Tulsi Gabbard on Trump impeachment: 'I could not in good conscience vote either yes or no'

[Galraedia]

Source: MSN

The only Democrat or Republican to vote "present" to impeach President Donald Trump in the House on Tuesday on both articles of impeachment was Hawaiian Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

In a statement after her vote, Gabbard, who is also running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, released a statement, claiming that after doing her "due diligence in reviewing the 658-page impeachment report, I came to the conclusion that I could not in good conscience vote either yes or no.”

"I am standing in the center and have decided to vote Present. I could not in good conscience vote against impeachment because I believe President Trump is guilty of wrongdoing. I also could not in good conscience vote for impeachment because removal of a sitting President must not be the culmination of a partisan process, fueled by tribal animosities that have so gravely divided our country,” Gabbard said.

Earlier Wednesday, she introduced a resolution to instead censure Trump, which expresses strong disapproval of conduct, whereas impeachment could result in removal from office.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/tulsi-gabbard-on-trump-impeachment-i-could-not-in-good-conscience-vote-either-yes-or-no/ar-BBY948d?ocid=sf

[bearsfootball516]

1. The fact that she still has supporters on here is insane.

[lark]

5. I am baffled by that as well.

[backscatter712]

65. She's Putin's favorite Democrat...

Though I get the feeling Putin's going to switch to supporting Bloomberg - Tulsi's campaign is just about out of gas.

[lark]

69. What a freaking nightmare that would be.

I just hope PUtin would never consider Bloomberg's or that Bloomberg has some moral convictions and wouldn't hand over the country's foreign policy to Russia. I don't know the man, never studied him, just know about his bad Stop and Frisk racist policies.

[tenderfoot]

26. She's very popular with DUs right leaning disruptors

eom

[brush]

36. She's a mole.

[BigOleDummy]

52. Indeed

OR in her home district. I shake my head in wonder that she calls herself a Democrat. Why doesn't she just pull a Drew and come out of the closet?

[JonLP24]

72. Not any more

This was the last straw for me.

[Scotch-Irish]

2. Putin would have pulled his $$ from her campaign if she had voted for

impeachment. Can't have THAT!!!

[Ilsa]

8. Yeah, surely he's setting her up to be the

Jill Stein for 2020.They will find a way to either persuade or electronically flip votes to Gabbard from the D nominee in swing states to help T get the majority of votes.

[FM123]

10. I think that Putin will probably try to do both.

"They will find a way to either persuade or electronically flip votes"

[StClone]

40. New play thing for Putin-Tunguska Tulsi

[bdamomma]

85. oh

I believe that too, something stinks, setting her up as another Jill Stein, messing with American heads again to screw the 2020 election.

[heckles65]

3. If she thinks this bit of both-sideserism is going to get her a single Trumpista vote...

...she's sadly mistaken.

[LiberalLovinLug]

61. I do think that was her plan going in.

Thing is, both-siderism might actually work in the general, IF a candidate did have crossover appeal. But the problem is that she won't win the Democratic nomination that way. So its all a big fat moot point.

Now I don't know what to think of her. Calling the process "partisan" echoing Trump and his stooges is unforgivable. This after Nancy was all but dragged onto the process. After they went out of their way to make it the most fair impeachment investigation ever. After Trump ordered witnesses to ignore subpoenas. HOW THE HELL IS THIS IN ANY WAY PARTISAN?

So its an obvious ploy to gain "respect" with those who are dissatisfied with both parties. And is positioning herself not for 2020, but some future run.

[politicaljunkie41910]

71. I think she's going for the VP position via the Nikki Haley route, as another pretty face.

[yardwork]

79. Gabbard plans to be the third party spoiler. Her job is to help Trump be re-elected.

It's clear to me that Gabbard's campaign is funded by those who want Trump re-elected. Her "both sides" lies are designed to discourage Democrats from supporting their candidates.

