Entries for May 2009

The Auchi-Rezko-Obama connection came to public attention with federal marshals pounding on the door of Tony Rezko’s Wilmette Chicago mansion in the early morning of January 28, 2008. They hauled Rezko to jail after his bail was revoked for concealing a $3.5 million Auchi loan from the court. The Times outlines the story in two sentences. It should be of tremendous interest to the American public and the world.

But there is more to this story than run-of-the mill political corruption. Nadhmi Auchi is alleged to have a long affiliation with Iraqi Baathism and Saddam Hussein—which his attorneys deny. How close were they? According to a 1960 US Embassy report, Auchi was convicted along with Saddam by an Iraqi court for his part in a failed 1959 assassination attempt against then-Iraqi Prime Minister Qassim. For his crime, Auchi earned a sentence of “three years rigorous imprisonment.”

According to an analysis by USA Today, American taxpayers “are on the hook for an extra $55,000 a household to cover rising federal commitments made just in the past year for retirement benefits, the national debt and other government promises.” Federal obligations now stand at a record $546,668 per household, quadruple what the average U.S. household owes for all mortgages, car loans, credit cards and other debt combined.

Here is video of the latest Islamist riots in Athens.  The excuse: something about Koranic verse being written on a piece of paper torn up by an Athens police officer.  The date:  May 29, 2009 (Gregorian).  The fall (and looting) of Constantinople to the Ottomans was ...(drumroll please)... May 29, 1453 (Julian). 

Of course this is just a coincidence.  Really.  Certainly nobody would ever do such a thing in Hawaii.

  MUGSHOT: Criminal who founded Air America Evan Montvel-Cohen

Evan Montvel-Cohen, a Guam media executive who co-founded the liberal national radio network Air America, pleaded no contest in Circuit Court yesterday to a charge of first-degree theft....His no-contest plea was part of a bargain with prosecutors who agreed to dismiss other charges of credit card fraud, forgery, money laundering and second-degree theft.....

(THIS WILL BE THE ONLY TIME COHEN HAS FACED JUSTICE FOR ANY PART OF HIS ALLEGED MULTI-STATE, MULTI-YEAR CRIME SPREE....)

“I will be meeting tomorrow and throughout the weekend with my staff to identify options to close the immediate shortfall projected by the Council on Revenues, as well as our projected $500 million shortfall in the fiscal 2010 – 2011 budget period that begins July 1, 2009.
“I will address the public at 1:00 p.m., Monday, June 1 on television, radio and webcast to discuss these options and to outline our path to economic recovery.”

Speaking to a celebrity studded fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee in Beverly Hills last night, President Barack Obama humbly proclaimed he “would put these first four months up against any prior administration since FDR.”....

Near the end of his Beverly Hills remarks to the Hollywood elite, Obama promised, “Los Angeles, you ain’t seen nothing yet.” Unfortunately President Obama may be right again. His upcoming agenda includes a trillion dollar energy tax, the stealth nationalization of the health care industry, and an economy killing rewrite of our nation’s labor laws.

Canadian Shona Holmes had a brain tumor and was told by her government health care agency to wait 6 months for treatment.  In Canada she had no choice.  The government had spoken.  So Shona mortgaged her home and came to the United States for immediate treatment--that saved her life.

Now--in response to the response--Frankel claims he “typed in the wrong date” for “Islam Day”. In a commentary posted May 25 on HawaiiReporter.com, Frankel pretends to “take full responsibility” for becoming the only person on Earth--other than Hawaii Legislators and Muslim Association of Hawaii (MAH) leaders --to claim that “the 12th day of Rabi ul-Awwal will fall on September 24, 2009 (Islam Day).”

Frankel then goes on to explain helpfully that, “September 24, 2009 should correspond to the 21st day of Ramadan in the Islamic calendar.”

Once again Frankel is dead wrong -- and has again exposed an utterly stupendous ignorance of his own field of study. One quick glance at an Islamic calendar shows that September 24, 2009 corresponds to the 4^th day of Shawwal. The 21^st day of Ramadan will be … September 11, 2009. Perhaps this is Frankel’s idea of a joke?

(HERE ARE THE REASONS OBAMA PICKED SOTOMAYOR)

In 2001, Sonia Sotomayor, an appeals court judge, gave a speech declaring that the ethnicity and sex of a judge “may and will make a difference in our judging.”

This month, for example, a video surfaced of Judge Sotomayor asserting in 2005 that a “court of appeals is where policy is made.”

“Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences,” she said, for jurists who are women and nonwhite, “our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging.”

