The Republican Party’s takeover of the House of Representatives in the recent election also ushers in a consolidation of pro-Israeli political influence over Congress unlike ever before. Then, too—not coincidentally—it heralds a new era in which secret campaign contributions by big-money interests are now holding sway in an unprecedented way.
Exemplifying these new developments is the rapid-fire rise of Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), a deeply religious Orthodox Jew and pro-Israeli “neo-conservative” hard-liner who is expected to be named House majority leader in the forthcoming GOP-controlled Congress.
Although the majority leader post is officially the No. 2 slot in the House of Representatives, the truth is, Cantor will hold tremendous behind-the-scenes power in the Republican caucus—greater than even Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), who is slated to become speaker of the House (and with whom Cantor has never been on the best of terms).
Cantor’s particular influence stems from his control—along with another pro-Israeli hardliner, former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.)—of a secretive and well-funded political action committee, the American Action Network (AAN), run by Cantor’s close advisor and former chief of staff, Rob Collins.
Cantor’s AAN operation is believed to have raised up to $25 million this past year and spent at least $16 million in waging independent expenditures on behalf of Cantor-approved Republican candidates in the recent election.
On Oct. 25 even The Washington Post was moved to describe AAN as “mysterious” and described Collins as one of “a small circle of operatives with the coveted expertise of actually running such secretive organizations.”
Collins himself has said, “I have a weird gift for raising money.”
That gift has given new power to Cantor, who played a major part though AAN in orchestrating the GOP victory, bankrolled by well-heeled contributors whose names are not required to be revealed to the Federal Election Commission.
It is no coincidence that two other, similar fundraising venturesR
