Yes, really!
Aloha dear readers in Hawaii's First Congressional District,
I urge you to vote against Charles Djou, a man I admire and respect, whose views I agree with on nearly every issue. Unfortunately that means I'm asking you to vote in favor of a candidate I personally dislike, whose views I disagree with on almost every issue — Colleen Hanabusa.
In this letter I'm writing only about the contest for U.S. House District #1: Charles Djou vs. Colleen Hanabusa. To see my recommendations for U.S. House District #2, U.S. Senate, Governor, and 5 OHA trustees, please go to
http://tinyurl.com/2bfgdyf
So, why am I asking you to vote for Hanabusa and against Djou?
It's all about the Akaka bill. I believe the Akaka bill is the most important issue for the people of Hawaii since the Statehood vote in 1959. Although both Djou and Hanabusa strongly support the Akaka bill, Djou would be far more effective in getting it passed, because he is a Republican — he made that point loud and clear in a radio interview, and he is correct -- so we must not give him the chance.
The Akaka bill is evil. Its importance for Hawaii is greater than all other issues combined. It would irrevocably divide the lands and people of Hawaii along racial lines, creating an apartheid system where about half our land and a quarter of our people would live under different laws from everyone else. See the book "Hawaiian Apartheid: Racial Separatism and Ethnic Nationalism in the Aloha State" available in the library or at
http://tinyurl.com/2a9fqa
Both Djou and Hanabusa are strongly in favor of the Akaka bill. Both of them refuse to demand an amendment to require a vote by Hawaii's people on the Akaka bill before it can take effect -- they think it's OK to impose an enormous unfunded federal mandate on us without our consent.
Djou and Hanabusa are the only two candidates for Congress this year in Hawaii's First District. There's nobody else to vote for. So, wouldn't it be logical to set aside the Akaka bill, and choose the better candidate based on other issues?
But here's where party affiliation comes into play. I agree with all the political pundits who are predicting a huge victory for the Republicans in this election. The Republicans will win more than enough of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives to have a comfortable majority, even without Charles Djou. So if you're a Republican, don't worry about tipping the balance of power in Washington the wrong way by voting against Djou.
Nearly every Democrat in the House voted in favor of the Akaka bill in 2010. If Hanabusa wins, there are almost no votes from Democrats for her to win. Republicans will see her as just another radical-left Democrat in the same mold as Abercrombie. Republicans will simply ignore her. No Republican will vote for the Akaka bill based on what Hanabusa, a freshman Democrat with no personal relationships there, tells them. She probably can't bench press Abercrombie's 268 pounds to impress them either! And Hawaii voters, don't worry about getting the pork you've become accustomed to -- members of Congress bring home the bacon even when they're in the minority, as Democrats Inouye, Akaka, and Abercrombie proved during the many years when the Republicans held power in both the House and Senate.
Djou is a Republican. On issues related to budget and taxation, he is very much aligned with the Tea Party movement which will have great power in the 112th Congress starting in January. His fellow Republicans will pay attention to him. Those Republicans from other states, especially the newly elected ones supported by the Tea Party movement, who know nothing about Hawaii or the Akaka bill, are likely to go along with whatever he tells them on a matter that seems to affect only Hawaii. That's the reason it would be bad to have Djou in Congress.
How do we know Djou is a strong supporter of the Akaka bill? There's nothing about it on his website. Maybe he's embarrassed to let his base of support know about it. But here's a quote from an interview he gave during a 20-minute interview on OHA's daily radio program "Na 'Oiwi Olino" on Tuesday October 5, 2010. The entire hour-long program, including a comparable interview with Hanabusa, can be replayed by clicking here:
http://am940hawaii.com/Player/100745781/
"For myself first of all, of course as a Congressman, I eagerly look forward to hopefully passing the Native Hawaiian recognition bill ... Over the ten years I have represented Hawaii [in the state House and the Honolulu City Council] ... I have been a clear and consistent advocate for increasing opportunities for Native Hawaiians, and for expanding access to housing and the just entitlements I think Native Hawaiians deserve."
Continuing in that same interview, here are Djou's own words explaining why he would be far more effective getting votes for the Akaka bill than the equally zealous Colleen Hanabusa. Interviewer Randy Hudnall asked "Now, you just mentioned the Akaka bill. What will you do to garner support for the Akaka bill if it should pass the Senate and return to the House this Congress?"
Djou answered with excitement in his voice: "You know, I think what I can offer is a bipartisan solution — bipartisan support for the Akaka bill. That's absolutely essential ... It can't come from just one political party, it has to come from both. Hawaii has been trying ... for over a decade to move the Akaka bill ... and we've been unsuccessful, and the reason for that is it's been entirely one-sided. What we need is support from both political parties. Should the Akaka bill come back to the U.S. House I'm confident that I'd be able to garner far more Republican support for the Akaka bill — make it bipartisan — make it less controversial, and make its passage far smoother."
Djou also made clear in the interview that he supports not only the Akaka bill but also the plethora of racially exclusionary entitlements in areas such as housing, education, and healthcare; and that he will support those programs that treat ethnic Hawaiians like an Indian tribe even if the Akaka bill fails.
Shouldn't government treat us all equally? The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the equal protection of the laws regardless of race. Charles Djou, as an attorney, should know that racial entitlements and the creation of a phony Indian tribe are unconstitutional. Djou should know that ethnic Hawaiians have a history totally different from the Indian tribes, and that the Kingdom was multiracial with full equality, voting rights, and active participation in high government positions by non-natives who were either born in Hawaii or became naturalized; whereas the Akaka tribe is racially exclusionary just like the illegal entitlement programs it is designed to protect.
Djou's support for the Akaka bill is a mystery. He should know that he will get zero votes from the racialists aligned with the Akaka bill, OHA, Kamehameha Schools, etc. — they are enthusiastic Hanabusa supporters. Hanabusa has not only attended, but also spoken at numerous secessionist rallies over the past ten years, from Wai'anae to 'Iolani Palace to Makapu'u; and has actively pushed Hawaiian racialist legislation as member and then chairperson of the state Senate committee on Hawaiian affairs. The Native Hawaiian Convention in Honolulu this week features speeches by Senator Dan Akaka, Congresswoman Mazie Hirono, and candidate Colleen Hanabusa — but the powerful lobbying group disrespects sitting Congressman Djou by not even inviting him. He knows the recent Zogby poll shows a majority of Hawaii's people oppose the Akaka bill and an even larger majority demand that it be placed on ballot as a referendum question in a general election. See complete results of the Zogby poll at
http://tinyurl.com/y9x9q7u
Yet Djou continues to support the bill, and he refuses to propose an amendment to the bill to require its approval by Hawaii's people before it can take effect. Shame on him! Nearly everyone who supports the Akaka bill will vote for Hanabusa regardless of Djou's position on it, while he could collect the votes from everyone who opposes the bill if he would stand up and oppose it. Djou's position on the Akaka bill is a loser both morally and politically.
How low will Djou kow-tow before the election to the tycoons of Hawaii's powerful race-based institutions? Watch the televised debates to find out. How much lower will he kow-tow to them in Congress during the lame duck session and for the next two years if he wins in November? All the way to the floor, no doubt. Please vote for Colleen Hanabusa, a candidate I despise, but who will be ineffective in pushing the Akaka bill because the Republicans — a Congressional majority next year — will ignore her.
