by Andrew Walden

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is leading a congressional delegation April 18-24 to shadow President Obama’s upcoming trip to Asia and highlight Obama's deficiencies as Commander in Chief.  For a delegation to be taxpayer funded, congressional rules require at least one member of each party to participate. Cantor managed to find only one Democrat to go with the eight Republicans – Hawaii Rep Tulsi Gabbard.

None of this detail shows up in the Star Advertiser April 18, 2014 which merely regurgitates Gabbard's news release without pointing out the anti-Obama political angle and without mention of the key fact--that Gabbard’s participation makes the trip possible.

In a recent poll, Gabbard was the most popular officeholder in the state where Obama’s popularity tops the nation.  Apparently conflict between the state’s two most popular political figures is not news.

Stenography journalism made Neil Abercrombie’s 20 years in Congress possible.  Then he came back home as governor and people found out what they had been reelecting for all those years.

To see what coverage of the delegation looks like in a newspaper which does not worship at the shrine of home-state congressional seniority—even when representatives have little to speak of--readers must turn to the Wall Street Journal:

House Delegation to Asia Will Overlap With Obama Trip

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.) will lead a group of House lawmakers to meet with top officials from Japan, South Korea and China next week, offering a counterpoint to President Barack Obama’s planned visit to the region.

The group of nine lawmakers — eight Republicans and one Democrat — is scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, South Korean President Park Geun-hye and other senior officials from the three countries to discuss trade and economic policies. The group is will also be briefed by senior military officials on security challenges in the Asian-Pacific region, Mr. Cantor’s office said.

The trip partially overlaps with President Barack Obama’s planned visit to the region. Mr. Obama next week is slated to meet with leaders from South Korea, Japan, Malaysia and the Philippines….

The trip organized by Mr. Cantor is part of a broader push he has been making on international issues and what he calls a U.S. foreign policy based on an “America that leads” in public events.

“Our investment in Asia’s future is an investment in our own prosperity,” Mr. Cantor said in a written statement, stressing that the U.S. most “remain engaged in promoting peace and stability in Asia.”

Republicans in recent weeks have been stepping up their criticism of Mr. Obama’s handling of international affairs, particularly over the U.S. relationship with Russia given the continuing crisis in Ukraine.

In a February speech in Lexington, VA, he suggested allies around the globe were concerned that the U.S. had “lost the will to live up to our values or stand up to aggressors.”….

---30---

Background: To Stop Mufi, Mrs Abercrombie Joins the Chris Butler Cult

Wisdom: Seniority? Hawaii is better off without it