In 1994, Holt was taking a lot of heat. He'd been through highly publicized incidents involving spouse abuse, disorderly conduct in New Orleans and a bizarre disappearance during a key point in the legislative session. His high profile as the Senate's bad boy forced him to give up his bid for the Senate presidency and concede it to rival Norman Mizuguchi.
So Holt announced he wouldn't seek re-election - and might not even finish his term - to spend more time with his children, who had been placed in his custody after his divorce.
Politically, it was a master stroke. He was no longer a potential Senate president, but a lame duck and struggling single parent. The news media and his political opponents backed off, sparing him further hard questions about his erratic personal and public behavior.
It left him free to play the bad boy with impunity. Free to support the another party's candidate for governor. Free to play political games with Gov. Ben Cayetano on auto insurance that leave Hawaii's outrageous rates intact. Free to subvert the legislative process to make a grandstand play on same-sex marriage.
And predictably, the retirement is looking shaky. First, he announced last year that family and friends were helping him with the children and he'd be able to finish his term after all. Now he's throwing out hints that, at the request of his "supporters," he may seek re-election.
This has been great news to Senate allies like Ways and Means Chairwoman Donna Ikeda, who says the Senate just couldn't get along without Holt. No doubt it's also great news to Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate, which has to love having its employee in the Senate.
In fact, when the Oahu Democratic Party considered censuring Holt for endorsing Best Party candidate Frank Fasi over fellow Democrat Cayetano, he was represented by a Bishop Estate attorney while Ikeda and Sen. Randall Iwase had a chat with the party officials to - in Ikeda's words - assure "fairness and due process, no matter who you are or what your name happens to be." Holt got off with a wrist slap.
The bad boy recently showed his own high regard for due process by trampling every Senate rule for fairness and openness to get the Senate on record against same-sex marriages.
It's not that he had the wrong idea. Somebody has to stop this foolish rush toward legalized same-sex marriage. But a real leader would have respected the rules and relied on persuasive powers instead of chicanery.
AFTER much huffing and puffing, Senate leaders gave him his way. It was just another example of how Holt considers himself above the rules - and another time he proved he can get away with playing outside the rules.
With all the solid, reliable and talented people of unquestioned character who would love to serve in the Senate, how can Donna Ikeda suggest with a straight face that the Senate needs Milton Holt?
State Rep. Suzanne Chun Oakland says she'll run for Holt's Senate seat whether he seeks re-election or not. Brave words, but I suspect the powerful forces that protect Milton Holt will prevail upon Chun Oakland to drop out if Holt decides he wants to keep his seat.
I hope I'm wrong and she stays in. Voters in the district deserve a choice on whether or not they need Milton Holt. The decision shouldn't be made for them by the Bishop Estate, Donna Ikeda and Randall Iwase.