She added, “And I wonder whether by ignoring our differences as women or men of color we do a disservice both to the law and society.”

She also approvingly quoted several law professors who said that “to judge is an exercise of power” and that “there is no objective stance but only a series of perspectives.”

“Personal experiences affect the facts that judges choose to see,” she said.

(WHO NEEDS LAWS OR A CONSTITUTION WHEN ONE CAN FACE JUDGEMENT BASED ON THE JUDGE'S INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY?)

Links to Memorial Day commemorations across the state...

At the Chinese border city of Yanji, 130 miles (200 kilometers) northwest from the test site, an emergency siren sounded shortly before 9 a.m. when officials thought an earthquake occurred. A receptionist at Yanji's International Hotel said she and several hotel guests felt the ground tremble.

Aziz Poonawalla of Madison, Wisconsin May 19 writes: “Naturally, there are some (conservative, Republican) people who see this as dhimmitude incarnate. This fellow for example ... intones seriously, 'the muslims are laughing'. Why, yes, we are indeed.”

The first commenter on Poonawalla’s blog post identifies himself as Hawaii IIO webmaster Abdul Rashid Abdullah.  The Islamic Information Office (IIO) website is tied to the Hawaii-based Muslim initiators of the “Islam Day” resolution. 

The next morning “Indira” comments: “Nice work, that is also September 11 on the Julian calendar, no wonder you are laughing at kufr.” 

Americans woke up Thursday morning to hear the news about four radical Muslims who plotted to bomb two synagogues in New York and shoot down a military plane using a Stinger missile. Fortunately, the FBI had infiltrated the plotters from the very beginning with a confidential informant who learned of the plan from an Afghan-born Muslim. ...(but) protests and press conferences have been held by "mainstream" Islamic groups in California, Detroit, Chicago, and elsewhere during the past few months bitterly protesting the FBI's use of an informant in a California mosque. In that case, an FBI agent testified under oath that Ahmadullah Niazi had been trying to recruit jihadists and had disseminated al Qaeda and virulent and violent anti-American recordings. He allegedly exhorted the informant to carry out jihad, praised Osama bin Laden as an angel, and even promised to send the informant overseas to get terrorist training to carry out attacks here in the United States.

Currently, cars exiting the Middle Street tunnel must merge onto the H-1, which creates an extreme bottleneck as cars traveling eastbound on the H-1 slow down to allow the incoming traffic.  This project will increase traffic capacity through the Middle Street merge and Vineyard Boulevard by adding a fourth continuous lane, eliminating the need to merge. The additional lane will also add a second exit lane to the Vineyard Street off-ramp.

From the Wall Street Journal.  In dueling speeches Thursday morning, President Barack Obama sought to reassure lawmakers and the public about his national-security decisions, while former Vice President Dick Cheney defended Bush-era policies.  Here is a point-counterpoint, compiled by the Journal’s Jonathan Weisman:

More recently still, CAIR has demanded that Florida House Majority Leader Adam Hasner step down, for the "crime" of co-hosting a conference on free speech at which Mr.Wilders spoke. Lawsuits charging "defamation" continue to plague people who speak out against radical Islam and terrorism, including ongoing cases against Iranian-American researcher Hassan Daioleslam, Americans Against Hate founder Joseph Kaufman, and Hawaii Free Press Editor Andrew Walden. By and large, these events, and others like them, have not made the front page of any major newspaper, or been featured on broadcast television, if mentioned at all.

When the Star-Bulletin and Advertiser write about "ethical lapses" of public officials without actually describing the lapses it is a sure sign that a good story is lurking below the surface.  Of course that is the case with MRC Greenwood, one of the two finalists selected from 600 applicants for the job of UH system President. 

This hidden story involves money-grubbing lesbians, a $30,000 dog run paid for by the UC system, former Communist Party vice-presidential candidate Angela Davis, and one suicide.  Questions Hawaii reporters should be asking Greenwood include:  "If hired, will UH be expected to also hire Ms Goff and/or your son?"  and "Will you speak up in favor of  administrators arranging cushy high-paying jobs for their lovers at UH--or was that just a UC thing?"

Rebounding from their 2008 election drubbing, Hawai`i Republicans have recruited over 500 new members -- and it showed at the State GOP convention meeting at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott May 16. Among over 300 delegates and guests were about 100 attending their first convention.

