The smears and erasure of Tulsi by the Bernie Sanders campaign
So, its been many months since people in the Bernie Sanders campaign have either smeared or erased Tulsi. I'm including people working for the Bernie campaign and people who have been prominently on the stage campaigning with Bernie.
People who have smeared Tulsi : Ro Khanna, Linda Sarsour, Josh Fox, John Cusack
People who have erased Tulsi : Bernie, Shaun King, AOC, Omar, Tlaib, Jayapal, Michael Moore
Instances of smearing :
1. The Ro Khanna smear :
Ro Khanna, Bernie Sanders campaign co-chair, in response to a bullsh*t smear article against Tulsi Gabbard :
Pieter Friedrich :
"Long-form narrative documenting how US affiliates of the #RSS, a fascist paramilitary in India, financed the rise of #TulsiGabbard in exchange for her help rehabilitating #Modi’s tarnished reputation."
https://twitter.com/FriedrichPieter/status/1160909673538752512
Ro Khanna :
"Important article. It’s the duty of every American politician of Hindu faith to stand for pluralism, reject Hindutva, and speak for equal rights for Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhist & Christians. That is the vision of India my grandfather Amarnath Vidyalankar fought for."
https://twitter.com/RoKhanna/status/1167100607230042113
Notice that Pieter Friedrich's tweet on Aug 12th was in reply to Tulsi's tweet on Aug 12th.
Ro Khanna responded to it more than 2 weeks after, on 29th Aug.
Pieter Friedrich does nothing more than find Hindu names, find ties to American Hindu orgs, which are wholly American. Do not send any money/receive any money from RSS, an Indian Organisation.
Just plain Hinduphobic bigotry at play here.
RSS is a right wing Hindu Indian organization. It is not fascist.
Here is an article that debunks Pieter's article :
https://medium.com/@tjmcnulty_79436/debunking-pieter-friedrichs-tulsi-narrative-1085649b2810
Pieter Friedrich, the author of that article is a well known Christian supremacist, Khalistani, Hinduphobic smear merchant who has engaged in rape shaming the past.
https://girlygrrrl.com/developing-story-khalistani-ops/
"Pumpkinhead"—Pieter Friedrich's now defunct blog—is full of repulsive rape-victim shaming, anti-LGBT anecdotes.He even argues against the immediate abolition of slavery.
I can see why @FriedrichPieter deleted this.
https://twitter.com/RobletoFire/status/1180871618178031617
You can view his insanity via the Wayback Machine here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060824201008/http://pieterfriedrich.com/wordpress/
2. Linda Sarsour, Bernie Sanders surrogate :
"Racial harmony? Inclusion? Tulsi takes money from anti-Muslim forces. She supports fascists like Modi. Spare us this rehearsal. #DemocraticDebate"
https://twitter.com/lsarsour/status/1197366412425060352
Modi but is not a fascist. He is center-left on economic issues and center-right on social issues. He is the popular, democratically elected leader of the largest democracy in the world, India. Modi has his share of faults, but is not remotely a fascist.
Tulsi is the co-chair of Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.
https://gabbard.house.gov/about/committees-and-caucuses
Tulsi's relationship with India has been and continues to be non-partisan. She has met with members of his opposition, Indian National Congress in both India and in the US. Shashi Tharoor in India (2014), Rajiv Gowda in US (2018)
Terrific meeting Rep @TulsiGabbard(D-HI) again at the Indiaspora event at San Jose & speaking at the same US-India MPs session along with her and @Congressman Raja.
Thrilled to see so many Indian Americans running for political office. Kudos @mrsandhill
and @IndiasporaForum.
https://twitter.com/rajeevgowda/status/1038697480232288258
Shashi Tharoor :
Hosted dinner ydy for @TulsiGabbard, Democratic Congresswoman fromHawaïi, soldier,surfer&practising Hindu. Impressed
https://twitter.com/shashitharoor/status/545457763883560960
3. Linda Sarsour again a previous instance
This is one of the reasons why @TulsiGabbard will never ever be a progressive. Modi is a Fascist.
https://twitter.com/lsarsour/status/1175477963246186496
This on Tulsi, co-chair of Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans extending a welcome to the democratically elected Prime Minister of India.
