Tulsi Da!

We haven't seen the end of Dem Presidential hopefuls announcing, with many still weighing their prospects. The field is the most diverse in U.S. history, with some true stars stepping forward. Then, there's Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who formally announced her candidacy yesterday in Hawaii.

Gabbard has been a gadfly in the Democratic Party, taking contrarian positions (LGBTQ rights, for example) and being the first Dem to "interview" with neo-fascist demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump after his "election." Her decision to meet with Syrian war criminal Bashar Al-Assad in 2017 caused considerable blowback, but something she says she doesn't regret.

Now, Gabbard has the distinction of being a favorite of Russian media, where coverage of her far surpasses her actual support in the U.S.:

"Several experts who track websites and social media linked to the Kremlin have also seen what they believe may be the first stirrings of an upcoming Russian campaign of support for Gabbard.

Since Gabbard announced her intention to run on Jan. 11, there have been at least 20 Gabbard stories on three major Moscow-based English-language websites affiliated with or supportive of the Russian government: RT, the Russian-owned TV outlet; Sputnik News, a radio outlet; and Russia Insider, a blog that experts say closely follows the Kremlin line. The CIA has called RT and Sputnik part of 'Russia's state-run propaganda machine.'" [snip] 

'Her promulgation of positions compatible with Russian geo strategic interests can help them mainstream such discussion in the [Democratic] party,' said Alex Stamos, former chief security officer at Facebook and now an NBC News analyst. Gabbard, said Stamos, helps them with all their 'lines of attack.'" (our emphasis)

Gabbard and her campaign should be wondering about this disproportionate support from the Kremlin, and denouncing it. She's not the asset to them that Rump is by any means, but she risks being their useful idiot.  In the meantime, there's a credible Democratic candidate who'll challenge her in her House district, when her presidential ambitions flame out. Mahalo!