A Hawaii Resignation Robs Dems of a Health Care Vote

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

Source: Time Magazine

Yesterday he resigned, depriving House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of a an “aye” vote at a time when every vote counts ahead of a tough month on health care reform, to focus on his run for governor. Sure – his departure is mitigated by the resignation of Rep. Nathan Deal, a Georgia Republican – but Dems are asking, Abercrombie couldn't have toughed it out another month to see health care done?

His departure also means that a special election will be held on May 22 to fill Abercrombie's seat for the rest of his term. The heavy favorite is Honolulu Council Member Charles Djou, the Republican candidate. The two Democratic candidates, former Rep, Ed Case and State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa have focused their fire on each other. The district, which encompasses Pearl Harbor, is heavily military and is more GOP-leaning than its overwhelming vote for native son Obama in 2008 would imply. Losing the district would be a blow to Dems not only for the lost seat in a blue state but becuase this is literally the President's childhood home.




Read more: A Hawaii Resignation Robs Dems of a Health Care Vote

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ABERCROMBIE'S EGO AND THE COST TO HAWAII AND US:

Hawaii voters can thank Abercrombie's ego for an expensive special election which the state
cannot afford because it's elections department has $0 in its budget.

Hawaii voters can also thank Abercrombie's ego for putting this congressional seat at risk.

And US voters, those millions without health care, can thank Abercrombie's ego for putting
the Health Care Vote at risk.

Aloha Neil Abercrombie and Dont let the door hit you on the ass on your way out!

[tonekat]

1. What a bum! N/T

[AndyA]

2. Great. Why is it that Dems seem dead set on destroying the party?

The vote/act like Republicans. They are door mats to Republicans, even when Dems are the majority. They can't get together with a uniform message -- they don't need to march in lockstep, but some uniformity would be beneficial to the party.

Voter fraud from 2000 and later elections hasn't been addressed with the corrupt electronic machines.

There is no legislation in place to address media accountability or honesty.

No investigation into Bushco war crimes, fraud, and abuse of authority.

Is it any wonder they keep losing to the GOP, only to have a bigger pile of shit handed to them the next time things get so bad the GOP is tossed out?

[Socal31]

25. I'm with you except your 3rd point.

Who is the media "accountable" to, and who decides who is being honest?

[kiapolo]

3. Your short-sightedness is misguided...

You're blindness in the health reform battle has you missing the long term benefit of Abercrombie dropping out early.

An early drop out in a HEAVILY democrat state allows a strong chance that his seat will be replaced by a Dem. Hanabusa (D) has name recognition, money, and the organization already to run for the special election of Abercrombie's seat. If Abercrombie "toughed" it out of another month, that leaves the door wide open for upstart Charles Djou (Republican) to make a legitimate run for the vacant seat. Essentially what Abercrombie is doing is cutting off the election before Hanabusa can screw it up (aka - Scott Brown). Djou is riding some populist wave here in Hawaii because of his stance on some issues that are not popular (Honolulu Rail system, lowering excise and property taxes, etc). An organized grassroots Djou campaign is a legit threat to a establishment Hanabusa campaign.

Would you rather lose a vote temporarily, or lose a LONG TIME Dem seat to a Repub?

[TheEuclideanOne]

4. Sad that the bar is so low

We can choose to win the most important issue currently and decades to come or we can chose to win the next election in Hawaii. But it is a foregone conclusion that they are mutually exclusive! How sad is that? Maybe if the democrats could get their act together, we could conceive of doing both. Unfortunately, the Democrats never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

[TheEuclideanOne]

5. Perhaps you are the one who is shortsighted.

Sure, in the true Democrat sense, you consider this to be a smart move. Then again, that type of attitude is why Democrats can not accomplish anything even with a super majority.

The way I see it, another way of looking at this is that by dropping out at this crucial point, he will lose both. This type of behavior will not go unnoticed by the people who he needs to vote for him. Perhaps the right vision is to say that he will stick it out and help Healthcare Reform to become a reality and if he doesn't, he will have a whole bunch of his base that will hold it against him, losing the election that he sold his party out to win. If I were in Hawaii, I would have a hard time getting past this.

Think about it, a heavily democratic state could fail if the candidate has the mentality that you are so proudly promoting. The story in this follow up to Massachusetts could be that people did not vote for him because he dropped out of his seat a month before a vote on such a crucial issue. These are the major types of fuck-ups that could explain losing a state that should be a given.

[icee]

9. That's the way I see it also.

[cstanleytech]

12. In the above posters defense it could as well be you to, just saying is all.

I personally dont have an opinion on this person resigning, might be a good thing, might not, I just dont know.

[TheEuclideanOne]

19. Thanks for posting your lack of opinion

The way I see it, it is not like flipping a coin. If you have no opinion, why even post? Just sayin. :banghead:

[cstanleytech]

27. Because you seemed so eager to bash their opinion, I just wanted to point out you could be the one

who is wrong, thats why but of course :shrug: if you wish to ignore the possibility that you might be the one wrong it is your right.

[kiapolo]

14. You have no vision of Hawaii politics...I am here...I see it...

I am a Union Attorney, I am close to the heartbeat of politics here.