That Linda has uttered many hurtful things and done negative actions is well known to many. There is no way she should have been hired by the Bernie campaign. Yet she was and still is a part of the campaign.
https://www.influencewatch.org/person/linda-sarsour/
4. Linda Sarsour again recently :
"Why doesn’t Tulsi just join the Republican Party? It’ll make more sense for her and us."
https://twitter.com/lsarsour/status/1227038963950551040
in response to Tulsi saying that the President has the right to appoint/fire anyone he wants (as per Constitution)- in this case Lt.Col. Alexander Vindman. That it is the president who sets foreign policy, not security apparatus. If you don't like, then vote the President out, appointed people are not chosen by people.
5. John Cusack, the actor, is not working under Bernie. But he has been on stage with Bernie, campaigning prominently.
He has smeared Tulsi repeatedly. Here is one instance.
Via Arundhati Roy ⬇️ RSS are fascist & direct line goes back to Italian/German fascists
Few in US realise Gabbard’s relationship w/the RSS does not agree at all with progressive image she cultivates. The RSS, as a mainspring of Hindu nationalism -
https://caravanmagazine.in/politics/american-sangh-affair-tulsi-gabbard"
https://twitter.com/johncusack/status/1187566183865835522
Posting the same smear article of Pieter Friedrich.
6. Here is another instance from John Cusack.
"United States Presidential Election 2020: First Hindu to Run for US President – Tulsi Gabbard’s RSS Link Needs Scrutiny | OPINION"
https://twitter.com/johncusack/status/1198247020126986242
For why is John Cusack doing this -->
https://medium.com/@stacieannhanelinelarew/what-you-dont-know-about-hillary-clinton-and-tulsi-gabbard-76e0d082a183
7. Here is an instance from Josh Fox, a surrogate.
"I don’t want to vote anyone who fought in Afghanistan. It is and always has been an unjust war. Yes, I mean you @PeteButtigieg . I also don’t want to vote for anyone who voted for the Iraq war. Yes, I mean you @JoeBiden #nowar #NeverForget #NeverAgainIsNow"
https://twitter.com/joshfoxfilm/status/1161526658287001605
"What about someone who fought in the Iraq war? Say, @TulsiGabbard"
https://twitter.com/GeePeeters/status/1161528008295034881
"Yep. Wouldn’t vote for her either. No way."
https://twitter.com/joshfoxfilm/status/1161528267469393920
Tulsi was in her early 20s, believed the lies told her. Served in Iraq in medical unit. But for that, he wouldn't vote for her. Oh really ?
And it gets more funny.
Bernie voted for the war in Afghanistan in 2001 (I don't blame him for that as US was going after Al Qaeda - or atleast supposedly so - which had attacked US). What is damning is that in late 2015, Bernie agreed with Obama on extending the mission in Afghanistan to beyond 2016 because of Taliban. The mission to defeat Al Qaeda was over in 2011. Taliban did not attack US. Yes, they were/are "bad guys", but its not upto US to fight all bad guys.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-afghanistan_n_5623b601e4b08589ef47bdaa
Tulsi on the other hand called for withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in Oct 2011 when mission to defeat Al Qaeda was over.
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/on-10th-anniversary-tulsi-gabbard-calls-for-end-to-war-in-afghanistan/
But look at the nonsense smear of Josh Fox here and how he avoids holding Bernie accountable for Afghanistan.
Instances of erasure :
1. Defense budget lie :
Bernie Sanders stated on December 17, 2019 in a video posted on his presidential campaign’s social media accounts.:
"I am very proud that I am the only candidate in the Democratic primary to have voted against all of Trump's defense budgets."
It is true the Vermont senator has publicly opposed all of the president’s military spending packages, but he has not voted against all of them. Sanders is also wrong to say he is the only candidate in the Democratic primary who has voted against the proposals. In fact, Gabbard is the only candidate who can make that claim.
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/dec/20/bernie-sanders/bernie-sanders-wrong-twice-claim-about-defense-bud/
The twitter post being referred to in the above Politifact fact check :
https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/1207045078654603265
Bernie Sanders missed the NDAA 2020 vote :
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1790/actions?KWICView=false
https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=116&session=1&vote=00400
To be clear, again, at the time Bernie said that, Tulsi was the only candidate to have voted against all of Trump's millitary budgets :
NDAA 2018 - no (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2017/roll378.xml)
NDAA 2019 - no (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2018/roll230.xml)
NDAA 2020 - no (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2019/roll672.xml)
Also , NDAA 2017 - no (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2016/roll216.xml) - This was signed by Obama, the outgoing president, but was used under Trump in 2017.
To be noted the day Bernie made the video was the day he missed the NDAA 2020 vote. (December 17th). Make of it what you will.
2. Lie on fracking bill :
Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez Lead First-Ever Bill to Ban Fracking Nationwide
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-ocasio-cortez-lead-first-ever-bill-to-ban-fracking-nationwide
That is a blatant lie.
