Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, consistently one of the lowest-polling Democrats in the presidential primary race, seems to have taken a page from President Donald Trump’s book in her quest for power: learn how to use enemies.
Some Democrats are wary of the Hawaii Congresswoman’s popularity among right-wing circles, Vox reported. They’re concerned about how often the combat veteran is mentioned in Russian news media and suspicious that Russian bots may be promoting her.
Clinton seems to be one of these Democrats. She appeared to be talking about Gabbard when she said this on a podcast with former Barack Obama aide David Plouffe:
“I’m not making any predictions, but I think they’ve (Republicans) got their eye on somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate,” Clinton said. “She’s the favorite of the Russians.” Clinton also called former Green Party candidate Jill Stein a Russian asset.
“(Jill Stein’s) also a Russian asset… Yeah, she’s a Russian asset — I mean, totally. They know they can’t win without a third-party candidate.”
Gabbard responded Friday by saying Clinton’s attacks show she’s been behind “a concerted campaign to destroy my reputation.”
“You, the queen of warmongers, embodiment of corruption, and personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party for so long, have finally come out from behind the curtain,” Gabbard tweeted. “It’s now clear that this primary is between you and me. Don’t cowardly hide behind your proxies. Join the race directly.”
It may not matter anymore whether Clinton is a warmonger or not. She’s not running in 2020 — not yet, anyway. However, the record shows that she is a hawk, Michael Brenner wrote in a July 3, 2016 column in The Globalist.
“(Clinton is) someone who believes strongly in the utility of military force and is ready to use it,” Brenner wrote. “Her actions as Senator and Secretary of State as well her speeches and campaign statements paint a picture of a would-be President who views the world in terms of an ominous threat environment.
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“She believes that core American interests are being challenged across the globe. She is a firm advocate of intervening on a preventive basis (e.g. Syria, Libya), as well as on a preemptive or defensive basis.
“She is dedicated to keeping putative rivals to the United States, like China or Russia, in a subordinate position.”
On Monday, Trump defended Gabbard against Clinton’s Russian asset smear, identifying with Gabbard over criticism for his own close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“She is calling Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard ‘a Russian favorite,’ and Jill Stein ‘a Russian asset,’” he tweeted.
In Robert Greene’s book, “48 Laws Of Power,” learning how to use enemies is ranked as No. 2, right behind Law No. 1: Never Outshine the Master.
“Be wary of friends — they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy,” Greene wrote. “Without enemies around us, we grow lazy. An enemy at our heels, sharpens our wits, keeping us focused and alert … You have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.”
On “The View,” Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin applauded Clinton. Hostin sided with her in the growing feud, saying Clinton has been right about so many things, Daily Beast reported. “She told us about Russia, she told us about the probable interference. She was secretary of state. She has deep world knowledge of world issues … where’s the lie? … Tulsi is sort of the Trojan horse in this. She’s polling at only 1.2 percent, yet she’s still in the race … touted by people like Fox News personalities like Tucker Carlson.”
Gabbard was endorsed by — and denounced support of — white supremacist David Duke, but she hasn’t distanced herself from Russia’s praise of her, Behar said.
“She hasn’t denied it. She hasn’t said anything in her tweets. ‘How dare you? It’s outrageous. Of course, I’m not.’ She didn’t say that. She’s just going after Hillary,” Behar said.
Behar added that doesn’t feel that Gabbard is a Russian agent. “I just think that she could be a useful idiot the way Trump is a useful idiot to the Russians. That they see something. They say, ‘Oh look, a useful idiot. Let’s play this.’”
On CNN, Ana Navarro said, “When both the Russians and Trump support someone, be wary.”
