other inhabitant of this third planet from the local sun.
I suppose if you ignore all of Rep. Omar’s record of contacts in the Fifth District and her activities in reaching out to be educated on the anti-semitic tropes since the issue first arose, and are bound and determined to replace her with someone without her commitment to Palestinian rights, that’s the easiest course to follow.
Since we have one of the most contentious, complicated, historically controversial issues in modern history playing this role in the primary, perhaps folks with the time and inclination should study the issues more deeply, in the hope of learning why the conflict will never end if neither side listens to the deepest concerns of the other.
That might also lead to people being less willing to cast Representative Omar as a one-sided politician arguing in bad faith and with unclean hands, so to speak.
Thanks for reporting facts and data, Greta. Very helpful versus generalizations and implied “issues”.
The challenger is supported strongly by the business community and pro-Israel groups.
Business people are less likely to support solutions like Medicare for All, the Green New Deal or higher taxes that reduce the wealth gap. Corporate and class loyalty tops party affiliation.Omar’s impatience with social inequities is viewed as a threat. Her opponent will be easier to work with.
Omar talks about how harshly Israel deals with its Muslim residents. Pro-Israel groups any criticism of Israel’s conservative government and have worked to make economic boycotts of Israel illegal, knowing the similar boycotts forced South Africa to drop its repressive apartheid policies. Defeating her would neutralize a strong opponent and make it less likely others members of Congress will stand up against the Islamophobia.
Both groups are supporting their personal interests. Local voters get to decide who represents them best. This is just the kind of good options that Democratic voters get, as we tolerate independent thought much more than the party of Trump.
“Melton-Meaux has support from major national donors, too, including John Gray, of private equity firm Blackstone, and Seth Klarman, a hedge fund billionaire who has given millions to Republicans.”
The very face along that Melton-Meaux would accept money from the notorious industry of private equity, Blackstone in particular, tells you everything you need to know about his suitability for public office. Melton-Meaux is effectively declaring that he sees no inherent problem in a business model that’s barely distinguishable from legalized looting, serves no useful social function, and whose primary economic effect is to harm the productive economy of the middle class for the purpose of transferring wealth to the top, thus increasing inequality. Private equity is among the least ethical segments of finance capitalism (which is saying something), akin to tobacco companies in its depraved, do anything you can get away with, mode of operation.
If Melton-Meaux hasn’t yet figured out that the above is an accurate characterization of private equity, he’s not qualified to be in office due to his lack of understanding of economic realities. If he’s aware of what private equity actually does, despite private equity’s illusory public front, and is still okay with it, then this suggests Melon-Meaux lacks the ethical vision to be in public office.
Great reporting. This is why I support MinnPost.
Antone’s competence and integrity compel!
Great article…thanks. I will vote for Antone for many reasons, including his vocal support for the LGBTQ community, which is tepid from Ilhan. But mostly because I believe that Ilhan has bigger fishes to fry that are not necessarily in sync with CD5’s pressing concerns. And while neither off them are native to this state, Antone, I think, has his finger on the cultural, economic and historic issues impacting Minnesota. I don’t feel that Ilhan does and most likely, doesn’t seem to care. She’s never once done a town hall meeting in Golden Valley and from what I know, none of the other suburbs she represents, which include Crystal, Robbinsdale, St. Louis Park, Richfield and parts of Edina. If suburbanites, who’ve been turned off by Minneapolis politics and their politicians vote, Antone will win hands down.
This is a story that tells me what was done, but not how it was done. My sense is that this election has been mostly a black box. For whatever reason, we have no idea of what’s going on.
Yes, very strange. There are certainly reasons to vote against Omar, but a genuine opposition should be more organic. This feels like big money foisted upon the race in the final weeks promising a too-good-to-be-true alternative with loads of deep pockets in his circle.
Omar has made numerous anti-Semitic statements, even after apologizing for earlier ones. She actively supports the BDS movement as well. It’s a stretch to say her comments are “unintentional.” Take a look at Melton-Meaux’s position on Israel (clearly stated on his website along with positions on all major issues). It reads, in part: “It is my firm belief that the Palestinian people’s national aspirations are just, and that the United States must be a partner in realizing a modern, prosperous Palestine. That is why I support a two-state solution…. The United States, acting as an honest broker, can help administer a bilateral solution that relies on compromises from all sides, and incorporates the most critical values and objectives shared by both peoples, most importantly, the yearning for a safe and secure homeland. I believe that the unilateral annexation of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory threatens the prospect of a peaceful two-state solution by undermining the viability and prosperity of a future Palestinian state, as well as the security and stability of the region….” Spoken like a true mediator–which is his professional background. He would bring integrity as our Fifth District Representative.
