Tulsi Gabbard on the defense; Mazie Hirono won't be endorsing her for President

SCREEN CAPTURE

Sen. Mazie Hirono, left, and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

IT APPEARS that there's trouble in paradise and a limit to the spirit of aloha.

Tulsi Gabbard  issued Thursday (Jan. 17) a new apology for her past views on LGBTQ rights after CNN reported Sunday that she worked for her father’s anti-gay organization, the Alliance for Traditional Marriage, in the late '90s and early 2000s.

On Monday, Gabbard lost the support of an influential leader in Hawaiian politics. Sen. Mazie Hirono said that she is not endorsing Congressmember Tulsi Gabbard for U.S. President even though they are both Democrat, they both represent Hawaii and Gabbard is the first Samoan American to run for President.

The seemingly growing schism in Hawaii's usually tight-knit congressional delegation has the state's Democrats in a tizzy.

Gabbard announced her candidacy for President two weeks ago and last week criticized Hirono and other Democrats in an op-ed published in The Hill of having “weaponized religion for their own selfish gain” in their questioning of judicial nominee Brian Buescher.

In an interview with MSNBC Hirono said she'd be looking to endorse someone "who has a long record of supporting progressive goals."

"I certainly wish all of our candidates the best because it is going to be a long, hard race, and so I wish everyone well, but for myself in these times of what I would call not normal times, I want someone who has very much been on the page in terms of supporting equal opportunity, choice, all of the kinds of issues that I've been fighting for for decades," Hirono added. "I wish her well, though, as I do all of the other candidates."

Hirono's neutral stance (for now) may stem from Gabbard's criticism of Hirono's questioning of the judicial nominee Brian Buescher to he U.S. District Court in Nebraska.

As a member of the Senate's Judiciary Committee, Hirono, along with Senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker asked Buescher about his membership in the Knights of Columbus, a fraternal organization for Roman Catholics. As a Catholic group, members supposedly follow the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, which includes - among other issues - apposing abortion, or in political terms, opposing Roe v. Wade. Hirono labeled some of those positions "extreme."

Hirono asked Buescher if he would resign from the Knights and if he would be able to support precedents if they went against the church's beliefs.

It was obvious Buescher had been prepped for any questioning that might reveal opinion on the landmark Roe v. Wade by dancing around the question by answering variations of this response:

"The Judicial Oath in 28 U.S.C § 453 requires judges to swear or affirm that they 'willadminister justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to therich, and ... faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent . .. under the Constitution and laws of the United States.' If confirmed, I will abide by this oath. I will faithfully apply all United States Supreme Court and Eighth CircuitCourt of Appeals precedent on all issues."

In her Hill oped, Gabbard, made it clear that she too opposes Beuscher's nomination. "While I oppose the nomination of Brian Buescher to the U.S. District Court in Nebraska, I stand strongly against those who are fomenting religious bigotry, citing as disqualifiers Buescher's Catholicism and his affiliation with the Knights of Columbus."

Former Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who served 19 years in Congress, told The Hill. “People who support (Gabbard's) presidential campaign probably think it will be helpful, but I’m not sure.”

Gabbard's entry into the 2020 presidential campaign may not be her real goal, but if she does reasonably well in the primaries, she might be a helpful running mate to a presidential aspirant who wants to reach out to the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party and/or to Catholics, who were pivotal votes in 2016 and could possibly play the same role in 2020.

Colin Moore, director of the Public Policy Center at University of Hawaii Manoa, said Gabbard could be trying to distance herself from the rest of her delegation. 

“You could characterize her as an independent thinker or a bit reckless,” he said. “It may also be personal to her. She’s a Hindu and her father is quite religious.”

Gabbard's father, Mike Gabbard, was an anti-gay activist that inculcated in his daughter the conservative social values that condemned the LGBTQ lifestyle. She says that through the years, her views have evolved.

As a state legislator, he sponsored a law that defended traditional marriage.

"While many Americans may relate to growing up in a conservative home, my story is a little different because my father was very outspoken. He was an activist who was fighting against gay rights and marriage equality in Hawaii – and at that time, I forcefully defended him," she wrote on Twitter Thursday afternoon. 

"But over the years, I formed my own opinions based on my life experience that changed my views – at a personal level in having aloha, love, for all people, and ensuring that every American, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, is treated equally under the law."

Her record supports her claim. She voted for and supported the Equality Act, the repeal of DOMA, Restore Honor to Service Members Act, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the Safe Schools Improvement Act and the Equality for All Resolution.

In a follow-up video released almost simultaneously as her tweet, Gabbard apologized once more for her past views.  Gabbard had first apologized for her earlier views back in 2012 when she first ran for office.

“Many years ago, I apologized for my words and more importantly for the negative impact that they had," she said. "I sincerely repeat my apology today. I’m deeply sorry for having said them.”

"I know that LGBTQ+ people still struggle, are still facing discrimination, are still facing abuse and still fear that their hard-won rights are going to be taken away by people who hold views like I used to," the Hawaii Democrat wrote online. "I regret the role I played in causing such pain, and I remain committed to fighting for LGBTQ+ equality."

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