MD-Sen: Social Security Fight Heats Up In Senate Race

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Thursday March 19, 2015 · 1:42 PM PDT

2015/03/19 · 13:42

As you may or may not know, the top two contenders in Democratic primary to succeed retiring U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D. MD) are Reps. Chris Van Hollen (D. MD) and Donna Edwards (D. MD). Both are strong candidates but one key issue might be the make or break for Democratic voters:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

In a campaign email to supporters after the press conference, Edwards said she, unlike Van Hollen, deserves the backing of people who care deeply about Social Security.
“This morning, I joined with my colleagues in reintroducing an important bill that would protect and expand Social Security,” Edwards wrote. “There were a number of new faces, but I have always been there.

“As an original co-sponsor of the Social Security 2100 Act to expand Social Security benefits, I am thrilled that more and more elected officials are recognizing that too many of America's seniors live on the edge,” Edwards' email continued. “Too many Democrats -- to say nothing of Republicans -- remain all too willing to hurt grandparents, retired veterans, and the disabled in the name of ‘compromise.’”

Edwards' emphasis that she has "always" supported Social Security and her scare quotes around "compromise" are a dig at Van Hollen, who has been targeted by progressive activists backing Edwards. They've been bashing Van Hollen for his previous support of a deficit-reduction framework that included cuts to Social Security. In 2012, he endorsed the concept of the Simpson-Bowles plan in failed legislation that aimed to avoid automatic federal spending cuts. That plan would have increased the taxable maximum on income, calculated cost-of-living raises differently to slow spending, and raised the retirement age in 2050. - Huffington Post, 3/18/15

The whole piece is a great read but for the record, Van Hollen has come out in support of Rep. John Larson's (D. CT) bill that would give a sizable boost in payments to the poorest quarter of Social Security recipients, and would make it fully funded for 75 years. The legislation would shore up the trust fund largely by imposing the tax on incomes above $400,000. This has earned Van Hollen an endorsement from Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. But progressive groups like Social Security Works, MoveOn.org, Democracy for America, Credo Action and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee are continuing to push Van Hollen on this issue:

"Van Hollen's support for the expansion of Social Security will mean little if, when push comes to shove, he supports a deal to cut benefits, as he has said he was open to considering in the past,” Becky Bond, political director at Credo Action, said in a statement to HuffPost. “Van Hollen will have ample opportunity on the campaign trail to speak directly to the voters of Maryland and we hope he takes this opportunity to make a clear and public promise to vote no on any legislative proposal that includes cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits."
Nick Berning of MoveOn.org sounded a similar note. "It is well and good to say that one opposes Social Security benefit cuts in the abstract -- and even that one supports expanding Social Security -- but that position means little if one is willing to support a larger budget package that contains Social Security benefit cuts," Berning said.

While it's good to hear Van Hollen stating he is against cutting Social Security, he will have to answer to the question about expanding Social Security. Stay tuned to see how this primary plays out.

Poll

48 votes Show Results

Who do you support in the Democratic primary?

48 votes Vote Now!

Who do you support in the Democratic primary?

Chris Van Hollen

10 votes

Donna Edwards

37 votes

Someone Else

1 vote

Return of the Coin?

Letsgetitdone for Money and Public Purpose

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Friday February 13, 2015 · 10:19 AM PST

2015/02/13 · 10:19

The last few weeks have seen at least two posts calling attention to the potential use of the platinum coin in America's political economy. The first to appear was Rob Urie's piece in Counterpunch provocatively titled: “The Trillion Dollar Catshit Coin” And the second was Mike Sandler's post in The Huffington Post called “Greece and the U.S. Senate: Economics for the 99%.

