Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumTulsi Gabbard, Trump Tower Meeting, RW contacts, and Russia
Last edited Mon Feb 25, 2019, 12:02 PM - Edit history (3)
Trump Tower Meeting, RW contacts, and Russia
Statement by Gabbard and Articles, posted without Comment.
U.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) today released the following statement on her meeting with President-elect Donald Trump regarding Syria:
"President-elect Trump asked me to meet with him about our current policies regarding Syria, our fight against terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS, as well as other foreign policy challenges we face. I felt it important to take the opportunity to meet with the President-elect now before the drumbeats of war that neocons have been beating drag us into an escalation of the war to overthrow the Syrian governmenta war which has already cost hundreds of thousands of lives and forced millions of refugees to flee their homes in search of safety for themselves and their families.
While the rules of political expediency would say I should have refused to meet with President-elect Trump, I never have and never will play politics with American and Syrian lives.
Serving the people of Hawaiʻi and our nation is an honor and responsibility that I do not take lightly. Representing the aloha spirit and diversity of the people of Hawaiʻi, I will continue to seek common ground to deliver results that best serve all Americans, as I have tried to do during my time in Congress.
Where I disagree with President-elect Trump on issues, I will not hesitate to express that disagreement. However, I believe we can disagree, even strongly, but still come together on issues that matter to the American people and affect their daily lives. We cannot allow continued divisiveness to destroy our country.
President-elect Trump and I had a frank and positive conversation in which we discussed a variety of foreign policy issues in depth. I shared with him my grave concerns that escalating the war in Syria by implementing a so-called no fly/safe zonewould be disastrous for the Syrian people, our country, and the world. It would lead to more death and suffering, exacerbate the refugee crisis, strengthen ISIS and al-Qaeda, and bring us into a direct conflict with Russia which could result in a nuclear war.. We discussed my bill to end our countrys illegal war to overthrow the Syrian government, and the need to focus our precious resources on rebuilding our own country, and on defeating al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other terrorist groups who pose a threat to the American people.
For years, the issue of ending interventionist, regime change warfare has been one of my top priorities. This was the major reason I ran for CongressI saw firsthand the cost of war, and the lives lost due to the interventionist warmongering policies our country has pursued for far too long.
Let me be clear, I will never allow partisanship to undermine our national security when the lives of countless people lay in the balance."
https://gabbard.house.gov/news/press-releases/gabbard-statement-meeting-president-elect-donald-trump
Bannon set up Trump-Gabbard meeting
Bannon, who hates the entrenched two-party system, has long admired Gabbard. Shes an Iraq War veteran with an independent streak. Bannon, a navy veteran, was drawn to her when she began publicly excoriating the Obama administration over its plan to defeat ISIS.
He loves Tulsi Gabbard. Loves her, a second source familiar with Bannons thinking told The Hill. Wants to work with her on everything.
She would fit perfectly too [inside the administration], the source added. She gets the foreign policy stuff, the Islamic terrorism stuff. ...
A search of "Gabbard" in the Breitbart News archive turns up five pages of archived stories, many of them reported over the past year.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/307106-bannon-set-up-trump-gabbard-meeting
Why Conservative Media and the Far Right Love Tulsi Gabbard for President
In May 2015, the National Review implored readers to Meet the Beautiful, Tough Young Democrat Whos Turning Heads by Challenging Obamas Foreign Policy. The conservative outlet touted Gabbard as having endeared herself to right-wing hawks by challenging Obamas rudderless foreign policy. I like her thinking a lot, American Enterprise Institute president Arthur Brooks was quoted as saying.
Gabbard has also maintained friendly relationships with high-profile, right-leaning television personalities, including Carlson and Fox News colleague Neil Cavuto, a long-time anchor and Trump skeptic who leans conservative on business issues.
And earlier this month, after she accused her fellow Democratic senators of engaging in religious bigotry for asking questions about a Trump judicial nominees faith, she received yet another round of Fox News praise. Todd Starnes, a Fox pundit with a long history of anti-gay comments, wrote in an op-ed that he found Gabbards comments encouraging.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-conservative-media-and-the-far-right-love-tulsi-gabbard-for-president
Tulsi Gabbard Hires Russian Agent to Keep Hawaii Media in Check
Russia has lots of experience in media censorship. So perhaps it is logical that Rep Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI-2) hires an agent of the Russian government as a consultant to keep Hawaii media under control.