You seem very clueless about Ilhan Omar and what she stands for.Everyone is accusing her she said some “anti-Semitic statements” and that is baloney. Saying the truth about money corruption in politics and you are immediately labelled anti-israeli.Alot of corrupted organizations funneling money into Anton’s campaign and I don’t believe Anton is a genuine person. I know some folks hate this poor congresswoman not because the fake anti-semitic comments people are running, but who she is as human being. I believe she is true progressive and she fights for her district and she supports many of the policies of Bernie. As a Bernie supporter , I believe she will win reelection because she has thousands of supporters and few haters.
If you want to know what’s going on, tune in on Monday night, July 20, to a debate between the candidates. It’s at 8:00 PM online, sponsored by the League of Women’s Voters, at http://www.CCXmedia.org.
Your claim: “Omar has made numerous anti-Semitic statements, even after apologizing for earlier ones.”
Go ahead, cite even one example —- I’ll wait, since of course there are none. This had better be a sincere attempt by you, too, so don’t come up with some entirely fair criticism of Israeli policies, as if that is ipso facto “antisemitic, either!
She supports BDS, ok, I oppose that strategy (and it isn’t working in any event), but I am not willing to vote for congressional representation on the basis of this one issue, where reasonable people can differ on what are legitimate tactics to pressure Israeli policy.
There is no “unilateral annexation” going on by the State of Israel, either, that’s a media fail on a massive scale — go to the camera-uk.org website, or search for “ukmediawatch” and look at the articles there for more on that.
“Antone Melton-Meaux received money from two billionaire hedge fund and private equity firms, and has no record of supporting progressive policies…” That’s the claim from the Omar campaign, care to refute it?
Has Antone M-M endorsed Medicare for All? Ilhan Omar introduced Bernie Sanders last October in a rally at Williams Arena with over 10,000 attending, made a brilliant speech about her immigrant roots, compared her personal background with Bernie’s, and laid out a comprehensive progressive agenda that reflects the needs and aspirations of the 5th District.
Antone will garner much name recognition from the massive ad buys, but he would not be positioned to lead in the way Omar has done.
And the fact that right wing Republicans are publicly stating they gave the M-M campaign large contributions ‘just to get rid of that woman’ are indicative of some factors worth considering as well: she has already attained a national presence, while working hard in the district for the consituents. Ilhan Omar won with almost 80% of the vote in 2018 and deserves another massive win.
It bothers that he keeps on sending negative pieces in the mail and does not even give you an idea of what specific innovative ideas or programs he will implement. I like her piece way more because it gives details on what bills she passed and the number of them. To me this is the most important thing being productive. I do like her town hall meetings. very well done. It looks like he is appealing to the moneyed interests. I will definitely have to give her a donation.
Antone’s website relays that this year marks the thirtieth year of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act and that much progress has been made.
He says:
“Despite this progress, however, there is much work to be done to achieve the ADA’s goals of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities. I will fight to expand accessibility, protect the rights of those with disabilities, and ensure that people with disabilities are able to live fully integrated lives.”
For the 26% of Americans who are disabled, this is a positive statement and one which I consider helpful. Disabled people are more frequent victims of physical and sexual abuse than non-disabled people, and we are often sidelined from our academic and professional careers when people begin to question and harass us due to the relatively insignificant differences we bring into the workplace. A majority of disabled people are in poverty, and there are some workers who work in sheltered workshops who are paid less than minimum wages for the work that is done.
I believe Melton-Meaux’s work in healthcare, and with non-profits, provide him with the maturity and insight that is needed during this time of great divide in our nation.
Additionally, his views toward Palestine and Israel are productive and diplomatic. The fact that billionaires and millionaires are supporting him, along with lower income people, should be an indication that he has wide appeal among citizens who want to see a balanced approach to leadership in MN Congressional District 5 and the United States.
