In the wake of a $10 million super-PAC donation by casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, DCCC Chairman Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) said Thursday that Adelson is bidding on a new meaning for "USA."
“Maybe he’s trying to bid on the branding rights for the U.S. of A. Instead of United States of America make it United States of Adelson.”
Israel, who leads the committee charged with electing Democrats to the House, said that the influence of outside groups and big donors like Adelson is “the one thing that keeps me up at night. ”
“We have outraised the Republicans, outrecruited them, outmessaged them, outmobilized them, outorganized them, but there’s no question that those super-PACs are a major factor.”
Adelson on Thursday donated $10 million to the pro-Romney Restore our Future super-PAC. During the Republican primary, Adelson was a strong backer of a super-PAC supporting former Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.).
“We’ve got to be able to compete,” Israel said later in the interview, adding that he will not let Adelson’s donation go unanswered. “We’re not going to win the majority by letting a small group of people fund super-PACs without having a response, and we will respond,” he said.
