Bainum condemns
‘bigoted’ attack ad

The Hannemann campaign
says they are not involved

CORRECTION Friday, September 17, 2004 » Honolulu mayoral candidate Duke Bainum was born in Maryland. A story on Page A3 in yesterday's early edition incorrectly said he was born in Tennessee. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at corrections@starbulletin.com.

Mayoral candidate Duke Bainum is condemning as "narrow-minded, bigoted and racially prejudiced" an anonymous flier saying he is "buying his way into local politics."

The flier makes several references to mainland advertising agencies and compares Tennessee-born Bainum to his primary opponent Mufi Hannemann, who was born in Hawaii.

The flier was included in an advertisement for Hannemann that was handed out downtown Tuesday by several men wearing Hannemann T-shirts.

A spokeswoman for Hannemann's campaign denied that it was behind the attack ad.

"This did not come from the Hannemann campaign. Someone put this in our inserts -- someone got a bunch of them," said Elisa Yadao, Hannemann spokeswoman.

Bainum, however, insisted that Hannemann's campaign was behind the flier.

"This sends a message that if you are from the mainland you can't be involved in politics here," Bainum said. "Hannemann needs to grow up and stop this nastiness and keep my family out of his mud-slinging."

The single-page black and white flier calls Bainum "a trust fund baby" and says that "mommy and daddy Bainum can afford to do a lot of deceptive advertising."

Yadao said Hannemann's campaign was trying to keep the focus on Hannemann before this Saturday's primary election.

"Messages that detract from that have no place in the campaign," Yadao said.

Bainum called the flier "over the line."

"When you attack my parents because they worked hard is just not right," Bainum said.