Senator Akaka announces retirement

[LikaNui]

Breaking news at this link.
And the race is on.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Senator Akaka announces retirement

AP's story (by Mark Niesse) offers this:

(Sen.) Inouye said last week that likely Democrats to compete for the job include Case, former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz.

[LikaNui]

Re: Senator Akaka announces retirement

AP's story (by Mark Niesse) offers this:

Yes, Akaka's potential retirement and those names (and more) have been frequently in the media for quite a long time over here. None of those names are new to any of us here.
Former governor Linda Lingle has also been expected to run, whether or not Akaka retired at the end of this term.
So none of this is new, and that's why my first post said "The race is on."

[TuNnL]

Re: Senator Akaka announces retirement

None of those names are new to any of us here.

For the good of the state of Hawai‘i, I hope that changes. We need some new blood in the mix.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Senator Akaka announces retirement

None of those names are new to any of us here.
---
So none of this is new, and that's why my first post said "The race is on."

Who said they were "new"? I just included information that was not in the Star-Advertiser's story.

Sheesh...

Not like I was filling in incomplete repostings of Grammy tweets or something important li'dat...

[TuNnL]

Re: Senator Akaka announces retirement

Hawai‘i News Now® viewers weigh in on Sen. Akaka’s successor. Looks like former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann is a early runaway favorite:

[MyopicJoe]

Re: Senator Akaka announces retirement

Looks like former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann is a early runaway favorite:

Oh joy, we can have a singing senator

[Palolo lolo]

Re: Senator Akaka announces retirement

maybe Mufi will actually have to declare which party he's a member of..and the Repubs aren't really popular these days. He's been a DINO (Democrat in name only),because Rethugs don't get elected here. He worked for Bush I and II

[Kaonohi]

Re: Senator Akaka announces retirement

Breaking news at this link.
And the race is on.

The film clip of Akaka getting off Air Force One with Obama had him looking pretty shakey. I wonder if there's an underlying health problem assisting him in his decision.
I always liked Akaka - maybe he was too nice for the sharks in the Washington pool - but it was obvious he cared for the people.
He will be hard to replace.

[LikaNui]

Re: Senator Akaka announces retirement

Looks like former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann is a early runaway favorite

Not if you subtract how many times he voted for himself in that poll.
If he wins, he'll want to build a rail system between here and Washington.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Senator Akaka announces retirement

Hawai‘i News Now® viewers weigh in on Sen. Akaka’s successor. Looks like former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann is a early runaway favorite:

Leave it to HT's resident Mufi-bot to start hyping his boy's chances over polling results that were so preliminary, a major player like Hanabusa still had zero votes.

Everybody's praising Akaka to high heavens now. The man served his country honorably in WWII. He's always been a nice and pleasant person. But for all the years he's been in Congress, the truth of the matter is that Akaka was a political lightweight. One of the least effective as far as shepherding legislation. His latest and greatest failure is, of course, the bill that bears his name. How fitting.

Akaka can say all he wants about now being "the right time" to step down. But the truth, once again? Hawaii's junior senator was all but pushed out;

1) By the national Democrats, who looked at Akaka as vulnerable to a Republican challenger like Linda Lingle. In a 2012 election year where the Democrats have many more seats than the Republicans to defend, the national Dems were not enamoured with putting their money behind a weak link. Not with the Senate majority on the line.

2) and this might suprise some people: Emperor Dan. The state's senior senator, Akaka's staunchest ally for all these years, nudged his buddy out of running for re-election in 2012 when he stated last week that Akaka would not receive the same level of funding and support that he received in '06.

Ha! But who can blame Inouye? The man is now the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, which puts him third in line for succession to the Presidency. He's the chair of the Appropriations Committee. All that power instantly goes up in smoke should the Democrats lose the majority in the Senate. Inouye will do anything to cling to his leadership positions, even if it means throwing his buddy under the bus.

[bjd392]

Re: Senator Akaka announces retirement

the Repubs aren't really popular these days.

Perhaps in places like here. Certainly a little more popular than the number of Democrats that didn't stick around after 2010.

[StinkyTheGrump]

Re: Senator Akaka announces retirement

Leave it to HT's resident Mufi-bot to start hyping his boy's chances over polling results that were so preliminary, a major player like Hanabusa still had zero votes.

Everybody's praising Akaka to high heavens now. The man served his country honorably in WWII. He's always been a nice and pleasant person. But for all the years he's been in Congress, the truth of the matter is that Akaka was a political lightweight. One of the least effective as far as shepherding legislation. His latest and greatest failure is, of course, the bill that bears his name. How fitting.

Akaka can say all he wants about now being "the right time" to step down. But the truth, once again? Hawaii's junior senator was all but pushed out;

1) By the national Democrats, who looked at Akaka as vulnerable to a Republican challenger like Linda Lingle. In a 2012 election year where the Democrats have many more seats than the Republicans to defend, the national Dems were not enamoured with putting their money behind a weak link. Not with the Senate majority on the line.

2) and this might suprise some people: Emperor Dan. The state's senior senator, Akaka's staunchest ally for all these years, nudged his buddy out of running for re-election in 2012 when he stated last week that Akaka would not receive the same level of funding and support that he received in '06.

Ha! But who can blame Inouye? The man is now the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, which puts him third in line for succession to the Presidency. He's the chair of the Appropriations Committee. All that power instantly goes up in smoke should the Democrats lose the majority in the Senate. Inouye will do anything to cling to his leadership positions, even if it means throwing his buddy under the bus.

+1
We need an "agree/disagree with this post" feature.