For the leftist base of the Congressional majority, the creation of a government-run health insurance company has been the defining issue of the health care debate. So, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has explained numerous times that: “The thinking on the public option has been that it gives consumers more choices and it helps keep the private sector honest because there’s some competition out there.” But is this true? Would the public have more choices if a government run health insurance company was created?

--REPUBLICAN TAKES VA: 982,095 McDonnell [R] 653,687 Deeds [D]
--NJ: 514,692 Christie [R] 460,120 Corzine [D] 58,825 Daggett [I]

Contending they were treated unfairly, Asmus and Coker have written to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. They are accusing Inouye’s staff of unevenly applying earmark procedures by dispersing federal dollars to an institute honoring the late Massachusetts senator without giving their outfit, Humanitarian Air Logistics, what they consider a fair hearing....

Walt Kaneakua, an Inouye aide who Asmus and Coker say accused them of insulting Inouye by questioning his decision-making process, did not respond to a request for comment....

Ellis thinks one thing is a pretty sure bet: “They are virtually guaranteeing they will never get an earmark from Inouye.’’

"UNICEF has been a major financier of Palestinian 'summer camps' which encourage children to become suicide bombers. One such camp is named for Wafa Idris…"

Not shy about involving church-goers in the electoral system, Hawaii conference organizers will be promoting the "I VOTE" voter registration drive which aims to register 80% of Hawaii church-goers and turn out 80% to vote at the polls.

Secular humanists are already alarmed at the prospect.  Hawaii has one of the lowest rates of voter participation in the nation but the Honolulu Star-Bulletin October 13 editorialized against the voter registration drive--a positive sign that voter registration can have a profound impact on the direction of the body politic.   

Kona Gathering of Eagles: Sadly we must report to you that four brave aviation Marines, whose Squadron we have been supporting with donations of Kona coffee since last June have been killed in action in Afghanistan.

Editor's Note: On Maui, Kihei Elementary School PTA leaders are working against resistance from the HSTA and the DoE to re-open their school on Furlough Fridays.  Why would the union and bureaucracy oppose this plan?  The best clue is at the end of the letter:

"While the children are in their usual routine the rest of us adults can figure out what to do with the budget."

The DoE and HSTA need to create as much chaos as possible in order to stampede the legislature into raising taxes and raiding special funds.  They are working to stifle any discussion of the massive waste, fraud, and abuse contained within the DoE budget.  By coming up with a way to keep school open on Fridays, the Kihei PTA is getting in the way of this DoE/HSTA political game. 

The new House health care bill (H.R. 3962) unveiled by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) yesterday clocks in at 1,990 pages and about 400,000 words. As written, the bill purports to cost only $1.05 trillion over the first ten years and is paid for by over $700 billion in tax increases and cuts to Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug payments. But as troubling as those numbers are, the scariest thing about the bill is the solid foundation it lays for a complete government take over of the health care sector of our economy.

"This would appear to leave the door open for Professor Osorio to bring a claim once there is state action under Act 176 to sell or otherwise transfer ceded lands."

First-class and priority mail for servicemembers stationed in Afghanistan should be sent by Dec. 4 for arrival by Christmas. The deadline for parcel airlift mail is Dec. 1, and space-available mail bound for Afghanistan should be sent by Nov. 21.  Officials recommend that parcel post mail to all military overseas locations should be sent by Nov. 13.

The undersea cable, which would connect the islands into one electrical grid to allow the integration of renewable wind power generated in Maui County for transmission to O‘ahu is part of a comprehensive energy agreement signed one year ago between the State of Hawai‘i and Hawaiian Electric companies to move the state away from its dependence on fossil fuels for electricity and ground transportation.

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle announced today she will travel to China to build on the State’s strategic efforts to strengthen Hawai‘i’s economic base by tapping China’s growing outbound tourism market as well as developing opportunities and partnerships in clean energy and international trade. 

In poll, after poll, after poll, the American people have clearly expressed their preference for prioritizing economic growth over global warming. This is a major problem for those on the left who want to reorganize our entire economy under the guise of cap and trade climate change legislation. Tacitly admitting they have lost this argument, the left has shifted gears and is trying a new tack: global warming is a threat to national security.

Americans who like making their own health care choices received welcome news yesterday when Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) said he would be willing to block final passage of Obamacare if the government run health insurance program Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced Monday survives the amendment process during the Senate debate. Lieberman explained: "I think that a lot of people may think that the public option is free. It’s not. It’s going to cost the taxpayers and people that have health insurance now, and if it doesn’t, it’s going to add terribly to our national debt.”

This morning the City Council voted not to advance Bill 51 relating to a homeowners tax class.  After the vote, Mayor Mufi Hannemann hauled Council Chair Todd Apo into his office for several hours.  Late this evening, after all media had left the building, Apo, along with Councilmember Gary Okino, suddenly reversed their votes and voted to pass Bill 51.  Councilmember Apo had consistently been a leading opponent of establishing a homeowner tax class since it was first proposed last year.

As a practicing attorney, Nacino had the opportunity to prepare appellate briefs to the Hawai‘i Supreme Court, Hawai‘i Intermediate Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.... He worked for two-and-a-half years at the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office where he tried jury and non-jury cases involving misdemeanor and felonies at the District, Family and Circuit Court levels.... Before beginning his legal career, Nacino was a police officer with the Honolulu Police Department for approximately eight-and-a-half years.

Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced that the health care legislation he is drafting will include a government-run health insurance plan, or as many on the left like to call it “the public option.” The new wrinkle that Reid has thrown into the proposal is an “opt out” clause which would require states to pass legislation by 2014 rejecting participation in the federal government run plan. None of the committees in the House or Senate ever even voted on this new opt out scheme. But that does not really matter. Whether it is first implemented through a co-op, or a trigger, or an opt out, the end goal is the same: government-run health care for all Americans.

The event will feature a presentation by national spokesman and former NFL football star, Riki Ellison, Founder and Chairman of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA) a non-profit organization which advocates the deployment and development of a missile defense system.  Mr. Ellison has is an expert in the field of missile defense.

Republicans have their best candidate in a decade running for this seat. Djou has been fundraising for this race since early 2008, when it was correctly rumored that Abercrombie would leave his House seat open to run for governor. National Republicans already have taken note of Djou and aired advertisements in the heavily Democratic district.

In the HSTA/Kanu Hawaii playbook, Furlough Friday, October 23, 2009 was supposed to be the day they seized control of the debate on how to solve the Hawaii budget crisis.  The Legislature was supposed to announce that they had a majority of both houses lined up to demand a special session.  But other government employees' unions got in the way.