Hanabusa's emails have taken a desperate turn lately and her campaign has embraced mudslinging. Thankfully Sen. Brian Schatz has continued to base his campaign on his plans to help the middle class.
Senator Brian Schatz & his family
Readers of this diary will know that we've been comparing Hanabusa's votes to Schatz's. We're doing this because there's a real dearth of information on issues from the Hanabusa camp. We think that if voters can objectively compare the candidates' positions, the choice is a no-brainer.
Having personally interviewed Rep Hanabusa and tried to get her on the record, we can tell you it is like trying to catch an eel with greased chopsticks. Hanabusa seems to fear that if she reveals her real positions, she'll lose votes.
So she's turned to mudslinging.
Last week Hanabusa accused Schatz of being supported by Democratic "kingmakers". Ironic since she is claiming the senatorial mantle based on being anointed by the ultimate Democratic Kingmaker - Sen Daniel Inouye.
This week she's excoriating Senator Schatz because Michael Bloomberg is supporting him. Bloomberg is on a mission to support candidates who take climate change seriously (which would not include Hanabusa who voted with the GOP to block the EPA from stronger coal emissions standards):
Bloomberg added that he would do “everything I can to help those people who want to protect the health of our planet get reelected.”
But no, according to Hanabusa, that isn't the reason that Bloomberg is supporting Sen Schatz (who has said his first priority is ameliorating climate change.) This, according to Hanabusa's email, is why Bloomberg is supporting Sen. Schatz:
Bloomberg spent a lot of of his time in New York making bad decisions for working families, and balancing the budget by pushing cuts to programs for children, education, benefits and pensions. He was on the wrong side of every issue that affect people who work and sacrifice for every dollar while worrying about their future.
The intent (and probably result) is to somehow muddle Bloomberg's support for a climate change champion with her spin on Bloomberg's social positions.
What is particularly funny is that she's trying to pretend she's the progressive. This is the woman who joined the conservative New Democrat Coalition! (The Coalition that Wall St. and Pharma Love.)
The Schatz campaign replied -- simply without descending to Hanabusa's level:
Senator Schatz is pleased to have the support of the Mayor given his leadership on common sense gun safety legislation and strong promotion of clean energy production to slow the effects of climate change. Senator Schatz’s priority is always delivering for Hawaii, and effective leadership in the Senate for Hawaii means developing relationships with leaders across the country.
Sen Schatz's
campaign website lists climate change (clean energy) as the very top issue:
A Champion for Clean Energy
Developing our nation’s clean energy economy is not only a goal for Brian—it’s his passion. He was the face of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, and now he is parlaying his experiences in Hawaii to make meaningful changes to energy policy in the United States Senate...
In the Senate, Brian is working on developing federal policies that will move our nation towards a clean energy economy. For example, he partnered with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Henry Waxman on draft carbon-pricing legislation that would require large carbon pollution emitters to pay for the pollution they emit...
Brian will continue to lead on clean energy, because there is no greater issue for the next generation than energy independence and climate change.
It makes sense, if Hanabusa is running against a strong progressive like Senator Schatz that she can't come right out and say she's
for climate change.
Somehow though, mudslinging seems just a little desperate.
If you can, please donate to Senator Schatz before the December 31 deadline.