Tlaib calls to vote against Biden in Michigan primary

Tlaib calls to vote against Biden in Michigan primary

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) on Saturday urged Michigan Democrats to vote “uncommitted” in the state’s Feb. 27 primary rather than for President Biden.

Why it matters: It marks an escalation in the rupture between Biden and his party’s most left-wing members over his administration’s support of Israel.

Driving the news: In a video posted to social media by Listen to Michigan, a campaign to get Michigan Democrats to vote “uncommitted,” Tlaib said “it is important, as you all know, to not only march … [but] to create a voting bloc.”

• “We don’t want a country that supports war and bombs and destruction,” the Palestinian-American congresswoman said. “This is the way you can raise our voices. Don’t make us even more invisible.”
• The group, led by Tlaib’s sister, has also touted support from progressive former Michigan Rep. Andy Levin.

The backdrop: Biden has faced increasing criticism from progressive lawmakers and activists for his stance on Israel.

• Muslim Americans in key swing states have organized an “abandon Biden” campaign, and in Michigan in particular Biden campaign officials have struggled even to parley with hostile activists.
• The president has extended olive branches to the pro-Palestinian ranks of his party, including with an executive order cracking down on Israeli settler violence and a directive setting conditions on military aid to Israel.

Reality check: A similar effort to get voters to write in “ceasefire” in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary last month fell largely flat.

• Just under 1,500 voters – around 1.2% – wrote in the word, with Biden winning 64% of the vote in a write-in campaign.
• Biden has since romped to victory in South Carolina and Nevada, and faces only one long-shot opponent in Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.).

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