“The health care legislation approved by the House tonight will force Hawai‘i and all the other states into a one-size-fits-all program that is financially unsustainable.

“The $1.2 trillion government takeover of health care will cost Hawai‘i residents, conservatively, an estimated $300 million over five years in added costs to our Medicaid programs, which are already hemorrhaging red ink.

“Since the healthcare debate heated up in March, over 7,617 jobs were lost every day.  Not only did Congress fail to address the most important issues of the day—jobs and the economy—but they passed legislation that is guaranteed to hurt businesses and negatively impact jobs.  Hawai'i needs congressional representation that works for our concerns, for our jobs and most importantly, for our families.

“We have a unique opportunity here in Hawai'i come May.  We can, must and will elect Republican Charles Djou to Congress, gain a champion of fiscal accountability, individual responsibility for Hawai’i and return independent, effective leadership to Congress.”

“Congress should instead have enacted medical malpractice reform, allowed for the interstate sale of health insurance, and reformed the tax code to allow for an individual deduction on health insurance premiums.  We must continue to fight for responsible health care reform that lowers costs and offers greater access to affordable health care.”

Djou is the only major candidate in the Congressional race, who lives in the 1st Congressional District and the only major candidate who would have voted against this bill.  Ballots will be mailed out April 30.

Obama advisor Al Sharpton on Fox News tonight: “Americans voted for socialism when they elected Obama.”

GOP Chair Michael Steele: “We intend to do everything in out power to reverse this.”

Hawaii voters will be among the first to pass judgment--Honolulu Special Mail–in Congressional Election: May 1-22. 

Both Ed Case and Colleen Hanabusa are pledged to support Obamacare.   Charles Djou has pledged to oppose it.

For months, Mazie Hirono pledged to vote against the Senate version of Obamacare.  For her, Senate Obamacare just wasn’t socialist enough.  Along with 56 other “progressive” members of Congress, she demanded a program with a public option and denounced the Senate bill as a multi-billion dollar giveaway to the insurance companies.

Hirono’s July 30, 2009 letter explained:

“Any bill that does not provide, at a minimum, for a public option with reimbursement rates based on Medicare rates--not negotiated rates—is unacceptable…. (T)his agreement will result in the public, both as insurance purchasers and as taxpayers, paying ever higher rates to insurance companies.  We simply cannot vote for such a proposal.”

Hirono has maintained this position as recently as February 2, but at the last minute, barely noticed by her “progressive” base, Rep Mazie Hirono has changed her mind....

Now, more than ever, we need to bring balance to our nation’s capitol.  For too long, Hawaii residents have been underserved with only “one” viewpoint represented in Congress.  This out-of-balance system has failed our citizens and allowed for policies that have stifled our creativity and economic growth and burdened us with heavy taxes, wasteful, out of control government spending, and inefficient bureaucratic growth.

The people are speaking, but Washington isn’t listening.  That’s why we need new leaders who will listen and provide “common sense” approaches to get our country back on track.  Join me in the “good fight” and allow me the honor to represent you with “a strong voice and presence” in the halls of Congress.  

Honolulu- Friday, March 19, 2010 Republicans withdraw their support of a seemingly routine procedural resolution. The resolution (HR 205) dictates that the Speaker of the House exclusively controls in-house video programming and information output, and sets restrictions for its use.

“Just one example of the final report's gross flaws is that without any citation of the attorneys (if any) that she relied on for her own legal opinion, the legislative auditor dismisses the attorney general's detailed opinion that concluded that the purchase of auction rate securities was specifically authorized by the Legislature in 1997, and legal when made by two budget directors in the Cayetano Administration and by my department in the Lingle Administration."

“The Legislature’s failure up to this point to focus on immediate measures that will reduce government spending and create jobs for our residents is putting the future economic well-being of our state in jeopardy,” said Governor Lingle.  “Instead of taking action that will help get people back to work, the Legislature is attempting to further burden our residents and businesses with a 25 percent increase in the general excise tax, a $1 tax on every barrel of oil shipped into the state that would raise the cost of living and doing business, a 30 percent tax increase on timeshares and numerous other unjustifiable fees on small businesses."

"I think Neil was determined to get moving on his gubernatorial race," DCCC chairman Chris Van Hollen told me yesterday...."Once a person makes up their mind to do something, this is America, they're free to do it."

Former U.S. Attorneys General Edwin Meese III and William P. Barr released the following statement:

The convoluted and questionable method under discussion by both Houses of Congress for final passage of the long-debated health care legislation raises serious constitutional concerns, which, at best, will lead to protracted and wholly avoidable litigation and continued doubt about the bill’s validity.

...there is genuine concern among Democrats that while Djou is up on air with appealing intro ads that don’t mention his party affiliation, neither state Sen. Colleen Hanabusa nor former Rep. Ed Case are running great campaigns. Case may enjoy an early lead, but he also has the least money. Furthermore, Democratic Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka will do all they can to ensure Hanabusa overtakes Case, their longstanding rival.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka is headed into a meeting with President Obama this afternoon after the White House and Congressional leaders have begun to discuss a higher-than-expected excise tax on some health care plans, in order to maintain their claim that health care legislation will reduce the deficit, a source involved in health care talks said.  (Those are UNION-negotiated health plans.)

Any unexpected change to the health care plan could endanger support for the bill from labor, which agreed to back it after reductions to the planned excise tax.

Tuesday, March 23rd at the State Capitol -- from 10:00am till 12 noon -- Mauka side of Beretania St across from State Capitol.

Another day, another no-show for the Obamacare reconciliation bill. House Democrats were quick to shift blame to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) with Rep. Robert Andrews telling The Hill that the delay "has been much more technical than substantive. ... It’s not like what tax has to go or what spending has to go." Which is an interesting claim, since Politico reported that AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka was summoned to the White House yesterday afternoon "to discuss a higher-than-expected excise tax on some health care plans." In fact, Politico added: "A labor source said Trumka's meeting would focus on the entire bill, not just the excise tax question." Sounds like more than just technical details are still in flux.

"I don't impose my faith and my beliefs on anybody using my authority as lieutenant governor or as a judge, when I was a judge. But that doesn't mean I can't stop believing and practicing my faith," Aiona told CBN News.

The Senate health bill is so unpopular, even among House Democrats, that the leftist House leadership is desperately trying to trick the American people into believing that the House can pass the Senate bill without voting on it. Hence the Slaughter Rule which would deem the Senate bill passed at the same time the House would approve a new reconciliation bill. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was crystal clear on her motives this week telling a group of leftist bloggers: "It's more insider and process-oriented than most people want to know. But I like it because people don't have to vote on the Senate bill."

Protest Rally

• Thursday March 18th
• 4pm-6pm
• Front Sidewalk of Queen Ka'ahumanu Mall

Puzzling Statement: Obama Says ‘Louisiana Purchase’ Will Help With the Earthquake in Hawaii....

Hawai`i Free Press and others have, over the past few months, identified millions of dollars of waste, fraud, and corruption in the DoE budget.  Add it all up....