Is Tulsi Gabbard, a Founding Member of the Sanders Institute, a Progressive?

On the one hand, Tulsi is often introduced as a progressive and was a co-founder and fellow of the Sanders Institute, which was formed by Bernie Sander's wife, Jane Sanders, and has been fervently opposed to U.S. intervention abroad.

On the other hand, Tulsi has a troubling history on LGBT issues, she was one of the first Democrats to meet with Trump, seems to be a favorite of conservative media, and until recently has opposed efforts to start an impeachment inquiry casting doubt on such efforts as simply trying to overturn the 2016 election. In addition, despite her reputation as a pacifist, she attacked President Obama for shying away from referring to al-Qaeda and ISIS as "Islamic terrorists" and opposed efforts to accept Syrian war refugees.

This is what is strange. How can a Democrat who is fixture on Fox News be seen as a leading progressive voice?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/06/07/sanders-institute-jane-sanders-launches-new-progressive-think-tank/102594476/

'The Sanders Institute': Jane Sanders launches new progressive think tank

"We'll be producing original content and telling the stories of the people we have met along the way and the issues that are of concern to them," Jane Sanders said in an interview. "We saw wonderful initiatives throughout this country in terms of dealing with the issues that are most important to various populations. And what we want to do is shine a light on them and think about how we can best replicate them."

Sanders said one area of focus for her will be Native American issues, and specifically the concerns she heard on reservations about inadequately funded and mismanaged Indian health services. She plans to go to Alaska to highlight the Southcentral Foundation's work to improve the health conditions of Alaska Natives as "a beacon for what can be done" in a cost-effective way in Indian health care and rural areas across the country.

Other founding fellows include high-profile advisers and supporters from the Sanders campaign. They are Robert Reich, who served as President Bill Clinton’s labor secretary; Vermont author and environmentalist Bill McKibben; actor Danny Glover; Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii; economist Stephanie Kelton; Ben Jealous, former NAACP president and chief executive officer and now a gubernatorial candidate in Maryland; author and civil rights activist Cornel West; Former Ohio state senator Nina Turner; economist Jeffrey Sachs; and entertainer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte.

Sanders Institute Conference Aims To Unify Progressive Movement

Progressive politicians, activists and leaders gathered Thursday in Burlington for the kickoff of a two-day conference.

The event — called "The Gathering" — is being put on by the Sanders Institute, a progressive policy think tank founded by Jane O’Meara Sanders, the wife of Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The lineup for the conference includes a number of high-profile figures like San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, actor Danny Glover and Dr. Cornel West.

On Thursday night, West gave a passionate introduction to Bernie Sanders and praised him for being focused on helping the working class.

Why Conservative Media and the Far Right Love Tulsi Gabbard for President

In May 2015, the National Review implored readers to “Meet the Beautiful, Tough Young Democrat Who’s Turning Heads by Challenging Obama’s Foreign Policy.” The conservative outlet touted Gabbard as having “endeared herself to right-wing hawks” by challenging Obama’s “rudderless” foreign policy. “I like her thinking a lot,” American Enterprise Institute president Arthur Brooks was quoted as saying.

Gabbard has also maintained friendly relationships with high-profile, right-leaning television personalities, including Carlson and Fox News colleague Neil Cavuto, a long-time anchor and Trump skeptic who leans conservative on business issues.

And earlier this month, after she accused her fellow Democratic senators of engaging in “religious bigotry” for asking questions about a Trump judicial nominee’s faith, she received yet another round of Fox News praise. Todd Starnes, a Fox pundit with a long history of anti-gay comments, wrote in an op-ed that he found Gabbard’s comments “encouraging.”