The Sharks Are In The Water In Hawaii’s Special Election

There is no time for surfing when the sharks have entered the water.  Sen. Inouye is dumping money into the DCCC in order to defeat Charles Djou’s bid for Neil Abercrombie’s congressional seat.  Keep in mind that Inouye is 85 years old, he started his House congressional career in 1958, and moved up to a continuous Senate career starting in 1962.  (I personally think that 52 years without a real job is OBSCENE!)

Mr. Inouye has $3.2 million in cash in his war chest and he really wants Hawaii’s entitlement state to continue with his backing of Colleen Hanabusa.  Sen. Inouye is an old war horse that is not beneath getting bailout money for the bank he started and keeps his wealth in. All of that being said, remember that every single seat is a “National Referendum”, and as such, you should donate to candidates that are trying to break the elitist monopoly.   If you can contribute to Mr. Djou’s campaign, go here. We will take our country back one seat at a time.

Hawaii special has Dems in knots

Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) has transferred $100,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, money that will be used to bash the GOP candidate in next month’s House special election in the Aloha State.

Inouye’s action complicates the behind-the-scenes struggle between Inouye and House Democratic leaders, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, over which Democratic candidate will get DCCC support in the May 22 election.

Inouye and Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) are backing Hawaii Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, but the DCCC is flirting with throwing its public backing to former Rep. Ed Case, who alienated the Hawaii Democratic establishment by waging an unsuccessful primary challenge to Akaka in 2006.

Case and Hanabusa are vying for the vacant seat of former Democratic Rep. Neil Abercrombie, who stepped down Feb. 28 to run for governor.

With the prospect of two prominent Democrats splitting the party vote — a scenario that would potentially enable Republican Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou to capture the heavily Democratic seat — party sources say national Democrats have offered quiet organizational support to Case. That effort has coincided with the circulation of opposition research within Washington targeting Hanabusa.

But Inouye’s contribution to the DCCC is part of a broader push from the powerful senior Hawaii senator and Appropriations Committee chairman to sway the party from backing Case, whom he has sharply criticized in the past.

The contribution marked Inouye’s first donation to the DCCC since at least 1998, according to an analysis conducted by the Center for Responsive Politics.

A spokesman for Inouye’s 2010 reelection campaign confirmed the $150,000 donation to the DCCC, but he did not comment on the use of the money for an anti-Djou ad blitz.

“The senator’s campaign has made a contribution to the DCCC for its use to support its programs,” said Dale Snape, Inouye’s finance director. “With respect to the upcoming election in Hawaii, while Republicans in Hawaii and Washington are very good at saying no, they have offered no innovative solutions and shown no ability to lead Hawaii forward during these difficult economic times. Sen. Inouye supports state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa as the best person for the job.”

Inouye’s campaign had more than $3.2 million in cash on hand as of Dec. 31, according to his latest disclosure report with the Federal Election Commission.

Akaka said that, like Inouye, he is planning to make a contribution to the DCCC, although he has only $86,000 in cash in his campaign account, according to his FEC report.

“It’s on the record that Sen. Inouye and I are supporting Hanabusa,” Akaka told POLITICO. “She has a great background.”

Jennifer Crider, a DCCC spokeswoman, said the committee “appreciates Sen. Inouye’s support, as well as everything he is doing in Hawaii to defeat Charles Djou.”

An interesting tidbit about Colleen Hanabusa:

In November 1998, Colleen Hanabusa was elected as the State Senator from the 21st District. The 21st District includes Wai’anae, where her family has resided for four generations, as well as Ko ‘Olina, Kahe Point, Nanakuli, Ma’ili, Makaha, Makua and Ka’ena Point.

One of Hanabusa’s first acts upon being elected was to organize Senators to vote against second term confirmation of Hawaii Attorney General Margery Bronster. Bronster was investigating extensive corruption organized by Kamehameha Schools trustees. Hanabusa did this in concert with reputed Hawaii mafia boss Larry Mehau and with two of the five “Broken Trust” trustees. In his memoir, Hawaii’s then-Governor Ben Cayetano explians (p432-433:

“…Hanabusa had other reasons to oppose Bronster’s confirmation. (KSBE Trustee) Henry Peters and his influential mother, Hoaliku Drake, who had organized public demonstrations in opposition to Bronster’s confirmation, were both supporters who lived in her district. Politically, that alone would have been reason enough for her to vote against (Bronster). but, as the Honolulu Advertiser would later disclose, Hanabusa had a close relationship with developer Jeff Stone, whose sister was married to Bishop Estate trustee Dickie Wong and who, along with Peters and Wong had been indicted by a grand jury convened by Bronster. As the attorney general’s investigation would later reveal, prior to the confirmation hearing, Hanabusa had met privately with Larry Mehau and Wong. When confronted by a reporter, Hanabusa confirmed that the meeting had taken place, but, in a remarkable lapse of memory, she could not remember if Bronster’s confirmation had been discussed.” “Cayetano: Hanabusa’s Broken Trust connections lead to Ko Olina”, Hawaii Free Press, 2009, http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/main/ArticlesMain/tabid/56/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/978/Cayetano-Hanabusas-Broken-Trust-connections-lead-to-Ko-Olina.aspx </ref>

Remember what I wrote about every race now being a “National Referendum”? Charles has an uphill battle very similar to other races we have seen lately.  He needs all the contributions he can gather.

Charles Djou’s MoneyWave is taking pledges for the Tsunami on April 21st.