Ka`u News Briefs, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017

"PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN REARRANGE THE DECK CHAIRS ON THE TRUMP TITANIC all he wants but the problem is him and his inability to focus, his continuing attacks on everyone who disagrees with him, so I am not holding out much hope that he is suddenly going to change how he behaves." Sen. Mazie Hirono was talking on MSNBC last night about possible changes in the White House with the Departure of strategist Steve Bannon.
      Hirono said that even the criticism of Trump by leading Republican Senators like Mitch McConnell, Jeff Flake, Lindsey Graham and John McCain "doesn't matter to him." Hirono said, "I am happy that there are some Republicans stepping up to criticize the President and basically his fitness and moral authority to be the President of the United States."
     Hirono is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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Joy Reid interviews Hawai`i Sen. Brian Schatz, who says Jews in Trump cabinet should resign.

SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ ALSO WEIGHED IN. MSNBC's Joy Reid talked about Shatz's earlier criticism of Trump after the violence in Charlottesville, VA., and asked Schatz about Steve Bannon's departure from the White House. "Does that change your view?" Schatz replied, "No, it really doesn't. "           
     Schatz described Bannon as "obviously an outside character, a grandiose character and a dangerous person to have proximity to that much authority. But in the end, the failures of this presidency are the President's failures, and what happened in the wake of Charlottesville was a perfect example of that. What we saw was that by all accounts, the President had a script that he was supposed to read, where he met the basic moral test of being the leader of the free world, which is to say, that he knows the difference between Nazis and people who protest against Nazis. And he's the one that went off script. So as dangerous as Steve Bannon is and as thankful as many of us are that he's leaving the White House, I think the real problem is the President of the United States, and that's not going to change any time soon."

Schatz says Bannon's departure still leaves "the real problem," the President.

        When Reid asked Schatz whether Jewish members of the Trump cabinet "should resign in protest, particularly, given that Breitbart (Bannon's news network) is signaling that they're coming for them," Schatz said, "Yes. I think they have to. I think people of conscience can't pretend that this President is something that they had hoped he would be. That they were hoping he would be competent, that he would be a dealmaker in the middle, that he would be a pragmatist. I remember reading an article online at the very beginning of the presidency that he was going to function as sort of an executive chairman and allow each one of his cabinet officials to run the government as they see fit. None of that happened. And his ability to make deals, his ability to be a pragmatist, his ability to be a competent leader for the United States, none of it came through."
      Schatz said he has been heartened in the last few days by "Republicans who are patriots who are finally standing up and saying, enough is enough - Mitt Romney, both Presidents Bush, many of the leaders of the service branches of the Department of Defense," and some Republican Senators.

Pick up the August edition of The Ka`u Calendar delivered free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka`u, from Miloli`i  through Volcano. Also available on stands throughout the district. See it online at www.kaucalendar.com

      "I think this is the beginning of the end of Republicans being able to hide behind some imaginary Donald Trump that clearly doesn't exist anymore. This person is not capable morally, politically or in terms of his competency to lead the free world," said the Hawai`i Senator.
       He said that in congress, "We have the beginning of the mouse that is the legislative branch beginning to roar."

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KA`U HIGH BEAT HAAS in girls volleyball at home on Friday night. The Trojans dominated Hawai`i Academy of Arts and Sciences with Jayvee winning 25-17 and 25-19. Varsity won with 25-10, 25-5, and 25-16.

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Free Guided 2.5 mile tour of the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National park from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  Modeerately difficult hike.

Ka‘ū High School Potluck Reunion, Sunday, Aug. 20, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Pāhala Community Center. Everyone is invited. Music, dance, food for all graduates and their friends and families.

Bon Dance, Pahala Hongwanji, Sunday, Aug. 20, with service at 4 p.m. and dancing and music at 5 p.m. Food and demonstrations.