Tulsi's Off Fossil Fuels Act, which was introduced in September 2017, banned fracking.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/3671
Along the way, the OFF Act would ban fracking, the inherently dangerous oil and gas extraction method that poses serious public health and safety risks in communities where it occurs, and it would place a moratorium on the foolish, profit-driven export of fossil fuels that pushes more and more hazardous fracking and pipeline construction here at home.
https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/350702-the-off-act-will-mandate-a-swift-and-just-transition
3. Candidates Bernie admires - Warren and Klobuchar, but not Tulsi
When Krystal Ball asked Bernie in Aug 2019 about the candidates he admires he named Warren and Klobuchar, but not Tulsi. freakin Klobuchar....not Tulsi who quit DNC Vice chair in 2016 to against the Clinton machine because she thought he was less interventionist than Hillary & endorsed him risking her whole political career. Also spoke positively about and had had his back even in the 2020 cycle.
At 28:00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S51uyddIiiM
4. Tulsi "DNC polling not transparent" - Bernie does not agree, sidetracks
When Meghan McCain asked Bernie on The View in Sept 2019 if he agreed the polling criteria were not transparent (as Tulsi had mentioned), he didn't say yes. He chose to divert by saying DNC has a tough job among other things. He could have said that as well as saying polling criteria were not transparent. he didn't back Tulsi on an issue that was right and affected her.
At 3:13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoQ-n3J8_hw
5. Lie about Bernie being the only non-billionnaire candidate&without a superPAC
"You can't change a corrupt system by taking its money. I am proud to be the only non-billionaire in this race without a super PAC spending millions of dollars to support me."
https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/1230616835315335169
Tulsi does not have any SuperPACs. She is the only candidate to not even take PAC money.
"This is a 100% people-powered campaign — I do not accept money from PACs or lobbyists."
https://www.tulsi2020.com/
She stopped taking any PAC money since May 2017.
"I've decided to stop accepting PAC/lobbyist $$. Bottom line: we can't allow our future to be driven and shaped by special interests."
https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/865708366814949377
6. Lies/denies Tulsi's existence in the race (March 6th):
Sen. Bernie Sanders: "There were some 18 candidates contesting for the Democratic nomination. Well, we're down to 2."
https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1235782155432755203
There are 3 in the race (Bernie, Biden and Tulsi)
People who have smeared Tulsi : Ro Khanna, Linda Sarsour, Josh Fox, John Cusack
People who have erased Tulsi : Bernie, Shaun King, AOC, Omar, Tlaib, Jayapal, Michael Moore
Instances of smearing :
1. The Ro Khanna smear :
Ro Khanna, Bernie Sanders campaign co-chair, in response to a bullsh*t smear article against Tulsi Gabbard :
Pieter Friedrich :
"Long-form narrative documenting how US affiliates of the #RSS, a fascist paramilitary in India, financed the rise of #TulsiGabbard in exchange for her help rehabilitating #Modi’s tarnished reputation."
https://twitter.com/FriedrichPieter/status/1160909673538752512
Ro Khanna :
"Important article. It’s the duty of every American politician of Hindu faith to stand for pluralism, reject Hindutva, and speak for equal rights for Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhist & Christians. That is the vision of India my grandfather Amarnath Vidyalankar fought for."
https://twitter.com/RoKhanna/status/1167100607230042113
Notice that Pieter Friedrich's tweet on Aug 12th was in reply to Tulsi's tweet on Aug 12th.
Ro Khanna responded to it more than 2 weeks after, on 29th Aug.
Pieter Friedrich does nothing more than find Hindu names, find ties to American Hindu orgs, which are wholly American. Do not send any money/receive any money from RSS, an Indian Organisation.
Just plain Hinduphobic bigotry at play here.
RSS is a right wing Hindu Indian organization. It is not fascist.
Here is an article that debunks Pieter's article :
https://medium.com/@tjmcnulty_79436/debunking-pieter-friedrichs-tulsi-narrative-1085649b2810
Pieter Friedrich, the author of that article is a well known Christian supremacist, Khalistani, Hinduphobic smear merchant who has engaged in rape shaming the past.
https://girlygrrrl.com/developing-story-khalistani-ops/
"Pumpkinhead"—Pieter Friedrich's now defunct blog—is full of repulsive rape-victim shaming, anti-LGBT anecdotes.He even argues against the immediate abolition of slavery.
