Based on her statements, her attacks on the party and other candidates in debates, and her vote of “present” on the articles of impeachment against Trump, it’s easy to conclude that Representative Tusli Gabbard isn’t much of a Democrat. But, as it turns out, she’s also not much of a representative. That’s because, as the Associated Press reports, Gabbard has missed 88.7% of House votes over the past three months.
It’s not unusual for candidates out on the campaign trail to miss some votes in Congress. But in general, candidates will go to extreme measures to be present when major legislation is being considered or big votes are on the line. It’s not unusual to see candidates making a red-eye flight back to Washington to cast a vote, only to board another plane that afternoon to head for a battleground state.
Gabbard apparently can’t be bothered with such trivia. Having already announced that she’s not running for re-election to her House seat, Gabbard seems to believe she’s free to ignore that seat, leaving her constituents unrepresented while she demonstrates her “independence” … and her openness to an third-party bid designed to slice away Democratic votes.
All of this makes it to seem like voting “present” really was a big deal for Gabbard. Because the vote she’s cast over 120 times in just three months is “not present.” Not present, not working, not concerned about collecting her congressional salary while running up her brand ID.
While Gabbard has been courting conservative voters and conservative dollars, Democratic state senator Kai Kahele has been gathering support in Gabbard’s district and seems like the odds-on favorite to replace her and finally fill the Democratic seat with someone who isn’t willing to shill for Republican positions. And Gabbard shouldn’t worry; whether or not she finds enough funds to launch her into a third-party bid designed to keep Trump in office, there is always room for another “former Democratic who now takes our paycheck” on the Fox and Friends couch.
Please give $3 today to send a much better Democrat to Congress: Kai Kahele!