Local pols court Obama
By David Shapiro
I came across a story in the Washington publication Politico that's better than anything I've seen locally on President Barack Obama's likely role in the 2010 Hawai'i elections.
The bottom line in the story by Carol E. Lee is that the president probably won't get involved in the likely Democratic primary between U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, an early supporter and longtime Obama family friend, and Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who has relentlessly courted the president's favor since jumping on the bandwagon late.
Less certain is whether Obama will weigh in on the special election to replace Abercrombie in the 1st Congressional District between Democrats Colleen Hanabusa and Ed Case and Republican Charles Djou.
Stories have been circulating locally about an allegedly unsuccessful attempt by Hannemann to crash Obama's family outing at Hanauma Bay during the first family's recent vacation here.
Hannemann, who wangled some face time with the prez last year during his tour of the Honolulu Zoo, was said to be agitated when the Secret Service wouldn't let him down to the beach at Hanauma.
Here's the Politico account:
Hannemann has been so unabashed in his efforts to see and be seen with the president that it’s become a local joke. Eyes rolled across Honolulu when he recently introduced a proposal to change the name of a park that’s long been known as Magic Island to The President Barack Obama Beach Park at Magic Island. The signature photo on his Twitter page is one of him and Obama. And the 55-year-old loves telling people about the time then-Sen. Obama once called him one of the country’s best mayors.
When Hannemann showed up at Hanauma Bay, the city park where Obama was snorkeling during his recent holiday vacation, no one was surprised. The mayor also appeared at the Honolulu Zoo shortly after the Obama family arrived, anointed himself their tour guide and made it into all their photographs.
Hannemann explained that he rushed over to Hanauma Bay after Obama got there only so he could get his parks manager down to the shore, not himself.
“All I was there for was to make sure — I never even wanted to go down — my guy was told he couldn’t go down, he’s the head of the bay, so I had to straighten out the White House staff and say, ‘He goes down; this is our city,’” Hannemann said defensively.
As my Uncle Otto from Brooklyn used to say, "You believe dot?"
The Politico piece is a good read and I recommend you follow the link to the full story.
Volcanic Ash
January 26th, 2010 at 5:08 am
The more that I read about Hannemann, the less I like him as a role model for good government.
January 26th, 2010 at 5:16 am
How did Politico catch the Hanneman Hanauma bay story? I did not see it locally, did anybody else?
January 26th, 2010 at 5:44 am
Pat, we agree on something.
When he was campaigning against Case in 2004, Mufi came to my work place to do some face to face campaigning. I was probably the only white guy in the whole 250 + company. Mufi stood in the middle of us, busted out his forced pidgin and said "you want a mayor who looks like you, speaks like you, eats the same food as you", etc. (an obvious slam against the caucasion Case). It was very rude. His eyes fell upon me with my arms crossed. From that moment on I have never been a fan.
January 26th, 2010 at 7:47 am
According to a pal, who spoke with the Hawaii head of the Secret Service, this is a true story. The local media has not picked it up, until now. Good going Dave, only 10 days late.
January 26th, 2010 at 7:58 am
Politico is not exactly the New York Times, Dave. Do you also get your leads on aliens in the White House from Star?
January 26th, 2010 at 8:20 am
Bongo, Politico is a reputable publication. Comparing it to Star is like comparing your boss to Rod Tam, which would be unfair.
January 26th, 2010 at 9:18 am
Sucking up is so pathetic.
January 26th, 2010 at 9:31 am
Thank goodness Politico is not like the NYT - the NYT didn't have this gem!
Appreciate the story, Dave - & Scott, too. Confirms my suspicions, sadly enough - and I voted for him, too.
January 26th, 2010 at 10:08 am
another manini story. Almost everyone does something like this to enhance his/her political career. It is almost mandatory, if you ignore the powers and some else doesn't, who gets the prize? This kind of behavior is a huge part of doing business, in the private and political world. It is called networking in the business world and it works. Not a big deal except for folks with manini ideals.
January 26th, 2010 at 10:29 am
IO, we're pretty good in Hawai'i at leaving high-profile visitors alone and letting them enjoy their vacations. When the unwelcome intrusions on their privacy are made by the chief executive of our city, it becomes concerning and embarrassing.
January 26th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
hanneman being taller than President Obama just wants to overshadow.
Wonder if being from a poor family who made it big by going to Harvard Business School wants to outshine our President who came from a middle class family? "I went to Harvard, so I am better than you". "I went to a public school while you graduated Punahou High School".
hanneman is a popup. Too bad unlike our computers, we can block popups.
January 26th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Obama's visits cost the city about $250K, the least he can do is thank the Mayor for being a good host...which he did when Mufi was in DC a couple of days ago.
As far as Politico goes...Ms Lee trashes everybody from the President on down until she gets to the "affable" Lt Governor, who "flashes his Hollywood smile." (is this pre or post mustache removal?) Either way it sounds like Politico has a bit of a right leaning agenda...
January 26th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Politico is borderline "reputable." It definitely has a pro-GOP, conservative bias, but cannot be fairly compared to checkout stand tabloids. I regard it as couple notches above Fox News in its credibility.