I can see why @FriedrichPieter deleted this.
https://twitter.com/RobletoFire/status/1180871618178031617
You can view his insanity via the Wayback Machine here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060824201008/http://pieterfriedrich.com/wordpress/
2. Linda Sarsour, Bernie Sanders surrogate :
"Racial harmony? Inclusion? Tulsi takes money from anti-Muslim forces. She supports fascists like Modi. Spare us this rehearsal. #DemocraticDebate"
https://twitter.com/lsarsour/status/1197366412425060352
Modi but is not a fascist. He is center-left on economic issues and center-right on social issues. He is the popular, democratically elected leader of the largest democracy in the world, India. Modi has his share of faults, but is not remotely a fascist.
Tulsi is the co-chair of Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.
https://gabbard.house.gov/about/committees-and-caucuses
Tulsi's relationship with India has been and continues to be non-partisan. She has met with members of his opposition, Indian National Congress in both India and in the US. Shashi Tharoor in India (2014), Rajiv Gowda in US (2018)
Terrific meeting Rep @TulsiGabbard(D-HI) again at the Indiaspora event at San Jose & speaking at the same US-India MPs session along with her and @Congressman Raja.
Thrilled to see so many Indian Americans running for political office. Kudos @mrsandhill
and @IndiasporaForum.
https://twitter.com/rajeevgowda/status/1038697480232288258
Shashi Tharoor :
Hosted dinner ydy for @TulsiGabbard, Democratic Congresswoman fromHawaïi, soldier,surfer&practising Hindu. Impressed
https://twitter.com/shashitharoor/status/545457763883560960
3. Linda Sarsour again a previous instance
This is one of the reasons why @TulsiGabbard will never ever be a progressive. Modi is a Fascist.
https://twitter.com/lsarsour/status/1175477963246186496
This on Tulsi, co-chair of Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans extending a welcome to the democratically elected Prime Minister of India.
That Linda has uttered many hurtful things and done negative actions is well known to many. There is no way she should have been hired by the Bernie campaign. Yet she was and still is a part of the campaign.
https://www.influencewatch.org/person/linda-sarsour/
4. Linda Sarsour again recently :
"Why doesn’t Tulsi just join the Republican Party? It’ll make more sense for her and us."
https://twitter.com/lsarsour/status/1227038963950551040
in response to Tulsi saying that the President has the right to appoint/fire anyone he wants (as per Constitution)- in this case Lt.Col. Alexander Vindman. That it is the president who sets foreign policy, not security apparatus. If you don't like, then vote the President out, appointed people are not chosen by people.
5. John Cusack, the actor, is not working under Bernie. But he has been on stage with Bernie, campaigning prominently.
He has smeared Tulsi repeatedly. Here is one instance.
Via Arundhati Roy ⬇️ RSS are fascist & direct line goes back to Italian/German fascists
Few in US realise Gabbard’s relationship w/the RSS does not agree at all with progressive image she cultivates. The RSS, as a mainspring of Hindu nationalism -
https://caravanmagazine.in/politics/american-sangh-affair-tulsi-gabbard"
https://twitter.com/johncusack/status/1187566183865835522
Posting the same smear article of Pieter Friedrich.
6. Here is another instance from John Cusack.
"United States Presidential Election 2020: First Hindu to Run for US President – Tulsi Gabbard’s RSS Link Needs Scrutiny | OPINION"
https://twitter.com/johncusack/status/1198247020126986242
For why is John Cusack doing this -->
https://medium.com/@stacieannhanelinelarew/what-you-dont-know-about-hillary-clinton-and-tulsi-gabbard-76e0d082a183
7. Here is an instance from Josh Fox, a surrogate.
"I don’t want to vote anyone who fought in Afghanistan. It is and always has been an unjust war. Yes, I mean you @PeteButtigieg . I also don’t want to vote for anyone who voted for the Iraq war. Yes, I mean you @JoeBiden #nowar #NeverForget #NeverAgainIsNow"
https://twitter.com/joshfoxfilm/status/1161526658287001605
"What about someone who fought in the Iraq war? Say, @TulsiGabbard"
https://twitter.com/GeePeeters/status/1161528008295034881
"Yep. Wouldn’t vote for her either. No way."
https://twitter.com/joshfoxfilm/status/1161528267469393920
Tulsi was in her early 20s, believed the lies told her. Served in Iraq in medical unit. But for that, he wouldn't vote for her. Oh really ?
And it gets more funny.