Gabbard is the Jill Stein of this election. Stein will probably be back too. Putin has a lot of money.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. She won't support the Constitution unless it's bipartisan

That's what she just said. Politics is not her game. Nor is thinking.

[FM123]

6. Wait, what???

You have a conscience? Where was that conscience when you went to go embrace Assad after all the atrocities he inflicted upon his own innocent people....

[guillaumeb]

7. "Good conscience"?

Good one.

[Traildogbob]

16. She misspelled CONscience

Spelled P...U...T...A...N, he would not let her vote either way. He wants her to peel off votes from middle Dems while fully being praised by trump humpers. No Ruples if she disobeyed. That due diligence she speaks of should have been being at the all day debate, not stroll in late like some beauty queen and make a mockery of such an important vote. Putin knows how to pay, use pretty women to get his power, NRA hookers, beauty pageants in Russia to capture video for evidence, pay Gabbort to sway enough shallow male votes from dems to assure trump repeat. Jill Stein got to old to be useful. He sent Melania years ago to get where we are. He plays the long game........and has won, will continues. Bellecek rules. Cheat, lie, steal and even KILL.

[PSPS]

9. LOL. Her "statement" looks like it was written by the kremlin.

[aggiesal]

11. I know we are not suppose to bash Democrats, but ...

she's an idiot.

"... I also could not in good conscience vote for impeachment because removal of a sitting President must not be the culmination of a partisan process, fueled by tribal animosities that have so gravely divided our country,”

She's not voting to remove a sitting president, that's done in the Senate.
She's voting to indict a sitting president on overwhelming evidence of impeachable offenses.

To have a sitting president removed will always need a bipartisan vote in the Senate.

[Ilsa]

27. I wish she was removed from DU Primaries forum

as a choice.

[aggiesal]

32. Put-in's money can speak loud ...

This is what (R)'s wanted from Citizen's United;
Money = Speech!

[Lock him up.]

34. She repeats Faux-Noi$e ignorant propaganda.

Ignorance is bli$$?

[LisaM]

50. She's not really a Democrat, in my book.

She has a "D" next to her name, but when she supported the wrongful hacking of the DNC's database in December 2015, to my mind, she chose to separate herself from the party. Nothing she's done since has changed my mind on that.

[PatSeg]

56. She appears to be the exception to the rule

She has gotten a lot of criticism at DU, with little or no push back. There is an interesting thread in the primaries forum. It would seem her involvement in a cult is not necessarily history.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=386286

Its like a bad made-for-TV movie.

[cab67]

12. she should not, in good conscience, be running for president.

[Guilded Lilly]

13. Your presence is not needed, Gabbard. Ever.

[Ilsa]

14. That isn't even good critical thinking on her part.

Trump wasn't trying to steal the election and crap on the Constitution in a bipartisan way.

[LovingA2andMI]

15. She Can LEAVE....

Tom Perez, make it so.

[truthisfreedom]

17. You cannot in good conscience continue in politics, Putin-lover.

Go away.

[BlueTsunami2018]

18. What a weasel.

She’s taking both sides at the same time. He’s either guilty or he’s not. Parroting the GOP talking points is absolute bullshit.

[Paladin]

19. Kindly disappear, Ms. Gabbard. Just as soon as possible. (nt)

[PRETZEL]

20. And that is why you are totally irrelevant on the national scene, nt

[kysrsoze]

21. 😄 Attaway to take a stand!

[pangaia]

22. "..removal of a sitting President must not be the culmination of a partisan process,.."

The only reason it was 'partisan," as you insist on calling it, is because republicans are a bunch of self-centered, lying cowards,
you fucking nit wit

[dalton99a]

23. She did the right thing:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/19/trump-impeachment-charges-absolutely-made-up-says-putin
Trump impeachment charges 'absolutely made up', says Putin
Andrew Roth
Moscow correspondent
Thu 19 Dec 2019 09.08 EST

[aggiesal]

35. Now we're taking advice from LOSERS (Put in)! n/t

[BlueIdaho]

24. I can't in good conscience call her a Democrat.

This is such an embarrassing statement for a Presidential candidate to make. If she can’t figure this one out - one way or the other - what will she do with really hard decisions? Sorry Tulsi, your 15 minutes of fame are up.

