Akaka Maintains Lead in Hawaii Primary

[Judi Lynn]

Akaka Maintains Lead in Hawaii Primary
By MARK NIESSE , 09.24.2006, 05:36 AM

Liberal incumbent Sen. Daniel Akaka held a strong lead Saturday night over upstart challenger Rep. Ed Case in Hawaii's Democratic primary.

Akaka was leading 54 percent to 45 percent with about two-thirds of the expected vote counted. He had 87,102 votes compared to Case's 71,712.

Who the winner faces in the general election remained a mystery after former Vietnam prisoner of war Jerry Coffee, who pulled out of the race because of health reasons, won the GOP nomination. Republicans have three days to name a replacement candidate.

Akaka, 82, has served in Congress for 30 years and drew on his experience to boost his candidacy.
(snip/...)

http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/entremgmt/feeds/ap/2006/09/24/ap3040414.html

[SoCalDem]

1. I like Akaka, BUT an 82 year old man should think about retiring..

Sometimes people can stay too long.. Byrd is another one.. t their age, they could get elected out of sentimentality or familiarity and a few months into their term, a republican governor could end up naming their replacement..

[annabanana]

4. Perhaps... but. . . NOT THIS YEAR!!

(timing is everything, sheesh)

[mahina]

7. Our Senator is so much better than you know.

We prevailed here against a major right wing push. I can understand how at first glance without knowing about the records of both that argument could seem persuasive, but believe me, this was not a Democrat against Democrat race. Case was the Lieberman of the pacific, backed by the Bushies. There is so much more to know about Senator Akaka than that he is old. He is responsible for bringing a PTSD treatment center here, so our returning vets can be screened and lives and families won't be destroyed as my family was after Vietnam. Senator Akaka is an extrememly knowledgeable resource on renewable energy, and has been for decades, learning more all the time and planning for a renewable and sustainable future once we remove some in-state obstacles that the federal guys can't do anything about. He has protected funding for education, public broadcasting, social security, and of course he was one of very few who voted against going to war. He said there was no reason to go, and he was right. He earned the support of people across the islands who worked their asses off against Case's 600,000$ direct mail campaign spent on his behalf by the mainland realtors pac.

Don't let Senator Akaka's gentle demeanor confuse you. He is a champion for our people and has stood up to the facsists squatting in DC as much as or more than any of your better known Senators. We love him very deeply and are very grateful to him for being willing to serve again.

Oh and by the way, according to Hawaii state law should the governor appoint a senator she must appoint someone of the same party that the voters elected.

Which at this point would have to be an improvement over Ed Case, though his concession speech was pretty good.

Regardless of the D by his name, Ed Case would have betrayed you all just as he betrayed us in Congress. This vote analysis at Progressive Punch has more specific info. http://progressivepunch.org/members.jsp?member=HI1&chamber=Senate&search=findOfficial&zip=96734&x=48&y=8

So be happy we did the work to protect our progressive Senator! We are exhausted but elated. Mahalo!

[Eugene]

2. AP: Akaka Defeats Case in Hawaii Senate Race

Akaka Defeats Case in Hawaii Senate Race


Sunday September 24, 2006 1:31 PM

AP Photo HIMG119

By MARK NIESSE

Associated Press Writer

HONOLULU (AP) - Liberal incumbent Sen. Daniel Akaka beat back a challenge
from upstart Rep. Ed Case in Hawaii's Democratic primary. Case conceded
the race just before midnight Saturday, when returns showed he trailed
55 percent to 45 percent with roughly two-thirds of the expected vote
counted. He trailed in every county, including those in his own 2nd
District.

Whom Akaka faces in the general election remained a mystery after former
Vietnam prisoner of war Jerry Coffee, who pulled out of the race because
of health reasons, won the GOP nomination. Republicans have three days
to name a replacement candidate.

Akaka had 128,927 votes to Case's 106,968, with only one precinct
on Maui unreported.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6101990,00.html

[Peace Patriot]

3. What does "upstart" challenger mean? I haven't been following this race.

Were there any significant differences between Akaka and Case?

Hawai'i has a rigged e-voting system like most states, with the machine code owned and controlled by Bushite corporations (the vote tabulation code is "trade secret," proprietary information--code so secret that not even our secretaries of state are permitted to review). In Hawai'i's case, it's ES&S, brethren to Diebold (a Diebold spinoff). The two companies are run by two brothers, Bob (Diebold) and Todd (ES&S) Urosevich. ES&S was initially funded by rightwing billionaire Howard Ahmanson, who also gave one million dollars to the extremist 'christian' Chalcedon Foundation (which touts the death penalty for homosexuals, among other things.) These voting systems are extremely insecure and insider hackable, and the corporations who control them are extreme Bush partisans, who now have the capability of easily and undetectably changing millions of votes ("paper trail" or no "paper trail.". So, who knows who won, Akaka or Case? It is unknowable. And we should stop lending credence to reports of election results in such a system. Please post them with a caveat.

Here is a list of states and their current voting systems, for reference. All e-voting systems are run on TRADE SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code. The biggest of these democracy-killing corporations--and the most Bush friendly--are Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia.
http://electionline.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1099

-----

Bust the Machines--Vote by Absentee Ballot this November!

If everyone who despises the Bush Junta (60% to 70% of the American people!) votes by Absentee Ballot, the reign of these diabolical machines will be OVER!

[Eugene]

5. Ed Case is a DLC "moderate."

Ed Case supports the war in Iraq. Daniel Akaka is a liberal.
Case claimed that Hawaiian needed a younger, more moderate
Senator to represent them.

[mahina]

8. It is not moderate to spend a half a trillion dollars to start a civil war

nor is it moderate to privatize social security. Ed Case pitched himself as a moderate because he misread the electorate, not because he actually believes in anything. I say this after having volunteered for him and having been extremely dissapointed with his votes once he was my representative.

I'm just sayin.

Aloha.

[samsingh]

6. good

[mahina]

9. Here's our state 's thread on the matter prior to the election.

Here's what your fellow DU'ers that live in the islands think.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=147x1459

Mahalo!

[samsingh]

11. thanks!

[w4rma]

10. Good. (nt)