Bernie voted for the war in Afghanistan in 2001 (I don't blame him for that as US was going after Al Qaeda - or atleast supposedly so - which had attacked US). What is damning is that in late 2015, Bernie agreed with Obama on extending the mission in Afghanistan to beyond 2016 because of Taliban. The mission to defeat Al Qaeda was over in 2011. Taliban did not attack US. Yes, they were/are "bad guys", but its not upto US to fight all bad guys.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-afghanistan_n_5623b601e4b08589ef47bdaa
Tulsi on the other hand called for withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in Oct 2011 when mission to defeat Al Qaeda was over.
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/on-10th-anniversary-tulsi-gabbard-calls-for-end-to-war-in-afghanistan/
But look at the nonsense smear of Josh Fox here and how he avoids holding Bernie accountable for Afghanistan.
Instances of erasure :
1. Defense budget lie :
Bernie Sanders stated on December 17, 2019 in a video posted on his presidential campaign’s social media accounts.:
"I am very proud that I am the only candidate in the Democratic primary to have voted against all of Trump's defense budgets."
It is true the Vermont senator has publicly opposed all of the president’s military spending packages, but he has not voted against all of them. Sanders is also wrong to say he is the only candidate in the Democratic primary who has voted against the proposals. In fact, Gabbard is the only candidate who can make that claim.
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/dec/20/bernie-sanders/bernie-sanders-wrong-twice-claim-about-defense-bud/
The twitter post being referred to in the above Politifact fact check :
https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/1207045078654603265
Bernie Sanders missed the NDAA 2020 vote :
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1790/actions?KWICView=false
https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=116&session=1&vote=00400
To be clear, again, at the time Bernie said that, Tulsi was the only candidate to have voted against all of Trump's millitary budgets :
NDAA 2018 - no (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2017/roll378.xml)
NDAA 2019 - no (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2018/roll230.xml)
NDAA 2020 - no (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2019/roll672.xml)
Also , NDAA 2017 - no (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2016/roll216.xml) - This was signed by Obama, the outgoing president, but was used under Trump in 2017.
To be noted the day Bernie made the video was the day he missed the NDAA 2020 vote. (December 17th). Make of it what you will.
2. Lie on fracking bill :
Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez Lead First-Ever Bill to Ban Fracking Nationwide
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-ocasio-cortez-lead-first-ever-bill-to-ban-fracking-nationwide
That is a blatant lie.
Tulsi's Off Fossil Fuels Act, which was introduced in September 2017, banned fracking.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/3671
Along the way, the OFF Act would ban fracking, the inherently dangerous oil and gas extraction method that poses serious public health and safety risks in communities where it occurs, and it would place a moratorium on the foolish, profit-driven export of fossil fuels that pushes more and more hazardous fracking and pipeline construction here at home.
https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/350702-the-off-act-will-mandate-a-swift-and-just-transition
3. Candidates Bernie admires - Warren and Klobuchar, but not Tulsi
When Krystal Ball asked Bernie in Aug 2019 about the candidates he admires he named Warren and Klobuchar, but not Tulsi. freakin Klobuchar....not Tulsi who quit DNC Vice chair in 2016 to against the Clinton machine because she thought he was less interventionist than Hillary & endorsed him risking her whole political career. Also spoke positively about and had had his back even in the 2020 cycle.
At 28:00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S51uyddIiiM
4. Tulsi "DNC polling not transparent" - Bernie does not agree, sidetracks
When Meghan McCain asked Bernie on The View in Sept 2019 if he agreed the polling criteria were not transparent (as Tulsi had mentioned), he didn't say yes. He chose to divert by saying DNC has a tough job among other things. He could have said that as well as saying polling criteria were not transparent. he didn't back Tulsi on an issue that was right and affected her.
At 3:13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoQ-n3J8_hw
5. Lie about Bernie being the only non-billionnaire candidate&without a superPAC
"You can't change a corrupt system by taking its money. I am proud to be the only non-billionaire in this race without a super PAC spending millions of dollars to support me."
https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/1230616835315335169
Tulsi does not have any SuperPACs. She is the only candidate to not even take PAC money.
"This is a 100% people-powered campaign — I do not accept money from PACs or lobbyists."
https://www.tulsi2020.com/
She stopped taking any PAC money since May 2017.
"I've decided to stop accepting PAC/lobbyist $$. Bottom line: we can't allow our future to be driven and shaped by special interests."
https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/865708366814949377
6. Lies/denies Tulsi's existence in the race (March 6th):
Sen. Bernie Sanders: "There were some 18 candidates contesting for the Democratic nomination. Well, we're down to 2."
https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1235782155432755203
There are 3 in the race (Bernie, Biden and Tulsi)
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