So we are left to decide for ourselves if the story rings true. The fact that Mufi is quoted trying to explain his actions, indicates he was definitely there. Given his behavior at other locations when Obama was present, the story rings true to me.
@Michael,
Mufi went to Iolani, not a "public school."
BTW, I am unaware of any public evidence Mufi supported Obama's campaign in Hawaii until well after Democratic voters went 3 to 1 for him in the local caucuses. I am willing to be corrected on this if any of Mufi's supporters here can provide evidence.
Neil, on the other hand, was the key player in Obama's campaign here, from the very beginning, even before a campaign was launched. Mufi's theatrics are clearly designed to obscure this fact. But I'm not convinced "Obamamania" will be much a factor in the Governor's race.
Dave, I would be surprised if Obama weighs in on the congressional special election. He is not close to either Hanabusa or Case, nor does he have a reason to risk annoying either of them or their supporters. I think it's a safe bet he will stay out of it.
(OK, he might want a Democrat to defeat Djou, but Djou would probably LOVE being able to appeal to Republicans all across the country to support him in "standing up to Obama in Obama's home state". Again, I see no percentage in it.)
January 26th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Sorry Kolea.
Misinformation on my side.
January 26th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
@Kolea-
Politico is a real publication. The two guys who started it are industry vets from WaPo, not two 23 yr olds in pajamas. One of them, Jim Vandehei, was just put on the pulitzer selection committee.
Just out of curiousity, how "reputable" is the Huffington Post, in your opinion?
January 26th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Hannemann chaired a fundraiser for Obama that netted $1.3 million. Abercrombie contributed a lot of words.
January 26th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
WooWoo,
That Politico was founded by two veterans doesn't affect the accuracy of my characterization of it. When it first started, I had some hope for its professionalism. It rather quickly became the outlet of choice for many of Dick Cheney's attacks on Obama. Its veneer of professionalism is wearing pretty thin as it rubs up against the political agenda. It is very much aligned with the GOP and conservative political causes. I rated it as a couple of notches more credible than Fox News. Surely Fox News is also reputable?
Huffington Post is a very mixed bag. There are writers of major stature with columns there, and there is some notso credible stuff and celebrity/scandal nonsense mixed in. Most of the columnists are left of center, but there are also some conservatives published there regularly.
@Bongo,
You got a date on that fundraiser? I will admit I was wrong if you say it was before the Hawaii Caucuses. Mufi was paralyzed and unable to decide between Clinton and Obama at a time when his endorsement might have entailed a political risk. The caucuses were in February. Tens of thousands of Hawaii residents turned out to vote for Obama, but Mufi was unable to decide for Obama until late May 2008, more than three months later. It's kinda easy to jump onboard a bandwagon once you already know who the victor is. I guess its always easy to find a seat, if you can get your financial backers to cough up $1.3 million in order to get you in good with a President.
In response to Bongo's comment, I just went to Mufi's blog--someplace I had never been before. The pictures and articles trying to convince everyone he and Obama are BFFs is so blatantly fraudelent and pathetic.
Be a mensch, Mr. Mayor, not a suck-up.
January 26th, 2010 at 11:49 pm
Kolea-
How does the alleged "political agenda" of Poiltico differ, from a credibility standpoint, from the political agenda of the NYTimes? You may disagree with Dick Cheney, but you can't diss a news outlet for covering a former VP. His words are legitimate news.
January 27th, 2010 at 6:36 am
Kolea,
You say that "the pictures and articles trying to convince everyone he (Mufi) and Obama are BFFs is so blatantly fraudelent and pathetic." What makes them "fraudulent"? Are they photoshopped out of stock images? Are the events faked? They didn't really shake hands or talk? Maybe its simply the gut reaction of a partisan Abercrombie supporter and not the material itself?
January 27th, 2010 at 8:57 am
Bongo,
What is "fraudulent" is the impression Hanneman is trying to create about his "close" relationship with Obama. It is desperate and it shows. It's obvious purpose is to help neutralize Neil's argument that his longstanding relationship with Obama would help Hawaii if he is elected Governor. That and to tap into what small level of irrational "Obamamania" still exists among Hawaii voters.
I make no attempt to pretend I am a fan of the Mayor. But set aside my obvious bias for a second and hear what I am saying. Mufi has strengths, but there are certain things which re-inforce negative perceptions of him among voters. This obvious pandering and "sucking up" to Obama reinforces the widely-held belief he is obsessed with self-promotion. It also reinforces, at least to me, his tone-deafness, his inability to listen to feedback from the community. Which reinforces my perception, shared by many, that his campaign/administration is full of people who are bullied into giving up their independent judgment and unable to tell him uncomfortable truths.
Because you are a Mufi loyalist (and probably an employee of his), I am sure you see things differently. Run what I am saying through whatever filters you think are appropriate, but don't let your loyalty to Mufi blind you to the kernel of truth in my warning. He is on the verge of becoming a laughingstock with all this Obama pandering. The Politico article should sound a warning within the campaign/administration. (Yeah, Politico is pro-GOP, but why give them ammo?).
