Longtime Bernie Sanders supporter Tulsi Gabbard, endorses Hillary Clinton for President

[riversedge]

Good to see



http://mauitime.com/news/politics/longtime-bernie-sanders-supporter-tulsi-gabbard-endorses-hillary-clinton-for-president/



Longtime Bernie Sanders supporter Tulsi Gabbard endorses Hillary Clinton for President

August 3, 2016 by Anthony Pignataro 26 Comments

18.07_QUIZ_Tulsi_Gabbard,_official_portrait,_113th_Congress_wikimedia_commons_CC

Yeah kids, this morning’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser is true: U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, one of the highest-ranking Democrats to back Bernie Sanders, now says she’ll vote for Hillary Clinton for president.

“This morning, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that in an interview with Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, she announced she will be voting for Secretary Hillary Clinton in the upcoming presidential election,” Gabbard campaign spokesperson Erika Tsuji said in a news release. “I’ve received several inquiries asking for confirmation on this and for the complete statement from that interview.”
..........................

“I’m proud to have been a part of Bernie Sanders’ historic campaign, and was honored to place his name in nomination at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday. Now, given the remaining choices, I—like Bernie Sanders—will be casting my vote for Hillary Clinton. Moving forward, as a veteran and someone who knows firsthand the cost of war, I will continue to push for an end to counterproductive interventionist wars, and lead our country down a path toward peace.”

.................
Maui Democratic activist Shay Chan Hodges, who is challenging Gabbard in the Aug. 13 Hawaii state Primary, is also a former Sanders supporter, but she endorsed Clinton back on July 12.

Click here to read the Star-Advertiser story.

[Orsino]

1. And maybe great timing.

Rather than feeding the "selling out" meme by endorsing the instant Sanders did, this may now fall on ears just about ready to hear it.

[auntpurl]

2. Not exactly a fulsome endorsement, but it'll do. nt

[Cha]

3. I'm voting for her primary opponent on August 13th..

gabbard will probably win but I think Shan Hodges would represent us better.. and, DFA endorsed Shay Hodges.

gabbard also declined to debate Hodges... what's she afraid of?


DFA Endorses Shay Chan Hodges.. running against Tulsi Gabbard.

What am I fighting for?

Had I not filed as a candidate, the current Congresswoman, Tulsi Gabbard would have been our de facto Congresswoman elect as of June 7 (since her only opposition would be one of two unknown Republicans and a nonpartisan candidate in a District that has only ever elected Democrats). If that were the case, she would have no reason to respond to her district. Though I and other residents of CD-2 have concerns about very real economic and social issues in our communities, she would have no motivation for responding to those concerns.

Thus, the initial reason I decided to run for this office at this time was to ensure that voters in our district had a choice, and that we would have the benefits of a true democratic process that includes vigorous debates.

Debates that I believe need to be held concern whether our current Congresswoman represents our district’s progressive values. When comparing Rep. Gabbard’s voting record with our strongly Democratic district, Progressive Punch gave Gabbard an F. She recently received the Champion of Freedom award at a gala that was co-hosted and sponsored by Republican Billionaire Sheldon Adelson, and she has co-sponsored legislation for him. Of eleven major gun control bills in the House, she hasn’t co-sponsored a single one. Gabbard has also gone on Fox News repeatedly to criticize President Obama for not using the “radical Islam” label. Without an opponent, I fear that Gabbard will ignore the needs and progressive priorities of our District.
My DFA Values

I’ve worked for nonprofits most of my life -- from the American Foundation for AIDS Research in the late 80s to my current work with social service groups. In 1994, I was named a Catalyst for Change by the Maui News as a result of my work organizing Rock the Vote Maui, a successful campaign that registered hundreds of new voters, and I’ve been involved in Democratic party politics for the last twenty years -- though sometimes intermittently since I also raised my children during this time. I’m keenly aware of the impact unpaid and underpaid work has on the ability of individuals (mostly women and women of color) to thrive economically and to participate politically. I have therefore worked on paid leave legislation for the last three years, and successfully helped pass a law two years ago in support of childcare workers.

http://www2.democracyforamerica.com/endorsement_applicants/518-friends-of-shay-chan-hodges

"Debates" that we've read gabbard has declined..

[auntpurl]

4. Interesting info, thanks for your post. nt

[Hortensis]

5. Hope a lot more feel like that this time around.

Gabbard is good looking and sufficiently charming, but hopefully better acquaintance and the focus of the national spotlight are disillusioning.

[BlueMTexpat]

7. I am also rooting for

Shay. But unfortunately, I can't vote for her!

[jcgoldie]

6. better late than never

Good job Rep. Gabbard.