Bernie Sanders defends Tulsi Gabbard, says claim that she's a Russian asset is 'outrageous'

[Piiolo]

"Tulsi Gabbard has put her life on the line to defend this country," Sanders said in a tweet Monday. "People can disagree on issues, but it is outrageous for anyone to suggest that Tulsi is a foreign asset."

Gabbard has seen an outpouring of support from both sides of the political aisle after Clinton made her remarks on a podcast last week. Though Clinton did not use Gabbard's name, the comments appeared to be directed at the veteran

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/10/21/bernie-sanders-slams-hillary-clinton-claim-tulsi-gabbard-russian-asset/4058621002/

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Gabbard being a veteran doesn't give her a pass

and it shouldn't be used as a basis for defending her. If someone is of the opinion that she's not unusually friendly with the Russians they should defend her in those terms. A few veterans have turned out not be be a credit to their country - Timothy McVeigh, for example. Hell, even Hitler was a veteran. It doesn't automatically make you a good person who should be considered above reproach.

[StarfishSaver]

5. I'm really sick of that argument

There's a difference between giving people credit for serving in the military and treating such service as a lifetime get-out-of-jail-free card.

And if we really want to go there, I'll note that Hillary Clinton ALSO put her life on the line for her country - as evidenced by the Secret Service protection she's had for the past 27 years and will have for the rest of her life. No, being First Lady is not as dangerous as being in combat and being in the military is not the same as being in the White House BUT if service to the country that puts one's life in danger inoculates a person from being held accountable for anything they do in life, Hillary has also earned the right to use HER service to the country as a shield against political criticism.

Of course, Hillary would never do that because she's not a craven political opportunist.

[George II]

7. I pointed out elsewhere here tonight that Timothy McVeigh was a decorated war veteran.

[DURHAM D]

8. Yep. As was Aaron Burr. nt

[ehrnst]

38. George Trofimoff served in the US military, and was a Soviet asset. Ollie North, NRA President,

also served in the military. We know that there are NRA ties to Russia.

[evertonfc]

2. he's right

To say she is a Russian asset is both outrageous and foolish. She was elected by her constituents. Attack her politics if you like but she has supporters and we damn well may need them.

[George II]

6. Pointing out that she's a Russian asset, if that's what was really done, IS "attacking" her politics

[RockRaven]

9. Winning an election is not evidence that one is not a foreign asset. It's irrelevant to the charge.

Is it outrageous and foolish to assert that Trump is a Russian asset? He was elected by his constituents, after all.

[ehrnst]

39. Trump was "elected by his constituents," too. He's a Russian tool. (nt)

[Mike Nelson]

3. People are strange...

... Russian assets. This means a person useful to someone/something. Trump is a Russian asset. He works with the Russians - there is a back-n-forth. I never thought Bernie cooperated, but he was deemed useful to the Russians. Tulsi is also useful - and Hillary never said Tulsi was cooperating - a la Trump... but the media implies this...

[Cuthbert Allgood]

47. No, it doesn't. In the espionage world it means they are working for them.

Clinton knows that meaning as Sec of State.

[dewsgirl]

4. This makes me so sad.

[Jirel]

10. I'm annoyed at being conflicted about this.

Hillary may be right. The signs - being bestest buddies with far right media up to its eyeballs in Russia, very pro-Russian agenda stances - make it a viable theory. But for her, such a party powerhouse to say it, without more evidence than that, feels wrong. But yet... but yet...

Bernie is also right. That’s a huge charge, and the DNC should probably be doing some thinking and investigating based on the pretty Trumpian set of characters she hangs with. But unless that investigating results in some better evidence, it’s a pretty shocking thing to say about her.

I wish Hillary had instead just made a point about who Gabbard is all pallsy-wallsy with, and said that she needs to choose her allegiance, and the party needs to decide whether its tent is large enough to include the darling of the alt-right press. Probably more effective, and less damaging to Hillary.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. I think that what Hillary was trying to do

was to nip in the bud any thoughts Gabbard might have had of running as a third-party candidate a la Jill Stein. Gabbard has no chance at all of winning the Dem nomination so if she's playing footsie with the Russians, wittingly or otherwise, that's not a threat (except to the extent that controversy and animosity results). She could be a threat as Jill Stein redux, and maybe that's why Hillary raised the question.

[DURHAM D]

13. Hillary is not running and someone needed to say it.

She took one for the good guys.

I appreciate the fact she was willing to step in one more time and take the hits.

[BlueMTexpat]

26. The mere fact that Tulsi jumped

to the conclusion that SHE was the one that Hillary meant certainly gives ME more reason NOT to be conflicted about it.

The lady doth protest too much, methinks. And her own actions and statements over the years also support the inference.

IMO, the DNC doesn't need to do anything except concentrate on Dems winning elections.

Tulsi is no threat to the leading Dem primary candidates ... and she likely never will be.

If she runs as a third party candidate in the GE, any "Dem" who votes for her is NOT a Dem. JM2cts!

