Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), vice chairperson of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), said she was disinvited from Tuesday’s first Democratic presidential debate after she called for more debates. Gabbard has spoken out against Democratic leadership.

“When I first came to Washington, one of the things that I was disappointed about was there’s a lot of immaturity and petty gamesmanship that goes on, and it kind of reminds me of how high school teenagers act,” said Gabbard.

“It’s very dangerous when we have people in positions of leadership who use their power to try to quiet those who disagree with them,” she added. “When I signed up to be vice chair of the D.N.C., no one told me I would be relinquishing my freedom of speech and checking it at the door.”

Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL), the chair of the DNC, maintains that she did not disinvite Gabbard. Wasserman-Schultz has come under fire for her inaction and silence about why the DNC has sanctioned only six debates, and why there are such strict rules placed upon the candidates. Some say it’s intended to protect Hillary Clinton’s chances at winning the nomination.

For more on this story, visit the New York Times “D.N.C. Officer Says She Was Disinvited From Debate After Calling for More of Them”

Farron Cousins is the executive editor of The Trial Lawyer magazine and a contributing writer at DeSmogBlog.com. He is the co-host / guest host for Ring of Fire Radio. His writings have appeared on Alternet, Truthout, and The Huffington Post. Farron received his bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of West Florida in 2005 and became a member of American MENSA in 2009. Follow him on Twitter @farronbalanced