Let's begin looking at these with Sandler's effort. He reports on two challenges to austerity. The first is from Syriza's victory in Greece and its promise to Greek voters that it will end austerity. The second:

The austerity mindset faces a new foe in the U.S. Senate as well. The re-shuffle of the last U.S. election that put austerity-minded Republicans in power has ironically resulted in a new anti-austerity economist being hired by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in the Senate Budget Committee -- Professor Stephanie Kelton of the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Professor Kelton is a proponent of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT), a very pro-stimulus economic approach. Her hiring represents the biggest step forward for MMT, since the PR coup of the Trillion Dollar Platinum Coin in 2013. At that time, Kelton reportedly created the #mintthecoin hashtag that was featured in columns by Paul Krugman and others.
Sanders' hiring of Kelton is a break from the more conciliatory "balanced budgeting" approach of some Democrats, such as former treasury secretaries with ties to Wall Street and fiscally-conservative "deficit hawks." Kelton and her MMT colleagues go beyond the traditional Keynesian stimulus of short-term deficit spending. They seek to unleash the power of monetary policy to circumvent the scarcity mindset imposed on government action, perhaps even bringing the Trillion Dollar Coin back into the discussion.

Of course, Sandler means to say fiscal policy in the above, since MMT economics greatly favors reliance on fiscal, rather than monetary policy, in spite of the “monetary” in its name. But apart from that, he projects that we may see the platinum coin come back into prominence soon. Read More

Do You Get By With A Little Help From Your Friends?

bobswern

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Thursday November 20, 2014 · 3:03 PM PST

2014/11/20 · 15:03

In our two-dimensional blogging world, it’s far too easy to forget that there are real people with real, day-to-day obstacles behind those screen names with whom many of us at DKos interact on a regular basis. What separates the winners from the losers, in my little mindset, are the folks that overcome those obstacles to contribute as much as they do to the various communities to which they belong, both online and off. And, if you’re someone such as Kossack TiaRachel, whose obstacles comprise a burden that any six or eight people I know would normally share, and you’re still able to contribute to the world around you to the extent that she has during the decade-plus that she’s been a DKos blogger—1,000-plus diaries, countless comments, one of the longest-running diary series here--well, that makes you kind of special.

Personally, I know if it wasn’t for my friends I probably wouldn’t be here, walking on this planet, today. But, that’s another story for another time. However, when you’re faced with personal, converging emergencies—much like our society as a whole—which in TiaRachel’s case means overwhelming and urgent medical, financial and employment needs, which, in turn, create massive stress, feeding a perpetual fire under those health-related problems, it can be hard to cope. But, the first sign of coping is to reach out to those around you and acknowledge that you need that help. And, that’s just what TiaRachel’s done. Like almost all that are reading this, she’s at a point in her life where she needs to get by with a little help from her friends…in THIS community, to which she’s selflessly given so much of herself until now.

We’re already halfway to her goal of $7,000 to get her life back on track. Will you be there for her?

http://youtu.be/...

# # #

FUNDRAISING UPDATE: Approximately an hour ago, TiaRachel sent me an email to let us know that she was at $3,950 in donations. So, I think it's safe to say that we've passed the $4,000 mark, as of this writing. Just $3,000 more in contributions are needed to meet her goal!

# # #

Read More

We Can't Rely On The Democratic Party

slinkerwink

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Thursday November 06, 2014 · 8:52 AM PST

2014/11/06 · 08:52

The fallout from the elections has been severe with a complete GOP takeover of the Senate, and state legislatures across the country. Our party lost, and there were many reasons, but the most glaring one is that there was a complete LACK of messaging that spoke to people's interests. When people really don't know what the Democratic Party stands for as a whole, they're not going to be invested in the party itself, and that's a fact.

Some may dispute that fact, but the reality is that we cannot trust the Democratic Party, especially the leaders in D.C., to do the messaging right. They're not there on addressing messaging around these big ticket items that surely will be on people's minds going into 2016:

Student loan debt
Lack of wage parity
Maternity leave
Family-friendly policies
The environment
Wall Street accountability

Letsgetitdone for Money and Public Purpose

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Wednesday October 08, 2014 · 5:17 PM PDT

2014/10/08 · 17:17

Some time ago, in the pages of USA Today, Duncan Black, better known to some as Atrios voiced the immediate need for increased Social Security benefits of 20% or more even if it means raising taxes on high incomes, or removing the payroll tax cap on salaries.

Black is right about the need for increased benefits; but legislating that increase doesn't require increasing taxes. In fact, Congress should both increase benefits and remove the payroll tax entirely.