It is amazing what can be found on Open Secrets. It looks like James Stephenson who is the director of the board of Americans for Prosperity donated to AMM’s campaign. Stephenson is also on the board of directors of the US Chamber of Commerce. He’s a lawyer and President/CEO of Yancey Bros Co. Somehow he has addresses in multiple states, so whatever he donates in those states appears to come from within the state.
Upon further review of the Americans for Prosperity website, I find things which I both do and do not like about their platform. I will leave it to individual readers to review their website, and hopefully the readers will not stop reading when they find something they do not like. Moreover, a person who receives funds from another party may not endorse all of what the grantor is all about.
Over the course of reading about various candidates, I see that some people are adverse to voting for another person because they are attorneys. Melton-Meaux is an attorney.
Attorneys come in all shapes and sizes, with many different interests and points upon which they focus in their careers. Some are human rights attorneys. Some help small businesses and larger corporations. Others are criminal defense attorneys. Some enjoy prosecuting perceived criminals. Some attorneys specialize in health, while others specialize in trade and foreign relations. There are large international firms which focus on hundreds of types of cases. Then again, their are those firms that specialize only in things like divorce and personal injury.
Antone Melton-Meaux has specialized in health, and children’s rights among a few others. This indicates to me that he has the intelligence and heart to care for our community. He has developed a mediation business which helps his clients come together on issues instead of wedging them apart and creating a thoroughly adversarial approach to legal relationships.
Instead of castigating a candidate on a topic, or nuancing that because they are a professional in a certain area, that they would be thoroughly wrong for the job of, in this case, U.S. Representative. Hence, it would be helpful to learn of a person’s individual and specific interests in issues. Presuming too much about anyone person or industry is not a wise approach to determining where or how someone will fit in as a leader in society.
Let’s be real about what is going on here. Ilhan Omar is strong progressive leader who fights for healthcare for all, housing for all, the Green New Deal, canceling student debt, and taxing the wealthy.
The wealthy and rightwing hate her as a progressive woman of color. Trump signals her 0ut for attack. So the rich from around the country are funneling money to Antone to take her out. Many of these same contributors give to Trump, Ted Cruz etc.
Let’s not be fooled or let our electi0n be bought! Send Ilhan back to Congress.
Please sign up for Melton-Meaux’s newsletter by going onto his site. He explains his fundraising and some of the funders who are contributing to his site that far-left voters are calling out.
https://antoneforcongress.com/
The newsletter provides detailed information to support his acceptance of pro-Israel PACs, and discusses his support of a two-state solution in the region occupied by Israelis and Palestinians. It is well written and well-documented.
Elsa Wright’s comment hits at a beginning to a good comment but doesn’t go deep enough, for those of us who have been researching Antone, to tell a thorough story of who he is.
Some business owners operate in many states and can legally represent their interests as such. Going to the website of the individual she called out provides a clear understanding of where he is based. As a voter from the Fifth since 1980, having occupied both affluent and not-so-affluent shoes, I am in favor of Mr. Melton-Meaux, and hope that this forum will provide an opportunity readers to see what others are saying about the candidates.
Antone, a man with both a doctorate and a master’s degree, brings more positive skills and philosophies to the table than Ilhan, and has cut his teeth as a professional. Ilhan has a college degree and was only a state representative for two years before running for the Fifth in the Minneapolis area. She has been a U.S. representative for less than two years. While highly intelligent, she lacks the sensitive training that Antone has received in law school and divinity school.
Curious: The Lincoln project is working to get Trump defeated, so, anyone on the left should be questioning all $ coming from the right? Maybe our Ilhan played too close or out of bounds for the district? We get it that she has her objectives, (not a problem, actually a little refreshing) but she failed 100% to address 1 of mine when I sent it to her. What is that old saying (Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me!)
” . . . I see that some people are adverse to voting for another person because they are attorneys. Melton- Meaux is an attorney.” Yeah, well, lawyers have always been disliked and distrusted, from ancient times to the present.
Years ago, Murray Teigh Bloom wrote “The Trouble With Lawyers.” In it, he made this salient observation:
“The law–which is made by lawyers, administered by lawyers, and adjudged by lawyers–is inevitably protective of the stupid, lazy, and inept practitioner.”
