Can the confused State of Hawaii regain its bearings by talking with those who caused the confusion? That is the question posed by the final session of Hawaii’s 50th Anniversary Statehood conference.

And now for the real kicker: none of these numbers include the costs of Obamacare which would create another $1.5 trillion health care entitlement on top of our existing unsustainable entitlement obligations. The OMB’s Mid-Session Review should serve as a wake up call to the American people. President Obama’s policies are leading us down a path of unsustainable spending and borrowing.

“I’m pleased with the over 200 people that turned out for the townhall discussion on healthcare reform this evening.  I think this forum offered a balanced presentation, educated all attendees, and showed the real concern the people of Hawaii have regarding the future of American healthcare,” stated Djou.

LA Times: Glenn Beck goes after Color of Change co-founder Van Jones  (FOX Video)

Chicago Tribune: 'Color of Change' boycott leader says FOX host Beck "trying to change subject''

That glaring problems have continued for so long is a serious indictment of leadership. Someone should be held accountable … but that’s not possible.  In Hawaii’s one-of-its-kind governance system, the buck stops nowhere.

Congressman blasts Holder probe: "It's disgraceful... you wonder which side they're on"

The economic stimulus funds build upon the five-point recovery plan my Administration launched last year and position Hawaii to re-establish the conditions for growth.  Our state Congressional delegation has supported this effort and their role is appreciated.

Finally, we believe key competitive grant opportunities will lay the foundation for a new economic base in the decades ahead.  That economic base will be built on swift, accurate communications of voice and data; clean, renewable energy that is domestically produced; harbors and transportation systems that are state-of-the-art; and a skilled, well-educated workforce that is ready to compete nationally and internationally.

Last week NBC News released a poll showing that while 36% of Americans believed President Barack Obama’s health care plan was a “good idea,” 42% of Americans believed it was a “bad idea.” NBC’s explanation for this inconvenient truth? “[M]isperceptions about the president’s plans for reform … that nonpartisan fact-checkers say are untrue.” Specifically NBC found that 55% of Americans believed Obamacare “will give health insurance coverage to illegal immigrants,” 54% believed it “will lead to a government takeover of the health care system,” 50% believed it “will use taxpayer dollars to pay for women to have abortions,” and 45% believed it “will allow the government to make decisions about when to stop providing medical care to the elderly.”

The President has since copied NBC’s diagnosis, devoting his Saturday Weekly Address to debunking these “phony claims.” The problem for NBC News, and the White House, is that every one of these concerns has rock solid foundation in fact.

The meeting will be in the cafeteria of McKinley High School on Tuesday, August 25th.  It will begin at 5:30pm and end at 7:00pm.

Governor Lingle speech--full text.  Zogby poll describes Hawaii at 50, Native Hawaiians: The next 50 Years, Shinseki speech, VIDEOS, more . . .

The left in Congress is now considering abandoning moderates and independents to pass their narrow partisan ideal of health reform. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spokesman Jim Manley promised yesterday that Democrats will pass Obamacare “by any legislative means necessary.”

In the lead up to the 50th Anniversary Statehood Conference, Broken Trust co-author Randall Roth dissects the DoE and the historical roots of its boiling dysfunction....

Gramscian ideas are far advanced in America. You see them in "hate crimes" laws, in gender equity legislation, in forced corporate "sensitivity" training, in the menace of coerced "right thinking" in the universities. You feel the nuances of it in casual conversation. It's an attitude at a cocktail party.

For years, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) has expended every resource to create a Hawaiian Indian tribe. Now, with its goal finally in sight, disputes over how much of Hawaii the Akaka Tribe should grab and how quickly to grab it threaten to torpedo the entire project.

Yesterday was the six month anniversary of President Barack Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package. Since the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” became law, the United States economy has shed nearly 2.8 million net jobs. When Obama signed the stimulus the nation’s unemployment rate stood at 7.6%. Today it is 9.4%. Nationwide, a total of fifteen states are now suffering from 10% unemployment. No wonder 57% of Americans recently told Gallup that the stimulus package is either having no impact on the economy or making it worse.

A Web search shows Hawai'i is the only state that hasn't had the public town hall forums this month.... there have been none of the outbursts because there have been no town hall meetings in recent weeks as the health reform issue heated up.

While Hawaii is ninth in a Gallup's list of top liberal states, Aloha State conservatives have a 5% edge--29% to 24%--over liberals.  Hawaii is tied with Rhode Island as the top state for self-identified moderates at 43%.

Six videos presented on the Sean Hannity program.  See them for yourself:

The headlines are encouraging: The AP reports, “White House appears ready to drop ‘public option’.” Politico reads, “White House backs away from public health care option.” And the front page of USA Today says, “Obama may drop public option in health care.” These headers all stem from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ comment on CNN Sunday Morning that the public option “is not the essential element” of President Barack Obama’s health care plan. But by Sunday night the White House was already walking back Sebelius’ statement.

In an August, 2008 interview with Maui’s Akaku Public Access TV, Roggasch claims there was no assault.  He also explains his belief that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States and is therefore ineligible to be President.  Like many “birthers” the Akahi group are “9-11 truthers” as well.  An entire page of their www.FreeHawaii.org website is dedicated to arguing the 9-11 attacks were "a time of reckoning" and "our fault".