But how is that possible without greatly increasing “the national debt”? The answer to that one is easy. Don't tax or borrow to pay for it. Just mint a single one oz. platinum coin at the beginning of each fiscal year with a face value large enough to cover expected the cost of SS payments. Doing it that way will both take care of retirement needs and also provide a huge shot in the arm for employment, since the increase in Social Security benefit payments and the ending of the payroll tax won’t be offset by tax increases elsewhere that will depress aggregate demand.

Letsgetitdone

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Sunday September 21, 2014 · 8:10 PM PDT

2014/09/21 · 20:10

Before the “no” vote on Scotland's independence, The New York Times, carried a post by Neil Irwin in the Upshot making the point that the then upcoming vote “shows a global crisis of the elites.” He argues that the independence drive reflects “. . . a conviction — one not ungrounded in reality — that the British ruling class has blundered through the last couple of decades.” He also thinks that this applies to the Eurozone and the United States to varying degrees, and is “. . . a defining feature of our time.”

Irwin then updated his first post last night, expanding it and recognizing the victory of the “no” votes in the referendum. His new post did not add anything essential to his “global crisis of the elites” diagnosis, so the references and quotations below come solely from his pre-vote post. But the points made apply equally well to his update.

To summarize his argument, for decades now, the elites in major modern, industrial nations have committed leadership blunders and created great discontent among the citizens of their nations, to the point where their polices have contributed to damaging their economies seriously, and the rise of popular resistance embodied in extremist parties and independence movements. Elites have had vast power, but have not lived up to their responsibilities to serve the people of their nations. Discontent with their actions and results is so high that many are questioning the legitimacy of the very governing institutions that claim to serve them, and are exhibiting a greater and greater willingness to do something about these institutions and the policies that they and the elites are generating. Scotland is but one example of that, and his implication is that more examples are in the offing.

It's significant, some might say even remarkable, that Irwin's article appeared in The New York Times, since it is a flat out criticism of elite leadership over a number of decades and a warning to elites to improve their performance or deal with the consequences. But I think it still misses the most important question. That question is whether there is a global crisis of elites or a global crisis of democracies? I'm afraid I think that the crisis of elite leadership is only a symptom of the underlying cause of a broader global crisis of democracy.

slinkerwink

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Sunday August 24, 2014 · 10:17 PM PDT

2014/08/24 · 22:17

In a conversation with a friend over how dumb and idiotic the cops were being with their ignorance of civil rights and racial profiling, my friend asked me how someone like that becomes a cop. And that's when it hit me: can it all come down to the level of education that a cop gets before being hired into law enforcement?

Perhaps. I decided to do some checking because I'd read earlier on Dailykos that it was okay to hire cops with low IQs. Studies have shown that people with low IQs tend to be more racist, aggressive, and conservative.

So we're recruiting people with low IQs, and with a high school education and a GED into the police force in our communities. And we're surprised when these cops start harassing minorities because of their preconceived racist notions of minorities in the communities that they patrol.

What are the requirements for one to become a cop? Here's what I found below:

You must also be at least 18 years of age, have a driving license, and be a legal resident of the United States in order to become a police officer. In most departments the legal age of being a police officer is 18 and 21.

So we're getting applicants out of high school and barely college-age to become a cop. We can surely expect great decision-making out of new police officers at that age.

Having a college degree is not a requirement for getting hired by most police departments, but it can help to have even a few years of education in a related field, especially if you plan to later become a detective or hold an administrative position.

So how many cops have a high school education, GED, or never completed college? I looked for information on this, and only found this article which mentioned a study from 1988 showing that 23% of cops had attended college.

poopdogcomedy

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Tuesday August 12, 2014 · 7:49 AM PDT

2014/08/12 · 07:49

Sen. Brian Schatz and wife Linda Kwok greet crowd on primary night August 8, 2014

So come Friday, Hawaii will finally get it's Democratic nominee and next U.S. Senator:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/...

