The Hawaii Democratic Party disappoints yet again.  With a majority of 20 to 5 in the Senate with the possibility of it moving to more like 22-3 next go around, they have accepted a party switcher of the lowest sort.

Mike Gabbard.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/...

One major hedge fund speculator has lost his shirt speculating in energy.  No one should be surprised if more suffer the same fate in the recent gasoline price plummet.

from the NY times

http://www.nytimes.com/...

Enormous losses at one of the nation's largest hedge funds resurrected worries yesterday that major bets by these secretive, unregulated investment partnerships could create widespread financial disruptions.

The hedge fund, Amaranth Advisors, based in Greenwich, Conn., made an estimated $1 billion on rising energy prices last year. Yesterday, the fund told its investors that it had lost more than $3 billion in the recent downturn in natural gas and that it was working with its lenders and selling its holdings "to protect our investors." .....

Since they are distant from individual races if not neutral, perhaps their analysis will give a truer picture.

In their analysis, on 13/15 issues Sen Akaka gets the higher score.  Only the issues of family planning, where Case scores 100 to Akaka's 94 and the issue of the environment where Case noses out Akaka 81 to 77 is Case more progressive.

Link

http://www.progressivepunch.org/...

But now Case's own record is biting him in the rear.  Recent rankings by Congress.org put him at the absolute bottom of rankings and in far worse standing than Sen. Akaka.  What a joy to read the paper this AM to see Case's own record spelled out for all to see.

Supposedly, among Democrats, Akaka leads Case 55 to 35.  No sample size, MOE, nothing.  Maybe tmw.

This would be a lot more interesting if they'd reported if they had described what the pollster meant by Democrat:

People planning to vote in the Dem primary?
People who only vote Dem?
Dunno.

We don't register by party here.  The ballot has all the party races on it so you just pick the one that pleases you in the polling booth.  

Bit of good news that certainly should make life less pleasant for the blue dog Ed Case.  Akaka has had a bunch of radio and TV ad up pummelling him for his war position and his economic votes.  Also several with backing from Barack Obama and Sen. Inouye.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/...

Akaka         51%
Case          40%
Undecided      9%
sample 342, MOE 5.3%.

At least they called some outer island folks in the survey unlike the local call only polls done before the 2004 Pres. election that got people all stirred up.

For a couple of reasons, this is much ado about very little IMO.

more below:

I left mollified.  Not because he had words of wisdom or was thought provoking;  his speech was intellectually lazy and confused.  But in the midst of the tangled logic, he actually screwed up and spoke a little truth.

Should relieve the pressure somewhat but as long as everyone keeps rushing out to fill tanks, there will be lines and artificial shortages.  

see prior diary if you want one man's opinion on the likely scenario. Update [2005-8-31 19:24:29 by HiD]: see: http://www.colpipe.com/press_release/pr_73.asp Also the EPA is lifting restrictions on boutique mogas and diesel. That will make life much simpler for oilcos in terms of getting mogas to empty distribution tanks. Also stocks of home heat can be used to operate trucks. They are virtually the same just lower sulfur levels in road diesel.

A healthy chunk of US refining capacity was/is shut down due to the storm, lack of power and some will stay down a while with damage.  But what does is really mean and what, if anything, can regular folks do to mitigate the problem.

Highlights are mine.

1) US Air about to go bankrupt.  28000+ employees with thousands of flights a day.  They won't stop flying but everyone of those employees has got to be worrying about pensions, layoffs etc.

http://tinyurl.com/6z9rc

2)  Delta Airlines contemplating bankruptcy.  60,000+ employees.  This is ploy to make the pilots and other employees take pay cuts.  A full Chapter 11 will wipe out most of the investor class' stake in Delta and put those 60K employees in fear for their jobs.  

There was a joke in the AJC vent along the lines of you used to be able to sell 1 share of Delta and eat in the nicest restaurant in town.  Now one share won't cover popcorn at the movies...  People are noticing.

http://tinyurl.com/5rjg5

3) United Airlines Pension Woes

United may flake on making payments to their existing pension plans.  They mismanaged their pension funds as well as the business in general.  

http://tinyurl.com/6we7d

It's not happy days at American either.

On CNN now (6:02 eastern)