After being amazed to the point of consternation and disdain for Orville H. Larson’s scathing comments about lawyers being hated throughout millenia, I decided to page through reference material on lawyers, character and morality. What I found was that there are examples of lawyers who fit the narrow and cynical model which Larson painted as being, in nuanced form, the entire community of lawyers since the time of Socrates, I recalled images from my early childhood of others who were attorneys — people worthy of my awe for being more than just my dad, people who are remembered as, and are extremely kind and morally intact, men like U.S. Presidents John F. Kennedy, and Abraham Lincoln, and U.S. Attorney General Robert F Kennedy, attorneys who serve the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, and many local, contemporary and other historical figures who are/were attorneys.
In my view, that form of prejudice, as exhibited by Mr. Orville H. Larson, is just as malicious and unkind as the kind of prejudice which exists for people of various races, religions, nationalities, affectional statuses, genders, and the like.
I was thoroughly offended as my dad is/was a distinguished attorney and legal instructor and mentor to many in Minnesota who cut his teeth at the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General and Office of the U.S. Attorney in Minnesota (my first job as a youth was working in his office as a weekend janitor and I was around many attorneys and city executives. Another was a man who was a childhood neighbor and is a statesman and retired preeminent attorney, who served as a MN attorney general, U.S. Senator and U.S. Vice President; not to mention having met a young attorney who visited our home when I was a kindergartner, Skip Humphrey, who later served as a MN attorney general and an attorney and leader for a group that cares for the rights of elderly Americans.
Our current MN attorney general, who supports and endorses Ilhan Omar, is a man who I have met at DFL and other community events who is part of the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA) which has been suing the Trump administration and winning over 80% of their cases.
The following two references were briefly viewed by me (this is the material on morals, ethics, character and attorneys) may be of interest to help put Mr. Larson’s viewpoint to a solid rest as we desire to determine who is the most suitable candidate for U.S. Representative in the MN Fifth Congressional District:
https://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6904&context=ylj
https://law.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Rhode-2017-Law__26_Social_Inquiry.pdf
Mr. Larson extracted the following words ascribed to the author of “The Trouble with Lawyers”:
“The law–which is made by lawyers, administered by lawyers, and adjudged by lawyers–is inevitably protective of the stupid, lazy, and inept practitioner.”
However, he did not also add the following when trying to discredit Antone Melton-Meaux for being an attorney:
“We need our lawyers and, in an increasingly complex world, will need them more and more. But we need them on fairer terms.” (See: https://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Lawyers-Murray-Teigh-Bloom/dp/487187138X, final paragraph)
The Minnesota Code of Professional Conduct for Lawyers states in 1.3:
“A lawyer should pursue a matter on behalf of a client despite opposition, obstruction, or personal inconvenience to the lawyer, and take whatever lawful and ethical measures are required to vindicate a client’s cause or endeavor. A lawyer must also act with commitment and dedication to the interests of the client and with zeal in advocacy upon the client’s behalf. A lawyer is not bound, however, to press for every advantage that might be realized for a client. For example, a lawyer may have authority to exercise professional discretion in determining the means by which a matter should be pursued. See Rule 1.2. The lawyer’s duty to act with reasonable diligence does not require the use of offensive tactics or preclude the treating of all persons involved in the legal process with courtesy and respect. ”
For a full reading of the Code, please go to: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/court_rules/rule/prcond-toh/.
I have known Ilhan Omar and have a lot of respect for her kindness and her intelligence. She is one of the last non-family-member women who gave me a hug in greeting, with the words, “Barry, my old friend. It’s been a long time. So nice to see you”. But her communications skills and her cavalier attitude about Israel are very concerning, as she attacks the nation, not just as a nation heavily influenced by the Likud Party of Benjamin Netanyahu — which seeks to annex the West Bank and create more bad and spilled blood between the two religious groups in question — but as a nation despite the Israeli-Palestinian friendship organizations which exist….this is really disruptive and dis-compassionate, despite her concern for international human rights, of which Antone Melton-Meaux is also concerned but ready to mediate and not make enemies.
It is her energetic activism and nearly with abandon when she gets going in her public shows that concerns me. I have let her campaign manager and a follow-up call to my home from her campaign office know about my concerns. I am noted by the Democratic Attorneys General Association (again, DAGA) as being one of the most contributory members of the community to Democratic action taken on by DAGA in their desire to get to know public opinion about what the Party should be doing leading up to the general election.
