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BREAKING

Brian Schatz Appointed to Hawaii U.S. Senate Seat

Governor chooses understudy, defying wishes of late Sen. Inouye

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by David Mark

Editor-in-Chief t

Image: AP.

HI Governor Neil Abercrombie has picked Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz to fill the seat held by the late Democratic Sen. Daniel Inouye, who died last week. The move goes against the wishes of the late senator, who publicly backed Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa as his successor.

Schatz was among 14 people who had applied for the vacancy, and one of three finalists considered by the governor. Other finalists selected by the Hawaii Democratic Party's state central committee included Hanabusa, and Hawaii Land and Natural Resources Deputy Director Esther Kiaaina. Hawaii law stipulates that an appointed senator must be of the same party as their predecessor.

Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz was inaugurated to his current post on Dec. 6, 2010. Before being elected lieutenant governor, he served for eight years as the CEO of Helping Hands Hawai'i, one of Hawaii's largest non-profit community social services organizations. From 1998 to 2006, Schatz served as a member of the state House of Representatives.

Schatz was raised in Hawai'i, and graduated from Pomona College in Claremont, CA.

Schatz will also likely leapfrog in seniority over Hawaii's other new senator, current Rep. Mazie Horono (D). She's scheduled to assume office Jan. 3, 2013, but Schatz should beat her by a week or so.

Via BigIslandNow.com.

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Comments (view in Forum)

  • Neo_NtheMatrix
    !
    Why didn't a Democrat pick a woman and honor Inouye's wishes? What happened to diversity and inclusion and all that other blah, blah, blah. I guess that only matters when the left is bashing the right. Disgusting. So sad...
  • PoliticalSpice
    !
    Ok, I'll bite. What happened in 1961?

    As to senate pick, I don't know enough about them, and as I don't live in Hawaii, it's not my business.
  • Keyjo
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    @Neo_NtheMatrix
    Uhhhhh, okay, we admit that Elvis Pressley in fact DID film, "Blue Hawaii," back in 1961!
    Happy now?

  • View all 76 replies >

  • Jeff_Woehrle
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    No matter what 'the wishes' of the previous incumbent were, it's pretty plain that he was a career democrat politician who believes that he should retain control of the seat even after his death. Perhaps one of the best illustrations of what's wrong with government.
  • bsking
    !
    @Jeff_Woehrle who was the Democratic kept his seat even though he was brain dead ?( no pun intended)
    who was that you remember?

    I'm thinking it was a senator back around 2002 or 2004. but yeah Democrats are notorious for that .. I mean look at the case of Joe Biden
  • o
    WattheTyler
    !
    I don't anything about Brian Schatz at all so I can't comment about him. I hope Brian Schatz upholds the Constitution, civil liberties, progressive and liberal values as the new US senator of Hawaii. I can't say for the new senator of South Carolina, Tim Scott, who voted a year ago for the NDAA which allows the US government to detain US citizens indefinitely.
  • u
    Belin
    !
    I don't know anything about following the wishes of a congressman that has passed away. I believe the governor should appoint the person he/she views as the best candidate for the job. I like that the Governor appointed a seasoned politician that also headed such a large non-profit organization to help people for so many years. I believe more compassionate people need to be in positions of authority. So many without compassion run our country. I include President Obama in that second group after the things he said to Boenher on his reluctant return to the bargaining table with President Obama. The things he said showed him acting like a dictator instead of the leader of a free country. I don't care whether a democrat or a republican is voted in as the President of our country in four more years, just the fact that Obama will be out. I have prayed for President Obama since he first took office that God would lead him in the direction our country should go. President Obama had said he was a Christian. Then later we find out the church he attended was mainly racial in favor of blacks instead of teaching the word of God. By his actions since being elected for his second term, we now know he was just putting on good face in order to be re-elected. Now that he doesn't have to worry about that, expect more things coming more from a socialist point of view than the traditional views the Democrats have held for so long. I just hope not to much damage is done before the next president takes office. At least we know that if he alienates too many democrats a 2/3 majority vote in the house and senate can undo anything he vetoes. I personally do not want a dictator for the next four years. I want the president we thought we were electing. I hope that was an isolated incident instead of the way he plans to govern our country but I don't think so, I think we got duped. Maybe if he strays to far from the constitution, he can be impeached. I know the democrats would see that as an insult to them. If they do, they need to take a step back and see the situation as their constituents do. It would not be an insult to them, just to a President that wants to rule, not uphold our constitution. The Constitution has worked well for our country for so long, no need to fix something that is not broken.
    I will continue to pray for President Obama, for him to be the President we need. Not the dictator that sat across the table from Boenher.
  • SunshineMaui
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    Senator Daniel Inouye was a dedicated and hard-working public servant for many years. For Governor Neil Abercrombe to ignore his dying wishes (to select Coleen Hanabusa as the interim replacement until the 2014 special election) is a disrespectful slap in the face. I have always supported him before, but will no longer.
  • u
    Romney_Rube
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    Because this was a senate seat for Hawaii, Obama was on hand to conduct separate but personal interviews and, as it turns out, Schatz impressed Obama as a really great brown noser. Hawaii's well known eunuch governor was then ordered to christen Shatz as the next senator for the 50th state. And thenn all of Obama's meathead cabinet rejoiced with glee.