[Jirel]

33. Well, Tulsi responding was the icing on the cake.

It was too awesome. I’d feel more conflicted than I do, if Tulsi hadn’t grabbed onto that bait and gobbled it hook, line, and sinker.

Still, while I get why Hillary did it, it’s a mess. Neither she nor Bernie are wholly wrong or wholly right in this instance. Perhaps it should simply be chalked up to a moment of theater where nobody comes out looking totally great.

[BlueMTexpat]

34. Did you read the NYT

correction?

What Hillary said was NOT what was first reported. But Tulsi certainly took the bait and ran with it. So did Bernie. Predictably so.

I am absolutely NOT conflicted about Hillary at all. Period. And she comes out looking just fine.

[Cha]

57. Yes, Hillary does.. Thank you, BlueMT!

TG & BS.. not so much.

[BlueMTexpat]

62. Cha!

Mahalo!

[DURHAM D]

11. Lee Harvey Oswald was a veteran.

Has Bernie suggested that he was not a foreign asset?

[ritapria]

14. Hillary said the Russians are grooming her

The Russians have decided ,on their own, to boost Tulsi Gabbard …..Grooming her is word strongly implying that Gabbard and the Russians are acting in collusion … There isn't any evidence to back up that claim ….Hillary has been the victim of countless smears ….. Having said that , if she has no evidence to back up her claim she should apologize for her remarks …..We all mistakes and so does she ….

[Me.]

17. I Don't Think HRC Used The 2 Words Tulski Gabbard

But TG jumped right out there to claim ownership

[BlueMTexpat]

27. THIS!

Exactly this!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. Note: Asset does not mean agent. She is an asset for Russia, not an agent. . . . nt

[Me.]

16. Says The Guy Who Honeymooned In Moscow

[betsuni]

22. ...

[Me.]

23. ...

[TomCADem]

24. ...And Voted Against Sanctioning Russia for Election Interference.

Bernie along with Republicans Rand Paul and House Republicans Justin Amash of Michigan, John Duncan of Tennessee and Thomas Massie of Kentucky voted against Russian sanctions in 2017. But, don't worry. They will all assure you that they had patriotic reasons for giving Russia a free pass.

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/25/house-overwhelmingly-approves-russia-sanctions-240951?lo=ap_a1

House approves Russia sanctions that handcuff Trump

The House on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved new sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea, with the GOP-controlled chamber advancing a significant new constraint on President Donald Trump’s foreign policy.

The sanctions legislation, which allows lawmakers to block Trump from any attempt to roll back sanctions against Moscow, is expected to pass the Senate in similarly bipartisan fashion before next month’s recess.

The White House has yet to say definitively whether Trump would sign the bill, which his administration had criticized for failing to give him necessary “flexibility” to work on warmer relations with Russia. But it appears the votes would be there for Congress to override any veto from Trump.

The House’s 419-3 vote on the sanctions bill saw only three dissenters: GOP Reps. Justin Amash of Michigan, John Duncan of Tennessee and Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

[Me.]

52. Quite

[Skid Rogue]

42. Yep... this one is simple.

If he admits TG is useful to Putin now, then he will have to also admit how useful he was to Putin during the 2016 election.

[nini]

50. yep

I do believe we have the same suspicions here.

[tenderfoot]

18. Does he feel the same way about Mike Flynn?

eom

[Devil Child]

19. Sen. Sanders is correct in my opinion

I respect his courage in defending Rep. Gabbard.

[TomCADem]

43. Tulsi's Website: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Announced as Sanders Institute Founding Fellow

Tulsi not only endorsed Bernie Sanders in the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton, she was subsequently a founder and fellow of the Sanders Institute, which was formed by Bernie's wife. Jane Sanders. So, it is no surprise that Bernie is on the same page as Tulsi.

At this point, I think the main thing she is angling for is to be Bernie's VP by attacking all other front runners from the "left" on Fox News.

https://www.votetulsi.com/node/32955

Washington, DC--Rep. Tulsi Gabbard joins progressive leaders in launching The Sanders Institute. The institute is a nonprofit organization focused on educational efforts and finding solutions to many of the challenges our country faces today.
"I've had the privilege of working with Tulsi over the past few years and have found her compassion, determination and intelligence to be impressive, particularly when it comes to foreign policy and the needs of our veterans. I look forward to the work we will do together at the Sanders Institute," said Founder Fellow, Jane Sanders.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to work with the Sanders Institute and its' Founding Fellows who are committed to ensuring fairness and equality for all. While we are living in challenging and unprecedented times, we will collaborate and focus on finding real solutions that best serve the American people and move our country forward," said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

Background: The Sanders Institute's mission is to revitalize democracy by actively engaging individuals, organizations and the media in the pursuit of progressive solutions to economic, environmental, racial and social justice issues. The Institute hosts a website that will include reports, op-eds, and original content from the Founding Fellows in addition to other individuals and organizations. Content will consist of thought-provoking perspectives with goals including civil discourse and deeper progressive participation.

The Sanders Institute Founding Fellows are Representative Tulsi Gabbard, Professor Robert Reich, Bill McKibben, Danny Glover, Dr. Stephanie Kelton, Ben Jealous, Dr. Cornel West, The Honorable Nina Turner, Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Harry Belafonte, and Jane Sanders.