A special election for two precincts in the storm-ravaged Puna district of Hawaii for the Democratic primary between Sen. Brian Schatz and Rep. Colleen Hanabusa has been scheduled for Friday.
The announcement, made by Hawaii election officials according to Hawaii News Now, is a result of voters in those precincts being unable to vote because of Hurricane Iselle. - TPM, 8/12/14

The remaining precincts contain 8,200 votes, enough to to possibly decide who the Democratic nominee will be. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D. HI) sounds both nervous and channeling her inner conspiracy theorist:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/...

"There are irregularities that have occurred in terms of just access, and I'm hoping that the Office of Elections will look at it," Hanabusa said according to Politico on Monday.
Hanabusa's comments come as she trails Schatz by a small margin. As of Monday, Schatz was leading Hanabusa by just 1,635 votes, too close for many to call the race. Now the focus in the Democratic primary has fallen onto a pair of precincts in the Puna District of Hawaii, where some voters were unable to vote because of the storm. There are enough registered voters there to flip the lead in Hanabusa's favor but she would have to do especially well in those precincts for that to happen.

"We've got a lot of people coming up to us saying, 'We couldn't get out to vote but they didn't close us down," Hanabusa said. "We have a lot of people who are talking about the election because they felt in fact they were disenfranchised." - TPM, 8/12/14

It sounds to me like Hanabusa knows she's going to lose and is complaining about "voting irregularities" very much like loser Tea Party State Senator Chris McDaniel (R. MS) after failing to unseat incumbent Senator Thad Cochran (R. MS) in the GOP primary. Knowing the Hanabusa is nervous make me optimistic about Schatz sealing his victory but we have to make sure those voters get out for him. Luckily Democracy For America is helping out with those efforts:

Wow. Did you see the razor-thin U.S. Senate primary election results over the weekend?
With all but two precincts counted, Brian Schatz -- a critical progressive Senator from the Elizabeth Warren wing of the Democratic Party -- has a narrow 1,635 vote lead over Colleen Hanabusa, a corporate Democrat trying to unseat Schatz from representing Hawai'i in the senate.

Here's the catch: Those two remaining precincts still haven't voted yet. Because of storm damage from a hurricane that hit Hawai'i right before the election, the state is allowing 8,000 voters to submit absentee ballots in the coming days.

Those voters will decide whether Brian Schatz continues to stand alongside Elizabeth Warren to fight for progressive values, or if he's replaced by a corporate Democrat who we can't trust on the issues that matter most. There's going to be an all-out fight for those final votes. We have to win them.

DFA is mobilizing to help make sure Brian Schatz wins those two precincts. Will you donate $3 to help get out the vote and put Brian Schatz over the top?

https://secure.actblue.com/...

Brian Schatz is a strong supporter of protecting and expanding Social Security benefits. His opponent, Colleen Hanabusa, voted for the Simpson-Bowles plan that would have cut Social Security and Medicare benefits.

Schatz's support for expanding Social Security is a big reason why he is leading so far in the election returns.That's why this race in Hawai'i is so important. If we can help Schatz win these last two precincts, we can show Democrats across America that protecting and expanding Social Security is good politics as well as good policy.

We have just a few weeks to secure just two more precincts for a progressive hero -- or risk losing them to a corporate Democrat who we can't rely on to protect Social Security. Donate $3 today to help Brian Schatz win this critical race for the U.S. Senate!

https://secure.actblue.com/...

Thank you for helping a progressive leader,

- Charles

Charles Chamberlain, Executive Director
Democracy for America

Click here to contribute to DFA's efforts to secure Schatz's victory:

https://secure.actblue.com/...

D.C. Democrats Still Don't Get This Crucial Fact

slinkerwink

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Monday August 11, 2014 · 8:43 AM PDT

2014/08/11 · 08:43

The fact is that when given a choice between a REAL Republican and a Democrat that sounds like a Republican, the conservative voter will choose Republican every single time. It makes no absolute sense for these Democrats to try appealing to conservative voters in swing states. It depresses the Democratic base, doesn't excite them to get the vote out, and doesn't give the Democrat the bump in the GOTV that they're looking for on election day.

