During her initial run for Congress and early time in DC, Gabbard offered substantial praise for Obama. While the frequency of this praise trailed off over time, it nevertheless continued through the end of his second term.
Introduced Resolution as City Council Member Encouraging Obama to Locate his Presidential Library in Hawaii.
In May 2011, as a member of the Honolulu City Council, Gabbard introduced a resolution encouraging then-President Obama to locate his Presidential Library in Hawaii. Notably, this would have occurred at the beginning of the cycle when Gabbard entered a contested Democrat primary for an open seat in congress. An editorial for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser described the resolution as follows:
“The City Council will consider Councilwoman Tulsi Gabbard’s resolution today that essentially says, Puhleez, President Barack Obama, select Hawaii as the location for your presidential library. Conjecture already is under way regarding a section of the library being reserved for the killing of Osama bin Laden. Presidential historian Michael Beschloss remarked on PBS that “you can be sure that the Obama Presidential Library, whether it’s on the south side of Chicago or in Honolulu — these are the two contenders — will have a large remembrance of the day that President Obama did this.”
Praised Obama Administration Veterans’ Program
On March 6, 2012, Gabbard praised an Obama administration program to provide mortgage relief to veterans.
“I wholeheartedly support President Obama’s effort to ensure that those who served our country overseas are protected against predatory lending practices here at home. Serving in a war zone requires intense focus. Our men and women in uniform shouldn’t have to worry that while they are fighting abroad, their families are fighting to keep their houses here at home.” Under the plan announced today, Federal authorities will review thousands of military mortgages to look for irregularities. In cases where service members were illegally foreclosed on or illegally charged more than 6 percent interest, those service members will receive compensation from a fund established as part of a settlement between major U.S. banks, the Obama Administration and state Attorneys General. “I am pleased the Obama Administration is taking steps to fix the damage done to service members by predatory lenders and irresponsible banks. At the same time, I believe more vigilance in Congress could have prevented many of the problems we are working so hard to correct. Veterans, service members, and all Hawai’i residents deserve a Representative who reports to them, not Wall Street.”
“Fighting for the Obama Mantle”
On March 21, 2012, Politico noted that Gabbard was “fight[ing] for the Obama mantle.”
“It’s a similar story in Hawaii, Obama’s native state, where Honolulu City Councilwoman Tulsi Gabbard and former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, both of whom are competing for a vacant House seat, are trying to connect themselves to the president. Gabbard rarely misses an opportunity to issue press releases praising Obama’s policies, as she did after Obama unveiled a mortgage-relief program, or to tweet that she’s attending one of the president’s local campaign functions. Hannemann, meanwhile, includes several pictures of himself with Obama on his website.”
Praised Obama’s “Strong Stand for Marriage Equality”
On May 9, 2012, Gabbard applauded “Obama’s strong stand for marriage equality” in a press release:
“I congratulate the President for taking a strong stand on marriage equality for all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation. I understand his journey, and stand with him on this issue. This is why in Congress I will work for the repeal of DOMA and support and co-sponsor the Respect for Marriage Act. During my deployment to the Middle East with the Hawai’i National Guard in 2004 I realized that I could not, in good conscience, fight for liberty and freedom overseas while advocating something less than that here at home. That was an important decision for me and, in that context, I fully recognize the significance of the president’s announcement today. Protecting the civil rights of all Americans is an obligation we must strive to fulfill. It’s critical that we support President Obama and stand with him now more than ever so our progress on these issues cannot be overturned by extremist Republican presidents and Members of Congress.”
On May 10, 2012, a local press report on Obama’s position made note of Gabbard’s adulation.
“Congressional candidate Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat, congratulated Obama “for taking a strong stand on marriage equality for all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation. I understand his journey, and stand with him on this issue.”