But Gabbards consultant, Chris Cooper of the Potomac Square Group, is no ordinary Russian agent. Cooper is allegedly one of seven identified as being at the center of illegal Russian lobbying efforts reaching into the Trump campaign and Congress.
http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/ArticlesMain/tabid/56/ID/20879/Tulsi-Gabbard-Hires-Russian-Agent-to-Keep-Hawaii-Media-in-Check.aspx
Russia's propaganda machine discovers 2020 Democratic candidate Tulsi Gabbard
The Russian propaganda machine that tried to influence the 2016 U.S. election is now promoting the presidential aspirations of a controversial Hawaii Democrat who earlier this month declared her intention to run for president in 2020.
An NBC News analysis of the main English-language news sites employed by Russia in its 2016 election meddling shows Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who is set to make her formal announcement Saturday, has become a favorite of the sites Moscow used when it interfered in 2016. ...
Since Gabbard announced her intention to run on Jan. 11, there have been at least 20 Gabbard stories on three major Moscow-based English-language websites affiliated with or supportive of the Russian government: RT, the Russian-owned TV outlet; Sputnik News, a radio outlet; and Russia Insider, a blog that experts say closely follows the Kremlin line. The CIA has called RT and Sputnik part of "Russia's state-run propaganda machine."
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/russia-s-propaganda-machine-discovers-2020-democratic-candidate-tulsi-gabbard-n964261
With the benefit of hind sight, President Elect tЯump may have preferred Tulsis intelligence on Syria, to the briefings by the US Government.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
dawg day
(7,947 posts)... When Steve Bannon wants you, it's like the devil offering you an apple.
Find some polite way to beg off.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
crazytown
(7,277 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
disillusioned73
(2,872 posts)Tulsi's anti-war stances are resonating with the American people?? Because there's been a non-stop campaign to smear & "guilt by association" her since she announced.. even fluff show "The View" had all the pro-war
talking points lined up when they had her on...
I keep asking this question, but ppl refuse to answer - why are Dems lining up behind the dangerous traitor that is Trump and the republican party on regime change in Venezuela - also giving him the biggest war budget EVER?? I'd really like to hear an answer - stop dancing & answer.. Anyone...bueller??
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
dawg day
(7,947 posts)Point is-- I don't BELIEVE either of them. Doing what Putin wants might correspond momentarily with "anti-war," but you'll have to forgive me if I conclude that Putin's puppets aren't really reliable when they talk about "peace". Trump did too, remember, and is now carrying out the foreign policy that Putin wants. Trump didn't run as a dangerous traitor, after all... he snuck in as something else. You know, the snake in the grass.
Who knows about Gabbard-- but frankly, with so many good candidates who have no connection to Putin, what's so special about her? And don't go with "what she says." We know from Trump that candidates can SAY just the opposite of what they intend to do. What does she do that you think is impressive?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
disillusioned73
(2,872 posts)so all the support Trump is getting for Venezuela is a quazi-triple-decker chess game move by Dem leadership.. man, i just can't keep up.. so, how am I supposed to know when the "resistance" is genuine vs 3 dimensional Jedi mind tricks??
What was giving him a $700+ billion war budget going to do exactly?? Are they giving him the rope to hang himself somehow - I just don't see the "resistance" angle here...
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
crazytown
(7,277 posts)Deserve what you get.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
disillusioned73
(2,872 posts)You know how I can tell Tulsi's anti-war stances are resonating with the American people?? Because there's been a non-stop campaign to smear & "guilt by association" her since she announced..
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
crazytown
(7,277 posts)Is this a cut and paste from RT?
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
disillusioned73
(2,872 posts)that is just lazy.. find a knew narrative - this one ain't working..
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
crazytown
(7,277 posts)like something plucked off Google Translate.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
disillusioned73
(2,872 posts)quieres que hable en espanol??.. quieres que te llame nombres??... Tu no tienes la inteligencia para competir en una conversación inteligente.. so dejas los adultos que no crean en los monstros de Rusia y que quieren acabar con todas las guerras que los estados unidos empezó en los últimos casi 20 años..
Translate that..
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
WeekiWater
(3,259 posts)Please don't get me wrong, I think you are overall correct when it comes to how you are being debated.
But why question name calling just to turn around and infer that they are a child? It's passive aggressive name calling.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
disillusioned73
(2,872 posts)russian stooge, civility is out the window.. just like trump, no substance just demeaning insults will receive them in kind..
