Hawaii caught a rare glimpse of political competition as we "flASHback" on the week’s news that amused and confused:
» State Sen. David Ige said he’ll run against Gov. Neil Abercrombie in the 2014 Democratic primary in what one analyst described as "an unusually risky move for a lawmaker respected for his judgment." It says a lot about modern politics when it’s risky for somebody who is respected for his judgment to run against somebody who is not.
» Ige made his mark in the Senate as a leader of the liberal faction known as the Chess Club. Abercrombie has hung out with a different Democratic clique, dividing his time between the Drama Club and the Comedy Club.
» After mulling a veto, the governor decided to sign the Legislature’s bird-poop bill making it a public health nuisance to feed feral birds. For those having trouble keeping track of the measure’s ups and downs, the final verdict was bird poop, no; political poop, yes.
» Abercrombie joined a Hawaiian Airlines junket to Taipei, leaving Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui to sign the final seven legislative bills of 2013. The only thing the LG usually signs is the back of his paycheck.
» U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz reported fattening his campaign war chest by $911,000 in the latest quarter. What political precision: He put out a 911 call after U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa entered the race against him and hit it right on the nose.
» CNBC named Hawaii the nation’s worst state for business, grading us down for, among other things, our high tax rates, high cost of living, weak economy, subpar workforce, struggling schools, lack of innovation and crumbling infrastructure. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
» Dr. Christopher B. Happy was named Honolulu’s chief medical examiner, becoming the city’s highest-paid employee at $250,000 a year. We thank him for his sacrifice; with a name like that, he could make a fortune writing medical marijuana prescriptions.
» A U.S. ballistic missile defense system intended to protect Hawaii from nuclear attack failed when an interceptor missile fired from Vandenberg Air Force Base missed its target over the Pacific. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said, "Can you hear me now?"
» Waikiki looked like it had been reduced to rubble as film crews shot scenes for a remake of "Godzilla." Abercrombie goes to Asia, Godzilla comes here. Fair trade.
And the quote of the week … from Ige on his qualifications for governor: "I bring a different skill set to the job, having been a collaborator all my career. As an engineer, I approach challenges differently and look for win-win solutions." For an underdog engineer, the only win is when "The Little Engine That Could" does.
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Reach David Shapiro at volcanicash@gmail.com or blog.volcanicash.net.
