Seats on the Honolulu City Council are nonpartisan, as is the mayor’s job. But that doesn’t mean party politics doesn’t raise its contentious head.

This week, conflict erupted on two fronts. Kioni Dudley filed a complaint with the Democratic Party of Hawaii against Mayor Kirk Caldwell for helping fundraise for Kymberly Pine, Dudley’s rival for her Council seat.Caldwell is a Democrat and Pine is Republican, the complaint notes, asserting this activity violates party rules.

Meanwhile, Council Chairman Ernie Martin and members Ann Kobayashi and Trevor Ozawa — three with closer ties to Democrats than Republicans — have endorsed Charles Djou, a Republican and Caldwell’s opponent for mayor. From this we conclude: Politics makes strange bedfellows. Also, perhaps: Turnabout is fair play?

Scientific ‘honor’ in eye of beholder?

The scientist who discovered a blood parasite specfic to turtles says he meant it as an honor in naming it after President Barack Obama, but we’re guessing Obama himself isn’t quite sure what to think.

Thomas Platt, of Saint Mary’s College in Indiana, officially named the parasite Baracktrema obamai, and said it was the crowning achievement of his career before he retires; he has 30 other new species to his credit as well.

Perhaps Obama is taking consolation in the “honor” knowing that he also has a spider, a fish and an extinct lizard named after him. What’s next, we wonder — perhaps some cool, deep-sea critter in the newly expanded Papahanaumokuakea marine sanctuary?