I hope my translator worked...
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
WeekiWater
(3,259 posts)I see how you were being debated. Unfairly, IMO. You just called them out for something you then did in the next sentence.
That is an accurate summation. I wouldn't have noticed had it not been written in Spanish. That made the post stick out.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
disillusioned73
(2,872 posts)but it's a lil rusty
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)I do not trust her. Not even a little bit.
She is going to go down in flames very early in the process.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Devil Child
(2,728 posts)Feel free to dismiss her for not breaking 1% here. But if you are gauging viability off DU numbers then will you also discard O'Rourke, Booker, Buttigieg, Castro, etc..
As far as going down in flames... Possibly so, but that doesn't stop my support for Rep. Gabbard. Plus as I've said before look on the bright side, you can always have her downfall to look forward too and crow about if and when it occurs.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Shemp Howard
(889 posts)Gabbard is not my first or second choice. But I agree with you, at least here. The title of the original post was - before an edit - "Tulsi Gabbard, Useful Idiot". So, yes. This was a Gabbard smear from the beginning.
The title alone invalidates the rest of the article, IMHO.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
crazytown
(7,277 posts)If she is not a Useful Idiot she is doing such a brilliant impression of one, the distinction is meaningless.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
disillusioned73
(2,872 posts)Own it..
"Tulsi Gabbard, Useful Idiot"
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
crazytown
(7,277 posts)Goes in and tells Tump that a no fly zone could lead to nuclear war. Ill wear it with pride. Shes a Useful Idiot in every sense of the word.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Shemp Howard
(889 posts)As I noted earlier, I'm not a Gabbard supporter. So I am a bit surprised to find myself defending her. But here goes.
Two points:
1. Who are we (the United States) to demand a no-fly zone over a foreign country? The mere thought of it is crazy. Congress never declared war on Syria. Yet we have the right to dictate who can fly there, and who cannot?
2. Such a no-fly zone can lead to a nuclear war. It is very, very unlikely. But it is surely possible. Trump is a bully. And so is Putin. You think Putin would just accept a no-fly humiliation? I don't. You ever watch two fools arguing on the street? Neither one wants to back down. Then maybe one throws a punch. Then maybe the other one pulls a knife.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
crazytown
(7,277 posts)its how to avoid incidents in each others declared airspaces. Tulsis comments on nuclear war are absurd.
This is all History. The Syrian war is over. In my view the right side won, the government, but I abhor the tactics they used.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Shemp Howard
(889 posts)You said "If there is one thing the USA / Russian Federation know its how to avoid incidents in each others declared airspaces." I agree with that. But your statement holds only when BOTH sides agree on whose airspace it is.
Russian planes are careful when near Alaska. And American planes are careful when near Siberia.
So who owns Syrian airspace? It's Syria, obviously. And the Syrians invited the Russians in. We have no claim to Syrian airspace. And the Russians will not accept any claims that we do.
What happens when there is no general agreement? Mistakes happen. Escalations happen. And yes, that can lead to war. Just like in the summer of 1914. It's a dice roll we don't need to make.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
crazytown
(7,277 posts)1. GPS makes airspace borders crystal clear.
2. Even with lines drawn, minor errors dont escalate into WWIII. Turkey shot down Russian planes, America shot down Syrian planes.
3. The highest priority is given by both the USA and Russia to avoiding nuclear war for the same reason - no one wins.
4. The problem with no fly-zones in Syria (from my perspective) is they would have prolonged a civil war that could have only one outcome - a Syrian Government victory.
5. If The government had lost, the civil war would have just began - ISIS, Al-Nusra Front, Hizbollah, SNC, YPG and all the undeclared proxies. That conflict could have drawn in Israel, Iran and Turkey.
War serves nododys interest but the deranged and the profiteers. My 2c
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Shemp Howard
(889 posts)You said "GPS makes airspace borders crystal clear."
True. But, again, that's important only when BOTH SIDES agree on who owns that airspace. So if Trump says "We are declaring a no-fly zone over parts of Syria. And Mr. Putin, here are the GPS coordinates of that no-fly zone."
Do you think Putin will just say "thank you"? No way. He'll have to test that no-fly zone, if only to save face. So a Russian plane will fly high above that zone. Then it will be up to the United States to fire the first shot. The United States will be the aggressor.
