Hawai`i was Obama’s strongest state in both 2008 and 2012, giving him 70% of the vote each time. It’s arguably the nation’s most Democratic state.
This can partly be attributed to the fact that any politician who wants power in the State Legislature better be a Democrat in this Democratic-controlled institution or they'll be relegated to the powerless back bench.
Consequently Hawaii gets a lot of Democratic politicians who, if this weren't such a Democratic stronghold, might have signed up with the Republican Party. For instance, many of the infamous anti-gay-marriage legislators are Democrats - putting them in conflict with the Democratic Party Platform.
Nexus of the Tiny Republican Party in Hawai'i
But even Hawai`i has a right-wing movement of people who admit to being Republican...or Teapartiers. Yep, even here in Hawai'i we have a right wing which revolves around a birther-friendly blog called Hawaii Reporter. (No link - don't want to give them any more clicks.)
Hawaii Reporter is operated by Malia Zimmerman. Her blog has strong ties to the GOP and only loose ties to the truth. Activist Sam Slom (the only Republican in the Hawai`i’s 25-member state Senate) and conservative talk-show host Rick Hamada get featured roles. It is funded by the conservative Franklin Center. Zimmerman was reputedly let go from her previous job for what could be charitably described as poor fact-checking.
Slom’s organization (Smart Business Hawaii fka Small Business Hawaii) and Hamada’s talk show both have banner ads on the HR blog. They also provide content, such as columns (by Slom) and interview clips (by Hamada).
Hanabusa promotes the Birther Blog
The HR blog reports on Orly Taitz’s "investigations" into Obama’s birth certificate. Taitz's conspiracy theories are reported on as though they were credible news. Slom also raises questions about Obama’s birth certificate and Hamada interviewed Slom about his concerns about Obama’s birth certificate. And remember, Sam Slom has actually been elected to office!
While the rest of the world is debating actual civil liberties issues, Hamada is devoting his radio show to conspiracy theories, such as Obama’s “PC crackdown” on Facebook’s Islamophobes.
By most objective measures, these folks would be considered fringe elements. Yet they’ve benefited from a strange and long-standing association with Democratic Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, who’s now running for U.S. Senate.
Hanabusa’s campaign directs traffic to the right wing Hawaii Reporter blog and she frequently speaks before Slom’s organization. Check out this photo with Slom at a Smart Business Hawaii function.
Hanabusa touts her regular appearances on Hamada's show on Twitter. Understandably, Hanabusa is deemed a “friend of the show”.
The proudly right-wing Slom has been enthusing about Hanabusa for years. This is from a decade ago regarding her allegedly courageous stand against labor while in the state legislature:
Even Republican Sen. Sam Slom sings her praises: "That takes a lot of guts - you get peer pressure from your party and from the unions," he says.
And you were wondering why Hanabusa lost almost all of her labor endorsements this election?
Why does Hanabusa spend so much quality time with these right-wingers? Maybe the same reason she’s in the New Democrat Coalition? Hanabusa likes conservatives. Perhaps Hanabusa, at heart, is a conservative.
Is it Conservatism or is it Money?
Or maybe she just follows the money. She's buddies with the money men who ignore labels and ideology for lucrative favors from any elected official they can corrupt - guys like attorney Jeff Watanabe and developers Jeff Stone and Cameron Nekota. (She was a key figure in the Ko Olina controversy where she got state funds for her friend, Stone's, development and appeared to receive some perks as a result.)
Watanabe was a Bush supporter attending a George W. Bush fundraiser in 2003.
Watanabe was the man who delivered the infamous letter from a dying Sen. Daniel Inouye to Gov. Neil Abercrombie urging the appointment of Hanabusa to the Senate. This letter was later revealed to have been written by now-Hanabusa staffer, Jennifer Sabas, and robo-signed.
Who wants Hanabusa in the Senate? Inouye or the corrupt right wing developers?
Government records show that Stone has contributed tens of thousands dollars to GOP entities - and to a Democrat named Colleen Hanabusa.
Nekota is Hanabusa's campaign chairman - and just three years ago he was a major Republican donor. Did he have a change of heart or does Hanabusa fit the right wing mold?
These are Hanabusa's friends. Hawai'i voters in next summer's U.S. Senate primary must ask themselves: Are they my friends?