[Devil Child]

44. Im quite alright with a Sanders/Gabbard ticket n/t

[TomCADem]

45. A true pro-Russia, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim....

...pro-gun, anti-trade ticket. There is a reason why Bernie has slid from early front-runner to third and why Tulsi has relagated herself to Fox News.

[Me.]

53. Yea Gods, Can You IMagine?

out of the frying pan into the fire!

[myohmy2]

20. Bernie...

...you know I love you,

"People can disagree on issues, but it is outrageous for anyone to suggest that Tulsi is a foreign asset."

...but we're going have to disagree...

...Hillary was giving us a heads-up...

...

[CaptainTruth]

21. He doesn't just defend Gabbard, he criticizes Clinton too, saying what she did was "outrageous."

It's possible to do one without the other. He chose to do both.

[RandiFan1290]

25. Welcome back to DU

Bernie is correct

[LenaBaby61]

28. At the very LEAST ...

Gabbard's a unwitting idiot, and she doesn't see nor care about how russia is destroying the country she fought for, and says she loves.

[Skidmore]

29. Bernie needs to revisit this and correct.

https://www.rawstory.com/2019/10/new-york-times-changes-story-admitting-they-misquoted-clinton-saying-russians-were-grooming-tulsi-gabbard/#.Xa-gAKKls4E.twitter

In fact, the actual thing Clinton said was that Republicans were grooming Gabbard to be a third-party spoiler candidate in 2020.

“Hillary Clinton waded into the Democratic primary on Friday by suggesting that Russia was backing Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii for president and that Republicans were ‘grooming’ her as a third-party candidate,” The Times said in a corrected report (emphasis from RawStory).

“It’s now clear that this primary is between you and me,” Gabbard tweeted about Clinton. “Don’t cowardly hide behind your proxies. Join the race directly.”

In an interview with Fox News Monday, Trump used the inaccurate quote to justify diminishing the accusations of his links to Russia.

[still_one]

30. Not only Bernie, some members of our illustrious press also

[Skidmore]

31. I've been dropping

this as I've been on Twitter this morning. Everyone should.

[still_one]

32. ++++++

[ehrnst]

41. That would mean acknowledging a mistake.

That will not happen.

[MrsCoffee]

35. Lol, and I care what Mr. no on sanctions has to say about Russian assets?

[RandiFan1290]

36. Buh bye!

[ehrnst]

37. Oliver North "put his life on the line to defend this country," too.

Didn't stop him from heading up the NRA, which we know is a Russian asset.

[Blue_Tires]

40. Sanders folks, get in in here and defend your boy...

If you can...

[iwannaknow]

46. Hillary never claimed Tulsi is a Russian asset. NYT misquoted her.

It was that she is working with Repubs. So Bernie's statement is well justified, and not a betrayal.

[nini]

49. They're cut from the same cloth

Not surprised one bit he'd do that.

[Cha]

68. Hey, nini!

[nini]

70. Hi there

Hope all's well with you.

[Jewls2]

51. as·set /ˈaset/ Learn to pronounce noun a useful or valuable thing, person, or quality

Works for me.

?_nc_cat=101&_nc_ohc=ejUF8aoPVrEAQk8hMcTo_QSXoIAAwXcm4rk1pjJaw78uGkKNMjBPVJ3Aw&_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.xx&oh=0c98f36c92dcc615879d7a4db2d4e3d9&oe=5E4DFD3C

[Klamath]

54. This isn't aging well

At all.

[Cha]

55. No it is NOT and Mahalo for

kicking it up.. Booom!

[VarryOn]

56. Tagging someone was being in the Russian team isa quite effective maneuver...

Doesnt require proof, and due to our paranoia as a country, any aspersions automatically taints the target.

If I were running for office, I'd use it as a tool against my opponent. Cynical but effective.

But, I've seen no proof that Gabbard is red. There are plenty of reasons to oppose here; this aint one of them.

[Eliot Rosewater]

60. Uh huh

[VarryOn]

63. Wouldn't surprise me if...

Biden ends up choosing her as his running mate, honestly. Certainly, she’ll be on his short list.

[Eliot Rosewater]

64. Uh huh, yeah, sure, you bet

[VarryOn]

65. My pref is for him to go with Mayor Pete...

But not likely going to happen.

[mcar]

67. ...

[Cha]

58. Then why did she raise her hand, BS?

[betsuni]

59. "Outrageous."

[MrsCoffee]

61. Tad Devine.

Seems to me a couple candidates have been propped up by Russian propaganda.

Just sayin...

[Cha]

66. This is NOT aging well, BS..

Link to tweet

[Act_of_Reparation]

69. Tulsi's terrible. But Sander's isn't wrong.

Being a garbage person doesn't mean somebody is on the payroll of a hostile foreign power, even if their being a garbage person is immediately and measurably beneficial to that hostile foreign power.

I'm not ruling out the possibility, but if we're gonna claim she's a traitor and spy then I'm going to need something more substantial than what we have so far.