They STILL have not learned this lesson after years of trying this under Clinton, the DLC, and the Third Way. Conservative voters go Republican almost every single time because they'd rather have an actual Republican than a Democrat that sounds like one.

poopdogcomedy

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Friday August 08, 2014 · 4:00 PM PDT

2014/08/08 · 16:00

ABC News' Jeff Zeleny recently sat down with U.S. Senate candidate Joni Ernst (R. IA) to discuss her campaign for Senator Tom Harkin's (D. IA) seat:

http://abcnews.go.com/...

Joni Ernst is not striving to be the next Ted Cruz. But if she reaches the Senate, she hopes aspiring senators want to be the next Joni Ernst.
“I hope that after a couple of years, people are going to say, ‘I want to model myself after Joni Ernst,’” she told ABC News today.

Ernst, a state senator who has become one of the Republican Party’s most promising recruits of the midterm election season, acknowledged that she feels pressure as one of the key pieces in the GOP effort to try and pick up six seats to win control of the Senate in November.

“It is such a phenomenally positive pressure,” Ernst said. “I have gone from being a very little known state senator from southwest Iowa to now being someone that can really make a difference for Iowa in our federal legislature.” - ABC News, 8/8/14

What didn't make the interview Zeleny Tweeted and it should stop and make you worried about her becoming the next Senator from Iowa:

Has your head exploded yet? You shouldn't be surprised to hear this type on nonsense out of Ernst's mouth when it comes to the Iraq War:

http://www.usnews.com/...

Joni Ernst, an Iowa state senator running for the GOP nomination for U.S. senator, delivered a remarkable line in an interview with the Des Moines Register. Said Ernst: “I do have reason to believe there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.”
It’s a rewriting of history that demands a new definition of the word “audacious.” Here is one of the most famous misstatements – decide on your own if you believe it was misinformation or an out-and-out lie – made in recent presidential history. In the eerie glow of fear in the years after 9/11, the George W. Bush administration was able to convince Congress and the American people, that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and was ready to use them against the United States. No proof was produced – nothing solid, anyway. It was the sort of innocuous “evidence,” shown privately to members of Congress, that was very much in the eye of the beholder. If you really wanted to believe the photos showed WMD, well, then, they did.

Many millions, billions of dollars later, many deaths – American and Iraqi – later, there were still no weapons of mass destruction. Nothing was found, and it wasn’t because no one was looking. The Bush administration, prosecuting a war that was beginning to be pretty unpopular, was desperate to prove it had done the right thing by invading a sovereign, if deeply troubled and repressive, nation. Nada.

Ernst, however, talked to the editorial board as if she was one of the few who new the real story. Ernst is a lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. According to her bio, her unit ran convoys from Kuwait into southern Iraq. That's an important mission, during any kind of war, but it’s not like she was on the search-and-recover team for WMD. She won’t say how she knows, or exactly what she knows – just that the intelligence under which they were operating was based on the idea Saddam Hussein had WMD. Well, of course it was. That was the entire basis for the debacle of a war. What else would officers in country be told? - U.S. News, 5/ 13/14

So yeah, she's a nut job. She's also getting hit on this issue:

http://www.radioiowa.com/...

Two people dressed as ears of corn were in the crowd surrounding Ernst to call attention to questions Democrats have raised about Ernst’s support for ethanol. There were other protestors promoting other causes, like gun control, but none of the protestors disrupted her speech. Carol Hunter, the Des Moines Register’s executive news director, made this announcement to the crowd just before introducing Ernst: “Let’s have civil discourse here. Let’s let each of the speakers have their say.”
Ernst began her day on the fairgrounds with a news conference alongside other Republican elected officials to tout the federal mandate for yearly ethanol production. The Renewable Fuels Standard for 2014 is in limbo as federal officials consider scaling it back.

“I have had a 100 percent voting record supporting RFS in the Iowa state Senate,” Ernst said. “Not only have I supported it legislatively, but I have been an advocate for RFS.”
Ernst said during the primary season that she is philosophically opposed to all tax credits for selected industries, including the one for ethanol, but would support keeping it until the playing field is leveled and all tax credits are ended. Democrats have questioned whether Ernst has promised her campaign contributors from the oil industry that she would vote to do away with the Renewable Fuels Standard if she’s elected to the U.S. Senate.