Since the legislative session ended on May 8, my Administration has been carefully analyzing the 250 bills passed by the State Legislature. As Governor, I have until July 15 to sign the bills into law, veto them or let them become law without my signature. We encourage the public to provide input on the bills that are still under consideration by e-mailing gov.policy@hawaii.gov , faxing 808-586-0006 or calling 808-586-0034.

The caucuses replace Hawaii Republicans' former convention-based system of voting for Presidential-year RNC delegates. Backers of the caucus system pointed to the opportunity to recruit thousands of new Republicans as the competing Republican Presidential nominees campaign in Hawaii and encourage their supporters to vote at the caucuses.  The Hawaii Republican caucus will be held on the third Tuesday in February.

(Today's Star-Bulletin Editorial properly Fisked by your beloved Editor) 

Legislators' near-unanimous approval of a resolution creating an Islam Day in Hawaii was greeted with anger by many people who mistook it as siding with terrorists.  (Why would they think that?  Just because it honors Sept 11 in the old Julian calendar but corresponds with exactly nothing in the Islamic calendar?  Or is it because of the 'magnificent' 7% below....)

Advertiser: Republicans urged to unite: GOP challenged to gain seats in 2010 election by sticking to core beliefs

AP: Hawaii Republicans elect 36-year-old as new leader

KGMB: Hawaii GOP Elects New Leadership For 2009-2011

KITV: Lingle: It's Time For Younger Republicans To Lead, Aiona Says Democrats Are 'Party Of No Ideas'

Convention business will include the election of Party officers and adoption of Party rules. Hawai’i Republicans will also hear from Governor Linda Lingle, Lt. Governor Duke Aiona, and other Republican officials.

In response to the www.HawaiiFreePress.com article “Hawaii ‘Islam Day’ secretly marks September 11” UH Manoa Department of Religion professor James D. Frankel today writes:

“Andrew Walden has uncovered no secret or nefarious conspiracy to honor the deplorable terrorism of September 11, 2001. The 12th day of Rabi ul-Awwal will fall on September 24, 2009, but will be on September 13 next year and September 2 the year after that.”

Frankel is dead wrong -- and has exposed an utterly stupendous ignorance of his own field of study.

Had Professor Frankel bothered to look at an Islamic calendar he would have discovered that the Islamic lunar calendar’s “12th day of Rabi ul-Awwal” fell on March 9, 2009 and will next year fall on February 26, 2010.

"States that adopt new taxes on high-income earners are ones where policymakers are persuaded to ignore concerns about long-term economic growth in favor of a short-term budget fix that avoids deep spending cuts."

The word "al-Taqiyya" literally means: "Concealing or disguising one's beliefs, convictions, ideas, feelings, opinions, and/or strategies at a time of eminent danger, whether now or later in time, to save oneself from physical and/or mental injury." A one-word translation would be "Dissimulation."

The Story of Stuff highlights the very extreme left’s Greenpeace view of America. Essentially it tells the story of how America is not a nation to be proud of, and in fact, your child should be ashamed for living in it. For example: after implying that the radios for sale in Radio Shack are assembled by 15 year olds in Mexico, and by purchasing one, you contribute to the exploitation of the third world and the eventual end of the Earth....

The US Senate Judiciary committee is now considering the so-called Hate Crimes Prevention Act passed by the House April 29, under the sponsorship of Rep John Conyers (D-MI) and 120 other Representatives. Dubbed the “Thought Crimes Prevention Act” by some House Republicans, HB1913 includes pedophilia as a protected sexual orientation.

Prior to approval by the whole House, a party-line 10-13 vote of Conyers’ House Judiciary Committee April 23 rejected a proposal by Republican Rep Steve King (R-IA) “to define the term `sexual orientation' as used in the bill to explicitly exclude pedophilia.” Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin, an open lesbian, called the amendment, “unnecessary and inflammatory."

Over a dozen articles and analyses from the last six weeks of local media prep for the State GOP convention (with commentary).  Must read.  Updates will be added.... 

I was one of those Ron Paul supporters employed in Rep. Pine’s office.  Your comment implies that I am in favor of government getting involved with religion.  I do not.  I believe government should have no place in supporting any religion.  On the other hand I do not support government officials equating Islam with terrorism.  Equating Islam with terrorism shows the ignorance of some people who refuse to take off their blinders. 

HCR 100, the Islamic Holiday Resolution passed by the State Senate (22-3) on Thursday, May 7, is insensitive to patriotic Americans of all religions, outrageous, and an embarrassment (once again) for the State of Hawaii.

This resolution (which does not have the force of law) proclaims September 24 as Islam Day in Hawaii. How insensitive, no matter what the original intent, can anyone get, selecting a holiday just 13 days following the 911 Islamic terrorist attack on America? Is it just me that feels the stunning inappropriateness here?

