February 17, 2009 > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

February 17, 2009
By Andrew Walden @ 7:56 PM :: 6865 Views

1994 election: More from Ben Cayetano's tell-all

"Well, Harris did not get on his knees and wrap his arms around Fasi's legs," Callejo replied, grinning, "but he did cry and beg to keep his job." ... "He went on and on about how if Frank fired him it would hurt his campaign for mayor in the special election and pleaded with Frank for another chance. It was embarrassing." ...

Fasi then turned on Pat Saiki. Using a technique called "morphing," Fasi produced a television spot that showed a photo of Saiki slowly evolving into a photo of Larry Mehau, a close friend and supporter of Saiki and Andy Anderson. Mehau had long been accused by malcontents like Charles Marsland and Rick Reed of being the "Godfather" of organized crime in Hawai'i. Fasi had no love for Mehau, who had helped Ariyoshi beat him in the 1974 election.

Cayetano mulls over possible Democrat contenders for governor's race

U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, for instance, has a group of supporters holding weekly meetings to start plotting the campaign. Abercrombie has come close to announcing already, but supporters say they want to nail down the rules on transferring money from his federal campaign account to a state account before announcing.

Cayetano speculates that if Hannemann does go against Abercrombie for governor, Hanabusa will jump to Abercrombie's vacant 1st Congressional District and run there. In a candid prediction, Cayetano says if it is Abercrombie against Hannemann, the early betting would be with Hannemann "because he has been here and Neil has been away in Washington."

AD-HD: Valley Isle Motors sued over alleged hiring discrimination

(An excellent case study on how to create a dependency group. First give public schools a financial incentive to label students learning disabled. Second give the 'disabled' students Ritalin. Third, give them legal standing as a 'protected class' so they can sue for 'discrimination.' Result: millions of new Democrat voters and millions of dollars flowing to Democrat trial lawyers and teachers' unions. Other result: Lives and businesses destroyed.)

Legislature may kill Big Island public funded candidate scheme

Ilind: HB 216 and SB 94 would amend the Big Island experiment in comprehensive public funding of candidates for county council, scheduled to begin with the next election. The commission proposes deleting the whole system of “equalizing” funds, which was considered a key provision of the whole public financing approach.

The proposed system would provide qualifying candidates a certain modest level of public campaign funds that would be augmented by additional funds if a privately funded opponent begins to outspend a public-funded candidate. The idea is that this would be a disincentive for privately funded candidates to engage in a fundraising “arms race” of escalating spending.

But the commission points to a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that found this kind of equalizing provision to be unconstitutional and recommends that it be dropped in order to avoid a legal challenge to the fledgling experiment. (Bye bye Bob Jacobson.)

Hirono 'saddened' Republicans wouldn't stimulate socialism

“The Republicans took an ideological position,” she said Monday, adding that her rivals “could not feel the pain”-- errr Pork-- of their (Democrats) constituents.

A wiser socialist, one who had actual experience living outside of socialism, might recognize the benefit of Republican acquiescence or collaboration in the Democrats socialist bailout. But Hirono actually believes Republicans are losing by voting against the "porkulus" bill....

"Hirono said she would welcome a Republican filibuster that would explain to the American people why they opposed the bill. She expressed frustration with Senate Democrats’ acceptance of the cloture supermajority requirement."

Hirono was in Lihue with Democrat Mayor Carvalho pretending that she is responsible for the long overdue State DoT widening of Kuhio Hwy which Yukimura-Democrat environmentalists have kept narrow in order to generate the traffic jams they need to justify their antics.