“I’m just going to say that most of the attacks out there are blatantly false,” Ernst told reporters. “They are distractions from my actual record on where I stand on the RFS.”
Republican Governor Terry Branstad jumped to her defense, saying he “resents” the ads running against Ernst, questioning her fidelity to ethanol. - Radio Iowa, 8/8/14

And Braley is emphasizing this as a key campaign issue:

http://amestrib.com/...

Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley took aim at state Sen. Joni Ernst over her opposition to the federal minimum wage during a visit to the Ames Tribune on Wednesday.
Braley, a Democrat, and Ernst, a Republican, are locked in a dead heat for the seat currently occupied by Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin, whose retirement this year will mark the first time in four decades that an open Senate seat will appear on an Iowa ballot.

The congressman has made his support for increasing the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour and indexing it to inflation the focus of his campaign this week.

The proposal builds on a television advertisement his campaign released at the end of July that calls Ernst’s position on the issue an “extreme idea.”

“(Raising the minimum wage) would pump over $250 million in new income into the state economy,” Braley said. “That’s a significant impact on the Iowa economy, because people who are working minimum wage jobs take that money and they spend it (on) necessities: food, shelter, clothing, fuel.”

The figure Braley cited was taken from a report released in February by the liberal Center for American Progress Action Fund and Progress Iowa. The report found that raising the minimum wage to $10.10 would create more than $272 million in additional gross domestic product for the state economy and increase the pay of 300,000 Iowans — another figure Braley pointed out. - Ames Tribune, 8/6/14

And this:

http://siouxcityjournal.com/...

Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Bruce Braley said Saturday in the Quad-Cities that raising the minimum wage, improving the economy and lifting the cap on income subject to payroll taxes would stabilize the Social Security program over the long term.
And the congressman from Waterloo sharpened his criticism of Republican rival Joni Ernst, saying that she supports the use of private accounts in the program that would amount to a "betrayal of trust."

Braley was at the Hotel Blackhawk in Davenport to recieve the endorsement of the Alliance for Retired Americans, a union-affiliated group that opposes cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

"If people ask you what my plan is to save Social Security and strengthen it for future generations, there's three things right there. But we don't need to radically transform it and go toward a risky private investment scheme," he said.

His campaign has pointed to statements made during the Republican primary campaign earlier this year in which Iowa Sen. Ernst, R-Red Oak, said Congress needs to look at setting up private accounts for younger workers.

Social Security and Medicare are key issues in states with older populations such as Iowa, where one in six residents receive a Social Security check. Democrats have warned that diverting Social Security revenues into private accounts, as then-President Bush proposed in 2005, would destabilize the system. - Sioux City Journal, 8/2/14

The GOP is eager to win this seat and we can't let Ernst dupe voters into voting for her. Click here to donate and get involved with Braley's campaign:

http://www.brucebraley.com/

HI-Sen: We Can't Let Hurricanes Prevent Brian Schatz (D) From Winning On Saturday

poopdogcomedy

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday August 08, 2014 · 9:20 AM PDT

2014/08/08 · 09:20

In this July 18, 2014 photo, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, right, greets a supporter during a campaign event in Honolulu. The legacy of late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye has lingered over a tight Democratic primary between Schatz and U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa. (AP Photo/Oskar Garcia) ** Usable by LA, DC, CGT and CCT Only **

So Saturday is a big day in Hawaii for progressives and climate hawks because we have a big primary battle between progressive champ Senator Brian Schatz (D. HI) and Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D. HI):

http://www.latimes.com/...

Inouye's legacy and influence as Hawaii's longtime standard-bearer in Washington, where he secured billions of dollars in federal money as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has hovered over the race.
Schatz often touts the nearly $16.7 million in federal funding he helped secure for the state's East-West Center, which is based in Honoloulu and serves as a cross-cultural educational facility.

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Hanabusa secured about $400 million in defense funds for the state with this year's passage of the National Defense Authorization Act. On her campaign website, Hanabusa boasts that since she entered Congress in 2011, she's helped direct "more than $1 billion in defense spending to Hawaii."

"Hawaiians care deeply about what's going on in Washington and specifically what their representatives are doing," Milner said. "With Inouye, there was never really a concern, because he had seniority and could secure federal money for the state."

