Inouye Staff Offer Dead Fish, Tell Schatz ‘Good Luck’
HNN: The late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye's office says it's disappointed Gov. Neil Abercrombie chose not to honor the Hawaii Democrat's last wish that U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa replace him in the chamber....
Inouye's chief of staff, Jennifer Sabas, says despite the disappointment, Inouye's office wishes Schatz "the best of luck." (Translation: "Lay very still.")
Congresswoman Hanabusa congratulated Schatz in a statement, saying she respects the "governor's right to appoint a successor."
"As a member of Hawaii's Congressional delegation, I will continue to work to serve the people of our state, and support our delegation's efforts," said Hanabusa….
Senator-elect Mazie Hirono, who will serve with Schatz in Washington, said (now that it isn’t Hanabusa she doesn’t mind being Junior Senator) it was important that the move be made when it was so that Hawaii will be better represented during talks about the fiscal cliff.
"I look forward to partnering with Senator-appointee Brian Schatz, Representative Colleen Hanabusa and Representative-elect Tulsi Gabbard as Hawaii's federal delegation," said Hirono. "As a delegation and as a state, we will pull together to build upon the foundation laid by Senators Inouye and Akaka, to ensure that our values and priorities continue to be reflected in our nation's capitol."
read … Hanabusa, Hirono, Inouye staff react to Schatz appointment
KITV: Jennifer Sabas, Chief of Staff to former Senator Daniel K. Inouye: "Sen. Inouye conveyed his final wish to Gov. Abercrombie. While we are very disappointed that it was not honored, it was the Governor's decision to make. We wish Brian Schatz the best of luck."
John Hart: “And on the other hand of the political drama, if Abercrombie wants to say there’s a new sheriff in town, there would be nothing more dramatic than denying the senator’s deathbed wish.”
Dead Fish Story at ‘Boss’ Inouye Memorial
SA: Jennifer Sabas, Inouye's chief of staff, in the most moving remarks, said Inouye would often tell the story of how his father would take him to Chinatown to buy a koi or a carp to eat.
"They'd pick out the fish. They'd put it in a big burlap bag and return home. And then they'd put it in a big bucket of water. And the koi would thrash and splash water all over young Dan, violently attempting to elude capture. But once his father was able to catch the fish and put it on the cutting board, the koi lay very still," she said.
HNN: Someone who called Inouye "boss" recalled a story the senator would tell about how, when he was a boy, his father would buy a koi, or carp, from Chinatown. When the fish was brought home it would thrash in the water, but would lay still when his father placed it on the cutting board to prepare it for dinner.
Borreca: Inouye took an almost propriety interest in the goings-on back in Honolulu….Inouye believed in planning and management.
A congressional assistant once told me how Inouye, a great fan of aquariums, noticed that new fish had been introduced to his Washington, D.C., office tank.
“Inouye told his staff that no one was to ever put in anything, not a fish, a snail or a plant, without his approval,” the aide recalled. (Not even a ‘potted plant.’)
Hawaii political aspirants soon learned that Inouye’s nod would be an immeasurably valuable endorsement. And failure to have the Inouye stamp of approval would hurt much more than not having a “union-made” stamp on campaign brochures.
So it was not surprising that Inouye would carefully plan for his own successor. (Hint, hint, Neil.)
read … Dead Fish Stories
December 20: Hirono Fights to Block Early Hanabusa Appointment
Related: Is Abercrombie Vitousek?
PHOTOS: Schatz and Hirono campaigning at the home of Larry Mehau