Having been around a lot of leaders over the past fifty-eight years, to me, it is the way she goes about her activism which distresses me. Her concerns for Muslims are refreshing, but her style is antagonistic. It is likely that through error and response to error, she will learn a more productive and diplomatic manner, but that ship has sailed for me this year. She has only a four-year degree, not enough (in my opinion and observation) to have developed the communications and analytic skills that Melton-Meaux has developed and refined as an attorney from 1999-2018, and has served as a mediator for the past two years in employment law. Leading up to twenty-one years as a professional, my candidate has gone through rigorous academic and professional hoops to deserve my vote.
The body of information that I have been conveying is to put people who are willing to read into a position where they won’t settle for naive tropes about what attorneys since the dawn of time have been like to some people of the millions who have been satisfied with the assistance they receive from attorneys — either in private practice or as a recipient of a benefit from a governmental entity.
We should be examining just one attorney/mediator among the millions that have existed since the dawn of recorded history, and at this time in this discussion of what kind of person is Antone Melton-Meaux, an individual who has put his time into understanding law and faith through rigorous formal study in a law degree program, which is typically a three-year graduate degree, and his two year master’s degree program.
Melton-Meaux is just not just some character feigned by a person who appears to have little regard for the goodness of thousands of women and men who have practiced law in our nation and abroad for good ends. He has two decades of professional history; he knows how to read laws and treaties, and how to write them. He also knows how to stay out of trouble and also to defend himself when abused for the color of his skin and the race into which he was born.
While I like Ilhan, I prefer Antone Melton-Meaux more.
Please know that I have not had contact with Skip Humphrey more than once in my life, and that my contact with Fritz Mondale, the former U.S. president, has been incidental and that he likely does not remember me, although we shared a friend in John B.Davis, Jr., EdD, a former Minneapolis Public School District superintendent and president of Macalester College.
I am not currently active in the DFL, but instead work with the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) Disability Council on a small project in Minneapolis.
If you are disabled, or know someone who is, please register and remember to vote in the primary and general elections this August and November.
This is nothing more than big money trying to take out Omar. If we’re being honest its more about taking out an out spoken Muslim woman. Of course we don’t say it in so many words, we feign outrage at the “anti-semitism” or like the confused commenter above calling her a Soros puppet. I wonder if the commenter is aware that the attacks on Soros are based on his Jewish heritage? Or we blather on about two state solution while Israel hoovers up more and more land. But its all just dressing up the fact that Omar is a strong outspoken Muslim woman and some folks just can’t accept that. So they found a perfect candidate that covers up their biases with his brown skin. I for one ain’t falling for it. I like having Ilhan Omar as my Representative and I’ll keep voting for her as long as she is running.
The first question would seem to be, is Omar’s record so exemplary as to make any primary challenge a fruitless and undeserved effort?
Even her most ardent supporters acknowledge that she is learning on the job, has made a few missteps, but they are optimistic on the prospects for her career in the House. A primary challenge is entirely appropriate and should not be a surprise to anyone.
Melton-Meaux Thought he would give it a try. I see no evidence that he is a puppet of donors who contributed months after his campaign began. And his endorsers / contributors include lots of respected, credible local Democrats:
https://antoneforcongress.com/newsroom/endorsements/
Melton-Meaux’s position’s on the issues are not to be confused with Tom Emmer or anyone of his stripe. Both Melton-Meaux and Omar both support a progressive agenda that will require a D President, D House and a strong Senate majority. Get those and it will make no difference which one represents the 5th CD.
https://antoneforcongress.com/issues/
So, for me, in the age of Trump it comes down to truth, honesty and integrity. I’ll take my chances with Melton-Meaux.
And as the lights came up on the 5th CD Democratic debate last night there were 3 candidates on stage, all men.
No Omar.
Where was she?
Despite one of the worst attendance records in congress, she conveniently needed to return to DC and would miss the debate.
Less than one term in and she has assumed the mantle of an aloof, privileged incumbent, mining the financial perks of her office while ignoring her constituents. Left or right, we have no need for another Erik Paulsen…
I’m confused by the charts in this article. The first chart showing quarterly represents a lower total than combining the two subcategories of contributions in the second chart. Which chart is wrong?