[RainCaster]

38. I agree! She is going to steal as many votes as she can to an Independent run

To help Vlad re-elect DFT.

[NurseJackie]

25. If anyone is THAT indecisive, then they do not qualify to be our party's nominee for POTUS.

[bluestarone]

28. THIS!

Very good point!

[CatMor]

29. Question is does she have a conscience?

[tenderfoot]

30. She in good conscience couldn't vote yes against someone that pardons WAR CRIMINALS

eom

[smb]

31. When It Was Time For Her To Step Up...

...she got bone spurs.

[vlyons]

33. She's toast in my view.

What a BS answer, especially the bit about "culmination of a partisan process, fueled by tribal animosities." She doesn't take a stand, because she needs one excuse for Trump voters, and another excuse for Dem voters. My take on her is that she is ambitious and would readily say whatever is expedient in the short run. If Russian money came herb way, I suspect that she would not send it back. She is a DINO.

[Dave Starsky]

46. In the prior sentence, she says he's "guilty of wrongdoing".

So she thinks a criminal is still fit to hold the Oval Office?

Fuck that Russian-funded idiot and the surfboard she rode in on.

[apcalc]

37. She'll probably pop up on MORE right wing sites and shows now.

Yup, she's done.

[dalton99a]

39. I suspect she received lucrative offers months ago

[mahina]

43. My read as well. Just want her to resign her 174,000 job. At lease this lifts her 89% absent voting

Record since Oct.

[TruckFump]

41. Tulsi, you have no conscience.

So the adjectives good and bad are superfluous.

[dlk]

42. Gabbard's comments show she has no convictions

Other than watching which way the wind will blow. As for “good conscience,” what a joke.

[B Stieg]

44. Go ahead, Tulsi

Run as an independent. That should push your poll numbers up from the current outstanding 1.7% (RCP Average) to at least 2.0%!

[Scotch-Irish]

45. WTF was Hawaii thinking?

Not like them to elect someone that can be bought by the rooskies.

[cstanleytech]

47. WTH? Evidence shows plain as day that he's guilty so how the hell

can you justify voting no or even passing the buck and not voting to impeach him?

[keithbvadu2]

48. When the 3:00 AM call comes in, Tulsi would answer 'present'.

[The_Counsel]

49. If She Was Sincerely Voting Her Conscience, Then I Don't Have a Problem with This.

HOWEVER...I do think her logic is flawed.

This doesn't HAVE to be partisan. Indeed, that's the one thing that's got me so pissed about this affair.

Take the "politics" out of it. Take Trump's name out of it. Is it okay to behave in the Office of President the way Trump has? I'd ask Republicans: "What if Obama had done this same thing? Y'all would have tried to string the guy up and y'all know it." Same for Hillary. Same for Biden. Or whichever Democrat who happens to "crook while President." And s/he'd deserve it.

My thing is "stop being a hypocrite, do your job, and vote your conscience already!"

< SoapBoxRant = off >

[DonCoquixote]

51. just go ahead and edit it this way Tulsi

"I cannot in good conscience" add "unless Vlad pays me"

[jalan48]

53. She's a fool.

[Sanity Claws]

54. What a waste of oxygen and Congressional seat.

[yaesu]

55. So, is she waiting for him to walk out on 5th Ave and shoot someone in cold blood? nt

[Tiggeroshii]

57. "The hottest places in hell

...are reserved for those who in deep moral crisis, reserve their neutrality."
-Dante's Inferno

[duforsure]

58. An excuse for not voting for or against

Shows she's definitely incapable of performing her duties and her oath of office. Bribery, extortion, obstructing justice, lying, endangering our national security, and a lot more, and she can't make a decision? She's another one not fit for any office or position in our government. Another fraud.