I really don't think it is in the Mayor's interest to wagethe campaign on which candidate is closer to Obama. Given his refusal to endorse Obama until 3 months after the caucuses, he's on disadvantageous terrain. The $1.3 million raised at the August 2008 fundraiser can easily be seen as a belated attempt to BUY his way into the good graces of the Obama campaign, not as a sincere expression of support. Because he is Mayor of Honolulu, he can force his way into City-controlled venues for photo ops with the President. The Zoo is an obvious example. The Haunama Bay story is damning, however, in showing he doesn't know when he is being obnoxiously invasive of the First Family's privacy.
Catch a clue. Back off on the "Mufi Loves Obama" messaging. This is good advice, even if I happen to prefer Abercrombie over Mufi.
January 27th, 2010 at 9:58 am
@Bongo,
Mufi's not alone in this. The article says Ed Case "favored Obama in the primary." This is better than other news accounts which say Case "campaigned for Obama" in the primary. If Ed favored Obama, he kept that a tightly held secret. Ed had plenty of opportunity to express a preference in the 2008 presidential primary. Early on, he made a point of saying he found things to admire in Clinton, Obama and McCain and would make his preferences known in due time. He never followed through.
On the eve of the Super Tuesday voting, he sent an email to tens of thousands of Hawaii voters, with the title, "Elections 2008: Reflections on Change." Instead of offering an opinion on who should be the next president, he sidestepped the matter and used the occasion to talk about himself as a visionary advocate for change.
Ed may mislead people about his support for Obama, but to his credit, he does not make it a central part of his campaign.
I don't CARE if candidates supported Obama in the primary. But it is revealing when they misrepresent the facts on this. Or blow its significance way out of proportion in making appeals to the voters.
January 27th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Sorry folks, I heard you out, but the "fraud" being committed here is by the mayor's political enemies who are trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. Whether by some GOP journalist who has her nose in Aiona's behind, HawaiiReporter the relentless promotors of all things anti-rail (even a knuckle-head like Panos for Mayor) and Dave Shapiro, whose day is not complete without drifting some stealthy fart in Hannemann's direction; this "story" is being promoted by individuals with an axe to grind.
So, knock yourselves out...you will never turn this turd into a legitamate story.
January 27th, 2010 at 9:29 pm
Bongo, typical city hall attack response. You can't disagree on any issue without being cast as the mayor's "political enemy." You're guilty of "fraud" if you're uncomfortable with his seemingly compulsive stalking of the president of the United States. You offer sound advice and you have an "axe to grind." Dare put your name on a ballot across from his and you're a "knuckle-head." Sad, really.
January 27th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Dave, a "disagreement" implies that there is some mutual knowledge of the subject being discussed. In the case of Hanauma Bay, Hannemann knows what happened and you don't. His version is believable to me. He sounded like he was miffed that the Director of Parks and Recreation was being told by a bunch of mainland "suits" to stay away from a facility that he's legally responsible for and justifiably intervened. Hardly an attempt to endear himself to anyone. Your attempts to promote a third-hand story from Politico (scavenged from the HawaiiReporter) that portrays the Mayor's "compulsive stalking of the president' is NOT a disagreement. It is the provocative dissemination of misinformation, created by, and distributed by, political "enemies" of the Mayor for the sole purpose of discrediting him with the voters.
January 27th, 2010 at 10:50 pm
And lastly, I have known Panos, and concluded he was indeed a "knuckle-head," years before he ever put his name on a ballot.
January 27th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
Bongo, reminds me of the bass line in The Coasters' "Charlie Brown" — "Why is everybody always picking on me?"
January 28th, 2010 at 8:27 am
Yes, if the media is relying on Malia Zimmerman for jouralisitic sources, then we are indeed in trouble.
Bottom line which none of you have responded too, if this really happened, why did Obama put Hannemann in the front row last week in DC and single him out for praise? No one would have noticed if he had done neither?
And trust me (I live right down the road from the Obama compund), the Mayor most def was not stalking the president. What we have here is a disgreement between an Obama staffer and the City on protocal. It was resolved. End of story.
January 28th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
Bongo Said:
January 26th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
"Hannemann chaired a fundraiser for Obama that netted $1.3 million. Abercrombie contributed a lot of words"[.]
BONGO: Mufi did NOT chair the Obama fundraiser that rasied $1.3 million, he did attend it.
January 28th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Akamai,
Actually, I think Mufi was an official "co-chair " of the event. Since the other "co-chair" was Walter Dods, I will leave it to readers to figure who actually raised the money and who was there for the photo op.
January 28th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Actually if you look at the list of donors from that Obama event, you'll see a lot of people who are Mufi donors as well. So trust me, the Mayor did make plenty of personal phone calls as part of that fundraiser....
January 29th, 2010 at 6:56 am
The Truth, Don't confuse them with facts. They just get cranky.
January 29th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
The Truth,
Since Walter Dods is helping run Mufi's campaign for Governor, I'm not sure your evidence is very convincing. Dods asks folks to donate to his fundraiser for Obama. Dods asks people to donate to Mufi. Result? Some of the donors to Obama are also donors to Mufi.
How is any of this evidence that Mufi raised money for Obama?