The short answer is that I don’t know but that from what I have seen, neither does anyone else. For clarity, she is among the candidates to whom we have provided financial support.
In case anyone does not know, she is in the latter stages of a difficult pregnancy and can’t come to D. C. for party leadership votes but has requested that the rule(s) be waived to allow her to participate in absentia. That request was denied. According to one source, her support of a candidate for a position could be crucial to that candidate (who is opposed by the candidate of the Minority Leader). There is a lot of noise from within the party (from supporters of the opposition candidate perhaps?) happily taken up by people outside because it permits labelling Nancy Pelosi a hypocrite (you, too, Jon Stewart?!!).
Because of her status as a decorated wounded war veteran it’s argued that the Congresswoman is deserving of a rules waiver. But nowhere has it been suggested any other basis for such a waiver nor has anyone suggested any instances of previous waivers. So it seems to me there are several considerations.
Have the rules been waived in the past? If so, what are the circumstances?
Should rules be waived in cases involving pregnancy precluding travel, that is, all such instances?
Should rules be waived for veterans? Wounded veterans? Has either been a factor in previous deliberations?
Of course, the rules are those of the Party and likely only officials thereof know the answers, but the first question seems crucial to me. If the rules have been enforced steadfastly, they should be so in this case. It seems to me that the only basis for waiver is the pregnancy. For the life of me, I can see no relevance to the Congresswoman’s distinguished military service. It is not that service that affects in any way her attendance (indeed, she has participated in athletic events, scuba diving, continues to fly, etc.). So can anyone say that similar circumstances have produced the desired results? Can anyone cite other incapacities that have resulted in a member being allowed to participate in absentia?
Finally, there is an honored tradition known as “pairing.” Two people on opposite sides of an issue agree to abstain from voting in order to accommodate the incapacity of one to attend. There’s been no mention of any attempt to arrange such an accommodation. Instead, we have party regulars and their tools howling that this wounded veteran deserves to have the rules changed for her. I do not believe that Congresswoman Duckworth would take that position.