Secondly the narrative presented in this article and elsewhere about Melton-Meaux out raising Omar with out of state contributions does not jive with numbers on Open Secrets:
https://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary?cycle=2020&id=MN05
According to Open Secrets Omar has indeed out raised Melton-Meaux and I have heard that much of her money comes from out of state as well. Someone’s not being truthful here,
Hi Brett. You are correct that there was an issue with the charts. The first chart had shown Omar’s fourth-quarter donations, not the whole year, in error. This has been fixed and corrected. As for the state-by-state contributions, that’s going to depend on the time period you’re looking at. We looked at the most recent report, whereas OpenSecrets looks at the whole cycle. Greta
And as the lights came up last night at 5th CD Democratic debate we saw 3 candidates, all men.
No Omar.
The reason?
Despite one of the worst attendance records in congress, she had to return to DC in lieu of participating in the debate.
Less than one term in and we see an aloof, privileged candidate disdainful of interacting with her constituents and primary rivals.
Left or right, we have no need for anymore Erik Paulsens.
the times we live in call for bold actions. Omar is doing this. she makes mistakes; she apologizes. she is fearless in her advocacy for communities needing basic fundamentals like housing, food, healthcare, and livable wage employment. she’s a Somali-American. no one can blame her for proposing a different way forward on Israel/Palestine. it’s way overdue that some balance occurs in the area that Jimmy Carter calls “apartheid.” I receive glossy mailers from Antone in my mailbox nearly every day; he won’t disclose the sources of money that funded the making of the mailers. they all say the same thing. he calls for moderation. negotiation. another way of saying “things must stay the same.” but times for staying the same are long gone. I’ve yet to hear him at a town hall.
where are the town halls? let’s give Omar the chance she deserves to serve CD5 for another term.
Julie,
If you go to http://www.antoneforcongress.com, and sign up to receive newsletters, you will be notified of town hall meetings featuring both candidates.
I believe you are mistaken in your notion that mediation and diplomacy is equated to maintaining the same old standard. While I agree with you on Ilhan’s character and perspective, she has done a lot to alienate a lot of people and to stir up dust. She hasn’t provided herself as a benefit to either the Palestinians or Jews in that region given her hateful and narrow comments about Israel. Israel is more than the Likud Party which controls policy at this time.
Ilhan has not made an effort to get involved with Israeli-Palestinian friendship groups which exist both in the U.S. and in Israel. She is out of her depth at this time in her life. While she shows plenty of potential, I believe she should return to school for an advanced degree and develop her own path outside of government before continuing to wade into government as a sport.
I am still waiting for James Proman, or anyone else, to provide a citation or citations for the claim that Rep. Omar has made antisemitic remarks, after first apologizing for what she admitted were insensitive comments.
Not statements simply very critical of this or that policy or practice followed in Israel, mind you, but antisemitic and bigoted remarks. I do not think they exist, but am always willing to learn new facts.
Mr. Proman’s words in this thread are “numerous anti-Semitic statements even after apologizing for earlier ones” — citations that would back up that notion should be provided, or that claim falls flat and is revealed as a very unfair smear.
It’s wonderful that Barry Peterson has remarked eloquently on the numerous attorneys throughout history who have made solid contributions to human rights, progress, and many just causes. Note, by the way, that the infamous “Kill All the Lawyers” quotation citing Shakespeare ignores the fact Shakespeare puts those words in the mouth of one of the most sordid, violent, clearly disreputable characters in his entire dramatic output!
As a graduate of what is now Mitchell-Hamline law school I find Mr. Peterson’s encomiums refreshing, and certainly Antone Melton-Meaux would be far preferable to any GOP candidate (one of whom was, mirabile dictu, banned from Twitter for suggesting her opponent should be hanged, evidently following in the footsteps of the astounding pathological liar and malignant narcissist Donald J. Trump with respect to vicious rhetoric) but I still support Ilhan Omar.
Rep. Omar is currently serving on the Democratic Progressive Caucus as whip, is a staunch supporter of Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and a $15 an hour minimum wage, and I am not about to reject her bona fides because she consistently extends her support of universal human rights to Palestinians, as well as citizens of the State of Israel.
I was also disappointed that the League of Women Voters left the only woman out of the debate. My understanding is that it had to do with technical issues. I counted three times I crossed paths with Ilhan Omar last year in south Minneapolis, purely by accident and she was accompanied by completely ordinary Minnesotans.