Issues surrounding seniority came to the forefront in 2012 when Abercrombie selected Schatz to fill the Senate seat, in part because of Schatz's youth. The governor said he wanted to "ensure Hawaii remains strong in the long run, rebuilding the seniority" of the state's congressional delegation.

Hanabusa, 63, has assailed Abercrombie for those comments and, in a recent debate, called out Schatz for making age an issue. She noted that a memo Schatz's campaign sent late last year to supporters and potential donors mentioned that the 41-year-old incumbent has the "promise of serving many years in the U.S. Senate and accumulating all-important seniority for the constituents of Hawaii."

On the campaign trail, Schatz has consistently said age is not an issue.

The ethnic breakdown of voters in Hawaii, where Asians make up the largest segment of the population, is also likely to play role in Saturday's results, said California-based pollster Ben Tulchin.

"You have Schatz, who is Caucasian, and Hanabusa, who is Japanese American. ... Stark ethnic contrasts between the two candidates, but will it be a factor in how voters cast ballots? That remains a big unknown," Tulchin said.

Tulchin noted that other factors, such as two hurricanes approaching Hawaii -- one Thursday night, the other a few days later -- could depress turnout. Early voting began in July, however.

For the most part, polling in the race has been mixed. A recent survey from Civil Beat, a left-leaning local public affairs reporting site, had Schatz leading Hanabusa by about 8 percentage points, while a recent poll from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser had Hanabusa up 8 percentage points. - Los Angeles Times, 8/8/14

It's very important that we get our supporters out to the polls on Saturday because the coming hurricane could be a factor on who wins the nominee:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/...

The storms are 11th hour wild cards in what's been an historic primary season in the Aloha State. Competitive races for both the U.S. Senate and governor will determine the future of the Democratic Party in Hawaii, which has long been divided along generational, ethnic and political lines.
One on side, a mostly younger, more liberal, whiter wing of the party represented by Sen. Brian Schatz and Gov. Neil Abercrombie. On the other, a more centrist, older, more Asian American faction embodied by Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and state Sen. David Ige.

Polling -- which is notoriously difficult in Hawaii -- shows both contests are competitive. The soon-to-arrive storms are expected to lower turnout, which one observer says could work against the two incumbents.

"I think it helps Hanabusa," said University of Hawaii political scientist Colin Moore. The congresswoman's base is the old guard Japanese American political establishment, which is very loyal, Moore noted. They are expected to turn out in substantial numbers even in bad weather.

Hurricane Iselle is approaching the Big Island, triggering the first hurricane warning there in more than two decades. According to the National Weather Service, the center of Iselle is expected to pass over the Big Island later Thursday.

As if that weren't enough for the state to deal with, there's Hurricane Julio. That storm may miss Hawaii to the north over the weekend, but could still bring inclement weather to the islands that may discourage people from leaving their homes to vote.

With the storm approaching, the campaigns have instructed supporters to take down signs and banners. Early voting ends Thursday, and both state parties have encouraged voters to take advantage of the option with the storms headed to the area. - Washington Post, 8/7/14

Schatz though has run an excellent campaign and has the backing of President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D. NV) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D. MA) but Hanabusa has some big support as well:

http://www.opensecrets.org/...

But Hanabusa was Daniel K. Inouye‘s pick to succeed him in the Senate – and this vote of confidence might carry a stronger weight among Hawaiians than even Obama’s. Inouye had served the state for more than half a century and commanded widespread popularity. Meanwhile, Gov. Abercrombie is himself facing an uphill reelection battle against challenger David Ige, favored to win in recent polls. All told, Hanabusa seems to have won the broader Democratic grassroots battle; ActBlue, an online fundraising website, bundled close to $14,000 for her campaign, but just over $2,000 for Schatz. Overall, 13 percent of her individual campaign contributions have come from donors giving under $200, versus only 5 percent for Schatz.
Another recent development on the island might resonate favorably for Hanabusa. In 2012, Hawaii elected its first female senator, Mazie K. Hirono. Like Hirono, Hanabusa has the backing of EMILY’s List, which poured more than $250,000 into her campaign through a slew of mainly under-$200 earmarked donations from individuals across the country (as well as a $5,000 contribution from its PAC). This makes the pro-abortion rights group her top donor by far. The biggest outside spender in the race, Women Vote!, a super PAC associated with EMILY’s List, has made Hawaii one of its top priorities along with North Carolina. Women Vote! spent close to $700,000 — its largest investment this cycle — to support Hanabusa.

