A fellow Democratic National Committee official on Tuesday accused DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of lying about the Democratic presidential debates hours before the first one was set to take place.
In a sign of the deeping rift among Democrats over the limited number of primary debates, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, a vice chair of the DNC, tore into Wasserman Schultz, telling Andrea Mitchell that the DNC chair is lying about the party’s debate process. Gabbard also reiterated that she was disinvited from the debate in Las Vegas Tuesday, contray to Wasserman Schutlz’s claim.
Gabbard told “Andrea Mitchell Reports” that Wasserman Schultz “unilaterally” decided on the number of debates without consulting her fellow DNC officers, adding that many of the things the committee chair has said lately are “not true.”
“I can’t say much more than to say that’s not true,” Gabbard said about Wasserman Schultz assertion that she was disinvited. “I was on your network, MSNBC, talking . ..on how we do need more debates, and the very next day got a message saying if I’m going to continue talking about that, that I shouldn’t go to the debate.”
“It isn’t surprising to me that she is saying things that aren’t true,” Gabbard railed. “About a month ago, shortly after I called for more debates, the chairwoman said publicly that she had communicated and consulted with vice chairs and officers of the DNC prior to making her decision both about the number of debates, as well as this retribution policy of the exclusivity clause of punishing our presidential candidates if they participate in any other debate outside of the six sanctioned debates. The fact is there was no communication, there was no consultation with the vice chairs and officers, of which I am one.”
“So it’s unfortunate that she continues to say things that aren’t true,” Gabbard said, adding that she wishes the DNC focused more on “freedom of speech” and would do away with the “retribution policy” put into place.
“I and other officers were not included in that conversation prior to the chairwoman unilaterally making the decision to limit the debates to six, and to punish those who step outside of those lines,” Gabbard continued. “I think it’s wrong, and I think it doesn’t represent the democratic values I think our party should be standing for.”
When asked if she could continue to work as a vice chair for the party after she, as Mitchell told her, “just called her a liar for all intents and purposes,” Gabbard said she’s “doing her best” to do her job and help Democrats win in 2016.
Wasserman Schultz responded to Gabbard not long after, telling CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that the Hawaii representative’s comments are “simply not true,” adding that Gabbard “wants to distract” from the debate going on Tuesday night by “quibbling about process.”