[usaf-vet]

59. So if she were elected POTUS how would she handle the infamous 03:00 emergency call?

By replying:" I'll get back to you after my morning cup of coffee!"

Had to ask. Isn't that a standard litmus test nowadays?

[durablend]

81. Nah, more likely

"I have to make a few phone calls first (to the Kremlin)...I'll get back to you"

[zobert]

60. Suprised she was able to commit to voting"present". "Not present" might have been less risky......

[Vinca]

62. Spineless.

[quickesst]

63. I'm with Claire mcCaskill on this one

On Morning Joe, when asked about gabbard's present vote at the impeachment Claire stated that it was stupid, and not worth discussing. The rest of the panel agreed, and that was it. No more gabbard.

[marble falls]

64. Did she read this before she released it ....

"..... I also could not in good conscience vote for impeachment because removal of a sitting President must not be the culmination of a partisan process, fueled by tribal animosities that have so gravely divided our country,” Gabbard said.

[mdbl]

66. Add Gabbard to the list of senseless morons who think constitutional law breakers are ok

Someone needs to censure Gabbard for stupidity.

[Rizen]

67. What an idiot.

Do your constitutional duty.

[cp]

68. Go away!

You're not a Democrat. You have no conscience. You're a flack for Putin.

[PupCamo]

70. she didn't get the go-ahead from the Kremlin to vote yes or no

we all know who signs her pay checks

[Yeehah]

73. Gabbard is utterly corrupt

In other words, she's a republican. I hope the people of Hawaii show her the door as soon as possible.

[patphil]

74. What a BS statement on her part.

What the hell are "tribal animosities"?
And, she decided that "due diligence is a vote of "present"?
If you don't have the political courage to form a definitive opinion on such a grave matter, how can you possibly expect to stay in the Congress, let alone lead the nation?
I think she wants to have it both ways...condemn Trump's excesses, but preserve his presidency at the same time.
This is an impossible situation, and tells me she doesn't have what it takes to be part of this nation's government.

Patrick Phillips

[Skittles]

75. she makes me sick

[Jose Garcia]

76. Cowards vote 'present'

[Judi Lynn]

77. Gabbard faces heat back home for present vote on impeachment

Gabbard faces heat back home for present vote on impeachment
Audrey Mcavoy and Caleb Jones, Associated Press
Updated 7:02 pm CST, Thursday, December 19, 2019

HONOLULU (AP) — Longshot presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard is facing some heat in her heavily Democratic home state of Hawaii for voting “present” on two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

Kai Kahele, a Democratic state senator who is running to succeed Gabbard in Congress, said the two most consequential votes that a member of Congress will ever cast are on whether to send troops into harm's way and whether to impeach a president. He said her decision to vote “present” was disappointing and unacceptable.

“It’s a political stunt, is what I think it was," Kahele said in a phone interview. He said the vote left their congressional district voiceless yet again, noting Gabbard has recently skipped most House votes while she campaigns for the Democratic nomination for president.

. . .

Gabbard announced earlier this year she would not run for re-election to the House so she could focus on her presidential campaign. This decision came after she spent much of the year traveling to Iowa and New Hampshire. Kahele, meanwhile, was busily courting voters across their district which spans suburban Honolulu and largely rural nearby islands.

More:
https://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Gabbard-faces-heat-back-home-for-present-vote-on-14919918.php

[Nitram]

78. Fuck you.

[ProfessorGAC]

80. Her Reasoning Is Nonsensical

She believes he is guilty, but the dems dislike law breaking too much?
He either did it or he didn't.
Partisanship has nothing to do with it.

[wiley]

82. She disenfrachised her constituents. She betrayed her oath of office

But she should not receive any more attention!

[SierraPinecone]

83. sit on the fence

right she doesn't want to f-up up future political aspirations for Russia.

[bdamomma]

84. oh brother

she is not to be trusted and does not believe in the facts. WTF. The only person who divided the country and Americans was tRump and his handler Putin.