Incensed by AIPAC, Sanders Throws $1M to El-Sayed

Bernie Sanders is often mad as hell, and this time he's opening up his wallet to blow off some steam in his long-running feud with AIPAC. After learning the pro-Israel lobbying group plans to spend up to $9 million backing Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race, Sanders wired $1 million on Wednesday to Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and began calling allies for more, reports the New York Times. By day's end, he'd lined up an additional $300,000 in pledges from a dozen Democrats, including Sens. Martin Heinrich, Tina Smith, Chris Van Hollen, and Jeff Merkley. "That's nowhere near what AIPAC is doing," Sanders said. "It's nowhere near what other super PACs—billionaire-funded super PACs—are doing. But it is a way to stand with democracy and with Abdul's campaign."

The goal: help El-Sayed, who would be the nation's first Muslim senator, withstand the AIPAC onslaught. The Vermont independent, who has already steered $250,000 to a Michigan victory fund for El-Sayed, called the group's spending "outrageous" and part of a larger fight over the party's future. Sanders also plans several campaign stops across Michigan beginning Sunday in support of El-Sayed, notes MLive. Sanders isn't the only member of the progressive left throwing support to Michigan: El-Sayed has also received $1 million from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.