If Abercrombie served the rest of his term or waited very much longer, Djou has a very good chance of mounting a populist campaign against Hanabusa. Imagine if the Coakley/Brown election could have been held before Coakley's massive implosion. This is basically what Abercrombie is doing here. Cutting off Djou before he can mount a credible campaign.

Djou is riding a wave of populist outrage at some big issues here that Abercrombie and Hanabusa support. 1) the Rail system, 2) hiked excise tax (a repressive tax by the way, that hurts the poor), and 3) property tax (which is very unpopular in Hawaii and has been raised by the Dem establishment)... With this populist rage against the establishment Democrat government Djou could topple Hanabusa (who is perceived as Democrat establishment)...

If you think Hawaii is a lock for Dems, that is the kind of thinking that cost Dems Massachusetts...Like many people here are saying...losing a Congressional seat to a Republican in Hawaii is like losing a a Congressional seat to a Republican in Massachusetts...

[kiapolo]

16. and by the way...

I love how people are complaining about Abercrombie leaving now and it's gonna cost health care when the Party couldn't even pass HCR with a super-majority in the Senate!!!!

Come on people, he waited long enough, don't blame him because of Harry and Nancy's failure...

[TheEuclideanOne]

22. After reading your reasoning, I still stand by my original thoughts.

I may not have a feel for Hawaii politics, but one thing we both know for sure is that this can not be good for healthcare. People that care about this issue and the democratic party WILL REMEMBER this. Mark my words. The opposition will be slamming him on it. Look at Sarah Palin. Have you forgotten that she quit? No, you haven't, and she left 18 months before her term ended AND she was the governer of Alaska, for crying out loud.

It could be that your poltical insight and intimate knowledge of politics in hawaii can make this good move for him. At the same time, there are tons of politicians that lose elections and are surrounded by people with an intimate knowledge of their local areas. My guess is that this will be another one of them.

You must be a lifelong democrat. That is the only way you can support such a spineless decision so heartily. Remember, even if he does win his election and sacrifices Healthcare as a result, what does that say about his character? Great he gets to remain employed, but to hell with healthcare, right? To hell with the Democrats for who knows how long. What does that say about you for supporting him on this?

[kiapolo]

24. How can you Blame one House Rep for the failure of Dem Leadership?

Abercrombie was in office while Dems had the White House, the House or Reps and a Super-majority in the Senate, during which time Dem leadership could not pass health care reform! now you try to blame a failure of HRC on Abercrombie?!?! wishful thinking!

The failure of HRC in this Congress will be known by history to rest on the shoulders of Nancy, Harry and Obama...no one will blame Abercrombie except for the kool-aid drinkers.

Abercrombie is running against an unpopular republican lieutenant gov. No here cares that he left early. No one here blames this administration and Congressional leaderships failure to pass meaningful HRC on Abercrombie. it's your kind of thinking that will cost Dems the House in 2010, and maybe the other chamber and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue...blame everyone else but yourself...

[aquart]

13. Heavily Democratic state.

[EFerrari]

15. Welcome to DU, kiapolo, and thank you for the perspective.

:hi:

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

28. I hope you're right, but republicans are very optimistic

crossing my fingers, but the news I've read hasn't been encouraging at all.

Plus the public is footing the bill for Abercrombie to run for gov when they
don't have the funds for a special election.

[Hulk]

6. Oh, for God's sake!! What is with these dumb ass Democrats??

First the butt hole from the Senate...and now this dumb shit? What is going on? Have they NO SENSE of what is good for their country as opposed to their own personal ambitions? Sons-of-bitches!!

[glinda]

7. time is of the essence so the Dems best get a move on

[bluestateguy]

8. We now need 216 to get a bill through

Open seats: Wexler, Murtha, Deal (R) and Abercrombie.

[Plucketeer]

10. That damned Palin!

She started all this cut 'n run stuff! Maybe we should'a stayed with just 48 stars.

[bc3000]

11. Doesn't Hawaii already have health care?

He was there to represent Hawaii, not to bail out the rest of us who can't seem to elect democrats that aren't working for the health care industry.

[scottsoperson]

17. hawaii has universal coverage

and relatively good health outcomes, i hear.

[kiapolo]

18. Hawaii DOES NOT have universal health care

We did have Universal Health care for children, but that program failed in less than a year (bankrupt).

Hawaii's health care law requires employers to provide insurance to employees who work at least 20 hours a week. This insurance has to be approved by the State, and generally insures that the health coverage provided by employer's is pretty good.

This is not Universal health care. many in Hawaii do not have insurance. People without jobs, those working 19 hours a week (a new classification here created after the current health care law was passed...many place will fire you if you perform more than 19 hours of work a week), independent contractors...all these people do not get health care coverage if they don't personally buy it. it only covers the person working, and if any others are to be covered the premiums are pretty hefty.

It's a good system, not perfect, but good.

[dysfunctional press]

20. shouldn't there be a link to the article...?

i thought that was required in lbn...?

[muriel_volestrangler]

21. Yeah, there ought to be

It's from this Time blog post:

http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/03/01/aloha-neil-abercrombie/

[dysfunctional press]

23. thanks...i was trying to find out his reason for leaving...

but it doesn't really say. :shrug:

there must be...a...reason?

[Rapier09]

26. So it ends

Hawaii is probably going to go back to doing its own thing.