Hawaii Rep. Kymberly Pine, R-Ewa, is way off base in chastising Sen. Sam Slom, R-Hawaii Kai, for his comments regarding the proposed Islam Day.  To honor a person or generic group of people like kupuna or Tartans is one thing – honoring a religion like Islam, as the House and Senate did in HCR 100, is totally inappropriate.

HONOLULU Thursday, May 7 – Governor Linda Lingle today, joined by hundreds of individual taxpayers, businesses and visitor industry leaders and employees, vetoed four bills that would raise taxes on residents, visitors and businesses, cause further job loss, and delay our economic recovery.

Combined, the four bills would extract a total of $94.3 million in 2010 and almost $126.2 million each year thereafter out of the economy.

HONOLULU – As part of the Lingle-Aiona Administration’s comprehensive process of reviewing legislation passed this session by the Legislature, Governor Linda Lingle is encouraging the public to provide input and comments on 250 bills.

From email distributed by the Islamic Information Office of Hawaii:

Islam day HCR100 Resolution was on the agenda yesterday (Wednesday). Senator Hemmings (Republican) gave a hate speech in opposition talking about the 10% of Islamic terrorists who want to kill Americans. The gallery was filled with the red shirts that are opposing HB444, the Civil Unions bill who all stood and applauded in support of Senator Hemmings speech against this Resolution. It was disgusting.

In just two days from now, on Friday, May 8th, the 2009 legislative session will come to a close. The budget passed by the Legislature in conference committee late last Friday evening takes $566 million out of the pockets of our visitors and residents, in an attempt to balance the budget. Last Friday, legislators also voted to extend the legislative session by two days so that they would be in a position to attempt to override my vetoes of tax increases without having to call a special session.

Tomorrow, on Thursday, May 7th at 3:30 p.m., I will follow through on my promise to veto these tax measures because they would further erode our already weakened economy, cause greater loss of jobs, and discourage visitors from coming to Hawai`i.

I would like to invite you to join me at a rally to oppose a number of legislative bills that will raise taxes on the people of Hawai`i, hurt our economy and stall job creation.

Governor Lingle will veto the measures at the rally. 

Please join us at the State Capitol on Thursday, May 7, at 3:30 p.m. to express your opposition to this legislation and send legislators a strong message that their responsibility is to the public, not special interests.

Hawaii has no Christianity Day, no Judaism Day, and no Buddhism Day--but Hawaii's Democrat Legislators have decided to violate the "establishment clause" of US Constitution -- for Islam. 

Affirming that their desire to submit to Islam supercedes their adherence to the sacred principles of the US Constitution, by a 22-3 vote the Hawaii Senate approved House Concurrent Resolution 100 which designates September 24, 2009 as Islam Day.  The State House had earlier approved the measure.

A decrease in the Hawaii State Judiciary's budget could result in a narrowing of services and a return to the Judiciary's original mission: To decide what is right and wrong in accordance with the law, Moon said.

The recruitment push is unavoidably part of the GOP quest for identity and leadership. President Obama, an untraditional candidate from an untraditional background, helped Democrats define themselves and win over followers during the end of the Bush years. Now Republicans are looking in out-of-the-ordinary places for candidates who can enthuse Americans and pick up seats in their name.... 

The Governor’s Web address can be viewed starting:  4:15 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, 2009

The address may be viewed at:  www.hawaii.gov/gov

Left: Sun at peak of warming,1998.  Right: Sun after 10 years of cooling, 2008.

As Governor, I have until July 14 to sign bills into law, veto them or let them become law without my signature. I encourage you to send my office your input during this comprehensive review process at governor.lingle@hawaii.gov  so that we can approve legislation that boosts our economy, creates jobs and balances our budget in a way that is fair to all the people of Hawai‘i.

“This is a slap in the face to me, my mother, and the citizens of Hawai'i who expect our government to rise to protect them,” stated Melanie McLellan, foster daughter of Karen Ertell, who was brutally murdered and raped allegedly by her 15 year-old neighbor, Vernon Bartley.

HB 1404, which was gutted and replaced with new language, emerged this  morning with an increase in the state's General Excise Tax in an unspecified amount thought to be between one  half and one percent on top of the current 4 percent (4.5 percent on Oahu).

Today HB1404 isscheduled to have a conference committee hearing at 5:30pm in room 309. http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2009/hearingnotices/CONF_05-01-09_FIN1_.HTM