You also mentioned that Turkey shot down Russian planes, and America shot down Syrian planes. True. But things will move to a whole different level once Russian and American planes start shooting each other down.
Then - perhaps - it's August of 1914 all over again. So to me it's crystal clear that Gabbard is right about this. A no-fly zone in Syria can lead to war, even nuclear war.
I'll give you the last word on this, crazytown. It has been an interesting conversation. And thanks for keeping it civil!
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
crazytown
(7,277 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Devil Child
(2,728 posts)Plenty of those about abound.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Devil Child
(2,728 posts)I wonder the same questions as you do.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
disillusioned73
(2,872 posts)NO ONE ever replies in ernest.. very telling, if there is a valid reason I'd like to hear it..
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
crazytown
(7,277 posts)I am no more in favour of American intervention in Venezuela, than I favored Russian intervention in the 2016 elections
You approve of Trump pulling out of Syria - so dont pretend that every foreign policy move can be judged by the character of the CiC. Starting a civil war in Venezuela is in nobodys interests, anymore than prolonging the civil war in Syria served their people
But Tulsi thought she could advance she could advance the cause of peace by telling the President Elect he might start a nuclear war? Shes an idiot. Period.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Devil Child
(2,728 posts)I do not see the conclusion of nuclear war as idiocy. I don't see that as foregone conclusion and I doubt Rep. Gabbard did as well. To dismiss the possibility of nuclear war from rapid escalation with events occurring within enforcement of a no-fly zone is taking an ostrich approach to potential dangers. There have been numerous incidents of the various players in Syria shooting down each-other's aircraft and engaging in needless brinkmanship or escalation.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
crazytown
(7,277 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Cha
(298,077 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
watoos
(7,142 posts)The only way we lose in 2020 is if we fight among ourselves. Tulsi did 2 tours in the ME, she met with Assad. She has more experience to draw from to form an opinion about Syria and Venezuela for that matter than the rest of our candidates.
I keep reminding people that there was only one Democratic member of the House who voted against going into Iraq, Barbara Lee. I guess everyone else was wrong, ehh? Tulsi experienced war up close and personal which to me gives her credence.
My only attribute for my choice for president is that he or she has to be tough as nails. I haven't decided on a choice yet, but Tulsi is one of my choices who fits that bill.
We are making a big mistake tearing apart our candidates, it's what the right wingers want us to do. I wish we could just be more positive and not in-fight. Give me the name of your favorite candidate, anyone, and I can tear them to shreds here. None of our candidates are perfect but all of them are way better than Donald Trump.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
crazytown
(7,277 posts)Tulsi represents Tulsi. She was representing herself when she met Trump. She was representing herself when she met Assad. She was not presenting the Decomcratic Party or Congress. Shes the worst sort of loose cannon, the amateur who does no know what she doesnt know.
You tell me, what was she doing when she met tЯump? What unique insights could she present. Bannon arranged the meeting. They thought it could be politically useful to them. Was she thinking about the Democratic Party? An executive position perhaps?
Shes clueless. A useful Idiot.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Devil Child
(2,728 posts)I too wish the cannibalization of our primary candidates would stop. I would love to hear less of "YOUR candidate won't win" and more of "this is who I support and why."
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
disillusioned73
(2,872 posts)and that is not the point of all this - it's to eliminate the "undesirables" & keep the acceptable candidates in the horse race.. 2008/2016 served as a valuable lesson..
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
disillusioned73
(2,872 posts)it's all twisted with Trump & Russian associations but yet when Pelosi & Schumer & many others run to stand behind Trump in regards to Venezuela regime change for oil that is allllll cool... we all know what this is about - it is 2016 all over again.. Some will never let it go..
Just as the unions/labor have been abandoned so has the "peace" movement.. these 2 issues are party-less - it's why Ind is the largest registered "party"
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
sheshe2
(84,072 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
forklift
(401 posts)She should be supporting Bernie like last time.
They are ideologically matched plus Bernie has a lot more experience than her.
Maybe she is eyeing for the VP slot when Bernie wins the primaries in a landslide.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
crazytown
(7,277 posts)I dont see the point in her candidacy. Sen Sanders is trying to put together the greatest grassroots movement in American history. If this is the strategy, shes a distraction and an obstacle. As I said in an other comment she represents herself - not a movement, not a party, just her own unique self. The lessons of 2016 paased her by (my 2c)
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
disillusioned73
(2,872 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided