September 23, 2006 - Saturday

Yes, I'm late. It's 7:30 a.m. and I'm just sitting down in front of the computer. I can't even blame election day, as we voted earlier in the week and there were no visible signs of election activity out here in Kaaawa this morning.

But the delay allowed for this early morning email from a friend:

More on the Case solicitation story. My husband and I got lengthy, personal telephone solicitations for Case last night. No surprise except that the solicitor was a hard-right Republican, the type who blames Bill Clinton for everything bad that has happened since WWII. It was actually useful for me, as it provided a needed addition to the few, and lukewarm, reasons I have for voting for Akaka.

However, driving in to work from East Honolulu this morning at 6 a.m. who do I spy but Ed Case, all alone, sign-waving beside the freeway on-ramp in Kahala; in the heart of one of the -if not the-most Republican area in Honolulu. What gives? I am assuming that he was there to catch commuters so early that they could not have voted before driving in, in the hopes that they will remember him there and vote on their way home. Putting all this together with the 600K Case campaign from the National Association of Realtors, is it just that Ed is the Republican choice for Senate on general principles? Do they think that he might be easier to beat in the general election? My solicitor is someone involved with real estate. Is there a more specific reason why the realtors are so crazy about Ed Case?

At least there will be a bit of a reprieve after today in the pedal-to-the-metal electioneering, since many races will be decided, or essentially decided, by the end of today.

When you're in the mood, check out David Kaplan's Bad Guys blog, which he just started recently. David writes about organized crime and such, so it should provide some interesting insights.

Weekend reading: A letter from a writer to his publisher, posted by Jim Romenesko.

And now for something completely different. I'm still sorting through old negatives, and yesterday came across several dating from a 1971 visit with University of Hawaii Professor Carey D. Miller. She had come to UH in 1922 and built the Home Economics department with her research into local foods and nutrition. This was her workspace at home where she poured the same scientific approach into orchid raising. Miller Hall at UH is named in her honor.

September 22, 2006 - Friday

We've gotten several of those automated telephone pitches for Ed Case in the past two days. These used to be reserved for sleazy mortgage offers or other telemarketing schemes, but their use in politics is just as annoying.

One reader had this to say:

"No thanks" is for the aggravating calls by computer that are supposed to be helping Ed Case. How can we fight back? Is it coincidence that Carlyle Group owns our phones? Computers should not be granted free speech rights.

That reader believes the calls will backfire on the candidate. I'm not so sure about that, although it's forcing us to screen calls to avoid the aggravation.

The Case-Akaka race has, at the last minute, been catching national attention. National Journal pitches it as "man vs. machine", mentioning Inouye's backing and contribution to a Democratic Party committee that in turn put money back into the local party coffers, but the paper failed to note Case's major backing from the National Association of Realtors and Chamber of Commerce. The Washington Post and several other newspapers picked up a local AP story on the race. The Hill, a publication about Congressional affairs, gives Case an outside chance to pull of "an extraordinary upset".

And a front-page Wall Street Story today (subscription only) reports that the Chamber of Commerce is backing case over the advice and objections of its director of congressional and public affairs, who "ended up writing Mr. Akaka a personal $250 check for his campaign."

So it goes in the campaign world.

Digging through another box of old stuff I uncovered several photos taken by an army photographer on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1970, at a small demonstration supporting a young deserter protesting the continuing war in Vietnam who voluntarily turned himself in to Hawaii Armed Services Police. That's me, second from left in this photo. Another has a young Richard Borreca covering the story for the Star-Bulletin.

Click for more

I honestly can't recall the specific event or how these army photos came into my possession, but they offer up another look at another time.

For this Feline Friday, here's an update on Mr. Duke. He weighed in at several ounces over16 pounds during a visit to the vet last week. He got pills for worms, a huge dose of Laxatone to try to flush out what the vet believes was a stubborn bit of grass stuck in his system, and I was sent home with instructions for washing his rear end, apparently largely beyond the fat cat's own reach.

Mr. Duke

I still can't figure out whether today or tomorrow marks the equinox, but we're heading out to catch the dawn both mornings.

September 21, 2006 - Thursday

It looks like tough times ahead at the Star-Bulletin. Negotiations over an extension of the Newspaper Guild's contract, which expired in March, have been more or less at a standstill. Guild members voted this week on a proposal to give their negotiating committee authority to rescind the "voluntary" newsroom pay cuts accepted back in 2001, which would give negotiators another bargaining chip. I'm told that, despite fears of possible layoffs, the proposal was approved by a majority of the staff.

With another standoff at the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, the Guild is under a lot of pressure these days.

Here's an interesting tidbit--Gannett has purchased an independent campus newspaper at Florida State University in Tallahassee, where it already owns the daily Tallahassee Democrat. Definitely an interesting business move.

I was pleased to find an old clipping yesterday from the Honolulu Advertiser, dated March 18, 1985, reporting on a freedom of information award I received from the Society of Professional Journalists. According to the story:

Howard Graves, president of the Hawaii chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, told an audience of about 70 that Lind is "an industrious foe of closed government" and "a nagging toothache in the centers of power."

I've always liked that "nagging toothache" image.

September 20, 2006 - Wednesday

It's the week for the big advertising blitz before Saturday's primary.

I'm not a big fan of Clayton Hee, but I have to acknowledge that his television ads have been very good. I would put them up at the top of the pack running in the 2nd Congressional District. The one that aired last night was superb--simple, direct, focused, effective. It started with Hee making a statement about the senselessness of continuing to send troops to die in Iraq, then tying it to George Bush. Then a long focus on Clayton in a thoughtful pose, artfully done. Then a simple statement: "George Bush wouldn't have my vote in Congress." Ended.

Without much money, Hee managed to get a top notch product. I'll have to look up the company that produced this one for his campaign.

I'm much more of a fan of Mazie Hirono. Her broadcast ads have been lush and colorful, but very soft and "feel good". I'm afraid her image is already skewed in that direction, and her ads needed to present her as strong, decisive and effective as well. I don't think they've succeeded. Lots of nice production values but no punch.

And Brian Schatz has a good message, but he appears in his main campaign ad looking like he's wearing his father's suit playing talking head behind a big desk.

Yesterday's news included another example of Candidate Case trying to sweep any criticism into the "unfair" pile. This time it involves automated telephone calls sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that are designed to support his candidacy but bypass election disclosure and regulation.

Case was quoted by KGMB:

"Everything that has happened has been a well-coordinated campaign to get voters off-track and to basically conduct negative campaigning. Ariyoshi, firefighters, this, what's it going to be tomorrow?" Case said.

What's he complaining about? A firefighter slips up and appears in uniform in a campaign ad. That's a no-no. Why whine about it? Feature a well-known Dem's book in your advertising and then bristle when he complains about the incorrectly implied endorsement? And now reject questions about a major "off the books" campaign effort by another big mainland interest group? Come on, Case's campaign made a big deal about PAC money going to Akaka. Now we've got another example of a major national interest going to bat for Case in a way that bypasses routine disclosures. Looks like fair game to me, and Case leaves the impression that he shouldn't be subject to the same scrutiny as his opponent.

September 19, 2006 - Tuesday

Bob Jones added yet another comment to the discussion of "local" and the congressional campaign:

That term "local" is problematical. Thanks for (inadvertently, I'm sure) bringing it up.

I've written that "local" is a body language. That head tilt of recognition. No "hey, brah" needed.

My wife is real local but my 43-years-in-Hawaii body signals are more local than hers.

Dan Akaka signals more local to me on a casual meeting than Dan Case, although both are locals.

Those "howzit" and "shaka" things are bogus. Akaka doesn't use them. Case doesn't use them.

My sense has always been that local Polynesians greet with a more genuine "ha" than local haole. We non-Polynesians seem to give it a kind of effort that rings insincere or copycat.

I never hug Vicky Holt Takamine or her mother Frances at the Merrie Monarch Festival. I desperately want to, but I'm not sure I'm sufficiently local to do so with such grand locals.

But I could hug Dan Akaka with no problem — he's just a politician, and a Hawaiian one. I'd never hug Ed Case, a guy I could sit and converse with for hours. Could not with Dan.

Go figgah!

I think I've found the Sept. 23 touchstone.

Another reader found the comment yesterday about Mazie Hirono "was disrespectful to Patsy's daughter (Wendy Mink) and brother (Eugene Takemoto), both of whom have offered heartfelt endorsements of Mazie's campaign." Those links will take you to the endorsements.

Over at the Advertiser, they're saying goodbye to oneline content manager Chris Kanemura, who goes on vacation after Saturday's election coverage and officially leaves the staff on September 29.

According to a memo that circulated: "Chris has been a part of Honolulu Advertiser.com from the start and, in that time, earned local, state and national recognition for his work, for the online news team's efforts and for his leadership ability in a constantly evolving industry. In 2005 alone, he earned Hawaii's High Tech Leader and Newspaper Association of America "20 Under 40" honors. Honolulu Advertiser.com would not be where it is today without him. "

Yesterday morning we were fortunate to meet Ms. Coral, a newly adopted six-week old puppy, mostly Lab but with a bit of mix thrown in. She posed for a few photos with her friend, Zenja, and I couldn't wait for the next morning dog gallery to share. So just click on this photo for more.

Coral & Zenja

September 18, 2006 - Monday

Congressman Case made a mistake, and a significant one, when he dismissed concerns about an apparent violation of ethics laws as being nothing but politics.

The comments came in response to complaints about the appearance of a uniformed Honolulu fire fighter in a Case campaign ad, according to a story in Sunday's Advertiser.

If I'm not mistaken, this is the generic provision of Honolulu's ethics code that underlies rules prohibiting use of city time, resources, and, yes, even city symbols like the seal, official stationary, or uniforms, in political campaigns.

Section 11-104.  Fair and Equal Treatment --
            Elected or appointed officers or employees shall not use their official positions to secure or grant special consideration, treatment, advantage, privilege or exemption to themselves or any person beyond that which is available to every other person.  (Reso. 83?357)

State ethics law has a similar provision, also interpreted broadly to prohibit political use of state time and resources. Here's a link to a state ethics commission advisory.

Case made a big mistake and did the public a disservice by attempting to dismiss complaints about apparently violations of these important ethics provisions as simply "petty politics" or "petty machine politics at its worst."

These provisions long predated the Case campaign and in no way unfairly infringe on his campaign. Yes, complaints about violations are inherently political when they occur in a campaign context, but that doesn't lessen their importance. After all, if Case wants to complain about so-called "machine politics" then he should be eager to remember and reject those days when public resources were much more freely seized and used for the campaigns of those controlling the machine.

Those days are gone and it's due, in large part, to the ethics laws that case angrily disrespected and dismissed. And Ed perhaps forgets that it took lots of hard work by concerned citizens to get those ethics laws adopted and then get them enforced. Public interest legislation never comes easily.

Case should have simply acknowledged an unintended error and praised the importance of laws intended to provent the more serious, intentional and systemic misuse of the public's resources.

That would seem to be consistent with his overall message. Instead, he went petty on us. His outburst didn't display Case the candidate in a flattering light.

A reader offered some additional campaign observations:

Interesting how they resurrected Patsy Mink to endorse Mazie Hirono. The Ouji board must have had a real work out to do that one. Funny, no pictures with Cayetano or Waihee showing up.

Also, notice how Menor used the fact that he had in the past received the HSTA's endorsement (for House or Senate races) and has a teacher on his tv ad staying it. It implies that the HSTA has endoresed Menor. I don't see why the HSTA didn't pick up on this and make a stink about this as did Ariyoshi.

September 17, 2006 - Sunday

I was knocked by a friend at the Star-Bulletin over a comment here on Friday.

Here's my original comment, which I thought was straightforward enough:

And speaking of the campaign, it's interesting to see how Honolulu's two daily newspapers split their endorsements. The Star-Bulletin, which prides itself on being more "local", endorsed Case yesterday, citing his more conservative stance on issues, while Gannett's Honolulu Advertiser endorsed Akaka. Go figure.

But my friend took strong exception:

Interesting bit of oblique racism in your blog today. Apparently only "local" people can be "local" and therefore a "better" candidate. The Star-Bulletin editorial explained why it endorsed Case, and his qualifications had nothing to do with his ethnic background. The Advertiser's endorsement of Akaka had everything to do with his ethnic background — and even then it was a very weak endorsement (although not as patronizingly backhanded as their endorsement of Rod Tam!)

We have a two-newspaper town. They don't have to agree with each other.

I was surprised by the reaction and think perhaps my friend is overly sensitive. He attributes to me the view that only certain ethnic background qualifies as "local". Not my view, not in that comment or elsewhere. But there's little doubt that Akaka's campaign and demeanor is more "local", and therefore it struck me as interesting that he was Gannett's choice, since we so often view Gannett's newspapers as rootless, homogenized, and steered by editors always fresh off a plane from somewhere very different than Hawaii.

Anyway, it's Sunday. I'll not dwell on the criticism.Other things to worry about. A vet visit for Mr. Duke at 1 p.m., then I cook an early birthday dinner for a neighbor, with liberal application of vino (isn't that why they call us liberals?).

My spell checker just choked on "Akaka's", and returned several suggestions:

Ack-acks
Attacks
Oatcakes
Takewaways
Jackass
Adagios
Adages

Take your pick, but don't take it seriously.

This in from a reader in Austin (with ties to Kaaawa): "I just had to share this one with y'all. Arwyn likes to lie on the top of my monitor (getting an LCD is just out of the question!). This was a sleeping pose I've never seen her take before and it's kind of beyond cute. Hope that y'all like it!"

click for larger photo

Actually, it looks like Arwyn's been listening to all the reporting of HP's spying scandal and just wants to shut out those nagging images.

I also added a few photos to the most recent gallery of our Kaaawa morning dogs. This is Rubia and Ryder, who we met several times this week. Both are very friendly and very quick studies when it comes to figuring out about the guy carrying a bag of dog biscuits.

I downloaded the governor's latest campaign contributions, and now have the data going back to her first campaign. I'll have to dig around and see what itneresting tidbits are buried in there.