On Politics
BY RICHARD BORRECA
Ethics becomes arsenal
for GOP campaignsRepublicans are looking to the state courts to hand them one of the biggest public relations advantages of the fall campaign: the political corruption issue.
In a matter of a few years, the state's Democrats have supplied the GOP with a potent weapon. By not grabbing the issue, Democrats may leave themselves open to attack.
On the surface, the facts are troublesome.
The Honolulu City Council has become a nest of impropriety, but that type of behavior isn't new. Before former Councilman Andy Mirikitani starting doing time in a federal prison, before Councilwoman Rene Mansho was charged with felony theft, before Councilman Jon Yoshimura was suspended from practicing law, other Democrats were in trouble.
In 1997, then-Senate President James Aki pleaded no contest to gambling charges. Before that, former House Speaker Danny Kihano was busted by the feds for using campaign funds for private purposes and then trying to cover it up.
That happened at about the same time that former state Sen. Milton Holt was sent to federal prison for mail fraud. He also was dipping into his campaign funds illegally.
Before this legislative session started, former state Sen. Marshall Ige was in court pleading guilty to theft charges -- also stemming from illegally handling his campaign money.
In years past Democrats were guided by Jack Gonzales, a former Campaign Spending Commission director. He was sent to federal prison for his part in a phony investment scheme.
All that would be just another year in Hawaii politics if it weren't for the campaigns of Democrat Jeremy Harris and Republican Linda Lingle.
As the Democratic front-runner, it is assumed that Harris will set the tone for his party this fall, but Harris right now is under suspicion. The Campaign Spending Commission charged that his campaign violated state laws by hiding contributions. The city prosecutor is still investigating.
Enter Lingle, who is shaping up a campaign based on the three E's: education, economy and ethics. The first two will serve any candidate well this year, but the third is one Lingle hopes to make a GOP brand.
The corruption tagged to the party in power is like a vein of gold to be mined by the GOP.
A new, younger group of voters -- 30- to 35- year-olds -- is becoming interested in the GOP, Lingle says.
"This new group of voters has to look at Marshall Ige, Jon Yoshimura and Rene Mansho -- you just can't escape it any more," Lingle says
"Young people are saying, 'We don't want any part of it,'" she says.
The neat part of the trick is that as long as the Harris investigation continues, Lingle can beat the campaign drum for ethics reform and the Democrats are stymied.
Of course, if no charges are brought against the Harris campaign, the effect will boomerang and redemption, not morality, will win the election.
Richard Borreca writes on politics every Sunday in the Star-Bulletin.
He can be reached at 525-8630 or by e-mail at rborreca@starbulletin.com.
