Kaʻū News Briefs, Sunday, August 11, 2019

Kamala Harris, left, as Tulsi Gabbard calls her out on marijuana prosecutions and withholding DNA evidence in a murder case. Read the Rolling Stone view on the aftermath smearing of Gabbard to protect Harris. Photo from CNN

WHO'S AFRAID OF TULSI GABBARD? is the headline in a Rolling Stone story and podcast released on Friday. The Matt Taibbi story leads with Gabbard, a candidate for President, and Kaʻū's representative in the U.S. House, saying, "It just goes to show, that launching a smear campaign is the only response to the truth." According to the story, she was referring to a smear campaign that followed her interaction with candidate for president Kamala Harris during the July 31 debate for candidates vying to become the Democratic Party nominee.

     "The 'smear campaign,'" states Taibbi, "refers to the bizarre avalanche of negative press that ensued, as reporters seemed to circle wagons around Harris, a party favorite.

     "The Gabbard-Harris exchange was brief but revealing, as a window into a schism in the Democractic Party. Harris was elected Attorney General of California in 2010. She frequently sought moderate or even conservative positions on issues like criminal sentencing, drug enforcement, and prison labor. These stances were standard among Democrats back when being 'tough on crime' was considered an essential component of the 'electability' argument."

     The Rolling Stone writer states that the Democratic electorate has become especially concerned about mass incarceration but "the party has not quite caught up. Gabbard exposed these divisions" during the debate, saying Harris "put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana and then laughed about it when asked if she ever smoked marijuana." The Rolling Stone writer notes that the debate audience cheered with Gabbard, continuing to talk about Harris blocking introduction of DNA evidence in a murder case. Harris reacted "like someone had dented her car."

     Taibbi writes that, "Having wounded a presumptive frontrunner backed by nearly $25 million in campaign funds, Gabbard instantly became the subject of a slew of negative leaks, tweets, and press reports. Many of these continued the appalling recent Democratic Party tradition of denouncing anything it doesn't like as treasonous aid to foreign enemies."

     The Rolling Stone story points to the press chair for Harris tweeting, "Yo, you love Assad," referencing  Gabbard's visit with Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian dictator. The Harris press chair also tweeted a link to a story speculating that Russian bots help Gabbard's campaign.

Tulsi Gabbard with writers from Rolling Stone magazine. Photo from Rolling Stone

     The Rolling Stone story also points to Politico characterizing Gabbard followers to those in a "Star Wars bar scene," and the New York Times writing that she believes the U.S. "wrought horror on the world," referring to her stance against anti-regime change wars. The story points out that Barrack Obama, during a 2007 presidential debate, said he would talk to leaders of Iran, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela, and North Korea. "It is a disgrace that we have not spoken to them," said Obama. He called ridiculous, "the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment."

     The writer concludes that Gabbard is "not an isolationist. She's simply opposed to bombing the crap out of, and occupying, foreign countries for no apparent positive strategic objective, beyond enriching contractors. She is like many soldiers (and embedded reporters for that matter) who returned disillusioned from the Middle Eastern theatre. Of concern: the extreme loss of life among both Americans and resident populations, and the outrageous profiteering amid abuse of foreign contract workers who are used to staff and service American bases."

     Read the story by Rolling Stone writer Matt Taibi, and see the podcast.

     Pogline contended that the hunting program would "entail expanding hunting opportunity and reducing bag limits. Consideration for game count, rest, reproductive season, or refuge will be

Hunters and the state both want plans and regulations to define hunting rules. Photo from PTA

minimal. A hunting program, rather than a conventional game management plan, removes DOFAW from liabilities and pressure from environmental communities and agencies representing endangered species. So, it's about removing liability for them."

     Pogline said the hunters could "get together to educate and agree upon an informal game management plan of their own," but that officials warned that "any such practices may result in pressure on DOFAW for more eradication of game species, if any of the opponents [of a game plan] got wind that the hunters were actually practicing a game management plan.

     "DOFAW has made some efforts in tracking game count and maintaining access," said Pogline, "but while hunter participation and help is encouraged – and needed in analyzing game populations – the complaint is that the public too often injects what is considered unwanted personal opinions and uneducated conclusions. This makes cooperative management difficult as the validity of information coming from hunters is often perceived invalid."

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Craig Nakahara and his winning staff who won a national award on Friday for helping legislators and the public interact and to research bills and provide testimony. Photo from state House of Representatives

PAPERLESS TESTIMONY, EASY ACCESS TO INFORMATION USED TO MAKE DECISIONS, and the redesign of the state House of Representatives internal website portal earned the House tech support team the Legislative Staff Achievement Award from the National Association of Legislative Information Technology. The award was presented on Friday at the National Conference of State Legislatures Summit in Nashville.

     "IT Director Craig Nakahara and his hard-working staff continually come up with creative and
innovative solutions which improve the way legislators and their staffs operate," said Hawaiʻi House Speaker Scott K. Saiki. "This team is doing great work and deserve this recognition."

     Members of the House Tech Support team are Craig Nakahara, Gail Iseri, Josette Friedl, Nhuc Chau, Royce Fukumoto, Matthew Kanda, Thai Nguyen, Kai Lau, and Robyn Araki.

Download the draft.

     Criteria for the NALIT Legislative Staff Achievement Award include: Helping to improve the effectiveness of the legislative institution; supporting the legislative process and the mission of the legislature; exhibiting a high degree of professionalism, competence, and integrity in serving the legislature and the public; contributing to the work of the National Conference of State Legislatures; contributing to the National Association of Legislative Information Technology; and contributing to existing knowledge and demonstrating expertise in a particular field.

     The NCSL is a bipartisan organization serving the 7,382 state lawmakers and legislative staff of the states, commonwealths, and territories. It provides research, technical assistance, and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues, and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system.

     Hawaiʻi, with constiuents living on islands and unable to travel easily to the Capitol for legislative sessions, is known for its easy to use website to give testimony, do research, craft legislation, and to keep up with elected officials.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.