State Sen. Kai Kahele criticizes Tulsi Gabbard for missing House vote on Syria

[Celerity]

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/10/16/hawaii-news/kai-kahele-calls-out-tulsi-gabbard-for-missing-vote-on-syria/

State Sen. Kai Kahele (D-Hilo) is criticizing Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard for failing to show up to vote today on a House resolution that condemns President Donald Trump’s withdrawal of American forces from northern Syria. The overwhelmingly bipartisan vote in favor of the resolution by the U.S. House of Representatives was a stinging rebuke of the president’s actions, which have left America’s Kurdish allies in Syria vulnerable to attack by Turkish forces and thrown U.S. policy in the region into disarray.

Gabbard, who has been busy on the presidential campaign trail, was one of 14 representatives absent from the vote. The measure passed 354 to 60. Kahele, who is vying for Gabbard’s congressional seat, has repeatedly criticized Gabbard in recent weeks for being absent from her district.

“I support the action taken by the House today to pass this resolution,” Kahele said in a press release. “Unfortunately, the people of Hawaiʻi’s second congressional district were left without a voice because Congresswoman Gabbard, yet again, failed to show up and report to duty. “Appearing on national television the night before is not an excuse to miss work. The people of Hawai‘i deserve a representative who is committed full-time to this job.”

snip

She’s missed more than half of the votes in the House since July, according to GovTrack.us. She also hasn’t held a town hall in Hawaii since April 2017.

[thesquanderer]

1. Warren, Sanders, Harris have missed 85%+ of their Senate votes.

This is what happens when you run for president, and Gabbard is doing better than most.

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/presidential-candidates

And actually, yes, I think being in Ohio for a debate that goes to 11 pm (plus likely post-debate interviews) is a pretty good reason to not be at work in DC the next morning. Were there any flights she could have made? Did ANY other candidate who is a member of congress make it to work that day?

Kahele is grandstanding. But hey, that's politics, and an effective attack is an effective attack.

[Gothmog]

2. House seat challenger @kaikahele beating Tulsi Gabbard with Hawaii donors

Link to tweet

[Blue_true]

3. He should start holding Town Hall meetings in the district. nt

[Gothmog]

4. CNN has a good article that dicusses Kahele

This is an interesting article https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/21/politics/tulsi-gabbard-2020-hawaii-hillary-clinton/index.html?utm_medium=social&utm_term=image&utm_source=twCNNp&utm_content=2019-10-22T01%3A04%3A06

But local insiders say a primary challenge from state Sen. Kai Kahele is to be taken seriously, in part because he already has high-profile support among towering local officials.

That includes three former governors in the local Democratic establishment: Neil Abercrombie, Ben Cayetano and John Waihee, who don't often appear as a bloc.

"That gives a pretty good indication of how the mainstream Democratic Party here regards her," said Colin Moore, director of the Public Policy Center at the University of Hawaii.

Kahele told CNN on Monday that his campaign had its best day of fundraising when Gabbard and Clinton clashed.
Gabbard has not formally announced a reelection bid for her House seat. Candidates have until June 2, 2020, to file for that November's election.

[oasis]

5. Kahele will be a representative everyone in Hawaii can be proud of.

[crazytown]

6. +1