On Meet The Press this morning Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) announced she is resigning from her position as vice chair of the DNC so that she can endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders for President. The Congresswoman, Iraq War veteran and now-former vice chair said she has deep concerns over our country’s foreign policy direction, having seen the toll of the Iraq War — which Secretary Clinton famously voted for and Bernie against — up close.
Vice Chair Gabbard has butted heads with DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz publicly the last several months. Particularly, Wasserman Schultz claimed that she consulted with her vice chairs before determining the debate schedule, leading to a rebuke from Gabbard, who later said Wasserman Schultz disinvited her from the next debate in retaliation. Wasserman Schultz denied this, but Gabbard’s fellow DNC Vice Chair and Mayor of Minneapolis R.J. Rybak stood up for Gabbard, stating that Wasserman-Schultz went on TV and "repeated a knowing untruth" about her.
The endorsement is the fourth now from a sitting member of Congress, and the former vice chair joins former DNC Chair and US Senator (and Ted Kennedy chief of staff and confidante) Paul Kirk (D-MA) in backing Bernie.