On Politics Richard Borreca

---

In the House, picking sides is part of game

AFTER the state House Democrats organized with Rep. Calvin Say remaining as speaker, observers were shocked to learn that Rep. Dwight Takamine had been replaced as chairman of the House Finance Committee.

Takamine held the post for six years, perhaps not much in the span of business or academia, but in politics, six years is three House elections and a long time to hold on to one of the political plums in the Hawaii Legislature.

Takamine already has something of a local political record, because that 1st House District, stretching from Hawi to Hilo, has been represented by either Dwight or his dad, Yoshito Takamine, since statehood.

It is not true that at birth Hamakua Coast residents are given a Democratic Party card, but it sure seems that most residents sign up sometime after getting their booster shots.

IT WAS puzzling for Say to remain and Takamine to go, replaced by Rep. Marcus Oshiro, the son of another Democratic Party icon, Bob Oshiro of Wahiawa.

Now a letter from U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye to Takamine has surfaced that explains part of the reason.

Inouye, who made himself available to help mediate the House organization, was said to have asked Takamine to help out. Now Inouye writes in a letter to Takamine that his request that Takamine assume an ostensibly neutral role "may have cost you your chairmanship."

Inouye apologized, saying in his letter if he "had any inkling of the harmful position I asked you to assume, I would never have done it."

Takamine was asked to mediate by Inouye. Precisely what that meant is unclear. Speaker Say says, "Dwight wasn't mediating," while Rep. Sylvia Luke said Say used the mediation as "an excuse to get rid of Dwight."

IN HIS LETTER, Inouye said, "It was also based on the need to at least try to get beyond the factions and focus on strengthening the institution in light of our Democratic victories at the polls. Too much energy had been focused on fighting and stymieing each other across the caucus table, all the while giving the governor upstairs a free ride."

Say notes that Takamine had a chance to support him as speaker and declined. The younger and less senior House members made up the group opposing Say, but the 30-year legislative veteran points out that nine of the new Democrats won positions on the finance committee and several new chairmen have only two terms in the House.

Inouye closed his letter by saying "I owe you one," and noted that he might have made things worst "with more, not less blood, on the floor."

It is too early to know if the House will need Band-Aids or mops to stanch the flow, but it does guarantee a more interesting Democratic caucus.