But Schatz has strong grassroots winds backing him too — mainly environmentalist organizations. The League of Conservation Voters gave his campaign $32,000, including $7,000 through its PAC, and made $465,000 in outside expenditures in the race – one of only two in which the group has spent this cycle. Schatz also won the endorsement of the Sierra Club. And MoveOn.org, which spent heavily to support Obama in 2012, has mobilized to support Schatz’s bid, opening an office in Honolulu and spending $9,000 in the race. - Open Secrets, 8/8/14

Schatz has an amazing record as a true blue progressive from tackling climate change, GMO labels, cracking down on domestic surveillance, expanding Social Security, refinancing student loans, pushing for gun control, standing up for organized labor, fighting for equal pay, standing up for LGBT Americans and discharge gay veterans and protecting reproductive rights. Lets not pass up this opportunity to keep a great progressive in the U.S. Senate. If you live in Hawaii, you can find your polling place here:

https://elections2.hawaii.gov/...

And if you want to get involved with Schatz's campaign and help get voters out to the polls, you can do so here:

HONOLULU - OCTOBER 8:  Brian Schatz, the Democratic Party Nominee for Hawaii State Lieutenant Governor, poses for a portrait after an interview with Honolulu CivilBeat reporter-host Chad Blair at Neil Abercrombie's campaign headquarters in Honolulu, Hawaii on October 8, 2010. (Photo by Kent Nishimura for CivilBeat)

http://brianschatz.com/

HI-Sen: Howard Dean Praises Schatz (D) On Social Security, Slams Hanabusa (D) For Voting To Cut It

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Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday June 25, 2014 · 12:36 PM PDT

2014/06/25 · 12:36

Colleen Hanabusa

Received this e-mail today from former Governor Howard Dean (D. VT) on behalf of Democracy For America in support of Senator Brian Schatz (D. HI):

When I was running for president, I talked about how we need stronger representation of the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party.
There are already plenty of politicians in Washington representing special interests. A lot of them are Republicans, yes, but many of them call themselves Democrats as well.

It's less common to see people who buckle down each day looking for ways to improve the lives of middle and working class folks.

Fortunately we have Senator Brian Schatz of Hawai'i, a progressive leader who is fighting against income inequality in the U.S. Senate by working to expand -- not cut -- Social Security, raise the federal minimum wage, and make sure every kid starts out on the right foot with universal pre-K.
As a strong progressive, Senator Schatz is facing a tough primary. We need to make sure that a solid blue state like Hawai'i is represented in the U.S. Senate by a real progressive from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party.

Please join me in supporting a progressive champion fighting income inequality in the Senate. Donate $3 to Sen. Brian Schatz before the June 30 FEC quarterly reporting deadline.

https://secure.actblue.com/...

Senator Schatz has governed as a true Democrat since day one in the U.S. Senate, putting middle class families before ballooning corporate profits.

That's why he's supporting legislation to increase Social Security benefits and extend funding for the program by making millionaires and billionaires pay in at the same rate as everyone else.

Putting cuts to Social Security on the bargaining table? No way.

Senator Schatz's challenger, on the other hand, voted in support of the Simpson-Bowles plan that recommended cuts to Social Security.

More Democrats are starting to follow Senator Schatz's lead, but we need to prove that working to reduce income inequality is more than good policy. We also have to show that people-powered politics is a winning strategy for Democrats.

Please make a $3 contribution before the June 30 FEC deadline to help progressive Senator Brian Schatz win his primary and return to the U.S. Senate.

https://secure.actblue.com/...

Thank you for standing with me in helping Senator Schatz's campaign. Let's show other potential progressive leaders that people will have their backs if they represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party.

- Howard

Gov. Howard Dean
Founder, Democracy for America