Republican Charles Djou wins special election in Hawaii

Aloha Obama! In a special election Obama’s birthplace of Hawaii has elected a Republican to the US House of Representatives for the first time in 20 years. 

Republican Charles Djou emerged victorious tonight in the special election to fill Hawaii's vacancy in Congress, giving Hawaii its first GOP member of Congress in 20 years.

Djou won the special mail-in election with 39.7 percent of the vote in the first printout, released at 6 p.m.

The first printout represented nearly all of the 170,312 returned by voters in the district, which stretches from Waikiki and downtown to Mililani.

Democrat Colleen Hanabusa was second at 31 percent, with Democrat Ed Case third at 27.8 percent.

“This is a momentous day,” Djou told a jubilant crowd at state party headquarters. “We have sent a message to the United States Congress. We have sent a message to the ex-governors. We have sent a message to the national Democrats! We have sent a message to the machine.

“We have told them that we will not stand idly by as our great nation is overburdened by too much taxes, too much debt and too much wasteful spending.”

Conventional wisdom says that Djou’s victory will be short lived. In the fall he will have to run head to head against a Democrat. Given that the top two Democrats combined captured over 58% of the vote, there is some truth to conventional wisdom.

However some see a glimmer of hope. John McCormick from The Weekly Standard says: 

Obama carried the district 70% to 28% in 2008. Conventional wisdom holds that Djou will lose this seat in the fall when there won't be two Democratic candidates splitting the Democratic vote. But I wouldn't be so sure that Djou can't boost his share of the vote from 39.5% in a three-way race to 50.1% in a head-to-head match up. It's not clear that Hawaii Dems will easily unify behind one candidate (the primary is September 18). And Djou will have six months as an incumbent to get to know voters better. He's certainly an appealing candidate (see here). 

I too think it is possible, the trick is not just to call out what is wrong with the Democrats, but to clearly articulate what is so right about voting for a Republican.  If Djou can do both those things equally, he will have more than a better chance of keeping his seat.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: The Star Bulletin

Via: The Weekly Standard

Earthquake in Hawaii? What earthquake in Hawaii, Mr. President?

Yesterday I told you I thought Obama’s worse part of the Fox News interview came when Bret Baier pressed him on the kickbacks. It turns out that during his rambling answer, Obama may have stuck his foot in his mouth with this doozy.

As Cassy Fiano at Hot Air points out, there have been no earthquakes with causalities in Hawaii since 1975 and even then only two people died. Obama got caught in this lie because he is use to making junk up on the fly and not having it questioned by the media. This is the same thing Hillary did with her Kosovo sniper story. Let’s just say making stuff up is a Democrat addiction enabled by their lapdog media.

Via: Hot Air

Massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake hits Chile, tsunami warning for Hawaii

From The New York Times: RIO DE JANEIRO — A deadly, 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck central Chile early Saturday, collapsing buildings, shattering major bridges and highways across a long swath of the country, and sending tsunami warnings along the entire Pacific basin. 

Chile’s TVN cable news channel reported 122 deaths less than 12 hours after the quake struck. The death toll was expected to rise, particularly around Concepción, Chile’s second-largest metropolitan area, which is roughly 70 miles from the quake’s center. 

There, cars were overturned, rubble fell into the cracked streets and a 15-story building collapsed, wire services and Chilean news media reported. In the capital of Santiago, about five hours to the north and about 200 miles from the epicenter, frightened residents felt the city shake for nearly 90 seconds. [MORE]

From The Washington Post: The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning -- its highest alert -- for Hawaii, where incoming waves topping out at six feet could cause damage along the coastlines across the island chain. A warning was also in effect for Guam, American Samoa and dozens of other Pacific islands.

The first waves were expected to arrive in Hawaii at 11:05 a.m. Saturday (4:05 p.m. EST) [MORE]

When I heard of this, I could not help but be reminded of the people of Haiti who are still struggling after their earthquake. Thankfully, Chile is better governed and will be able to do a better job at helping themselves. They will still need help from the world, but no where near as urgent as Haiti’s

Hawaii will no doubt be able to handle the tsunami should one hit. They have plenty of lead-time to evacuate the low lands. Property damage should be the biggest problem.

As these natural disasters hit, we are again reminded that it is the United States who usually gives the biggest helping hand. We are rapidly losing our ability to help out in these situations, as our leaders squander the nation’s fortune. Who then will take our role in helping the world in times of need?  China? Russia? India? All are doubtful.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: The New York Times

Via: The Washington Post

Happy July 4th Hawaii, Love Kim Jong Il

North Korea may launch a long-range ballistic missile towards Hawaii on American Independence Day, according to Japanese intelligence officials.

The missile, believed to be a Taepodong-2 with a range of up to 4,000 miles, would be launched in early July from the Dongchang-ni site on the north-western coast of the secretive country.

Intelligence analysts do not believe the device would be capable of hitting Hawaii's main islands, which are 4,500 miles from North Korea.

Details of the launch came from the Japan's best-selling newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun.

Both Japanese intelligence and U.S. reconnaissance satellites have collated information pointing to the launch, according to the report.

Wow, Little Kim is cutting up something fierce! Perhaps he is just ticked off that Obama did not invite him to the Fourth of July celebrations being rolled out for Iran. It is said that Robert Gates has ordered missile interceptors to the region. I wonder if anyone at the White House is second-guessing the decision to nickel and dime on missile defense.

Maybe it is time for Obama to show North Korea his fly killing skills, that ought to get them to chill out.

Fantasy vs. Reality.

Barak Obama , Sunday April 5, 2009, Prague:

“…So today, I state clearly and with conviction America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons. I'm not naive. This goal will not be reached quickly -- perhaps not in my lifetime. It will take patience and persistence. But now we, too, must ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change. We have to insist, "Yes, we can."…”

I have one thing to say to Obama about that statement, “actions speak louder than words“! If this is Obama’s dream, one would imagine that some serious diplomacy is going to be needed to influence those nations that are rapidly trying to get or spread nuclear technology.

To date, the Obama Administration has not shown a very strong hand with diplomacy. Just this week, North Korea tested a long range missile capable of carrying a nuclear payload and hitting Alaska or Hawaii. What was the Obama Administration’s response? Obama’s official statement was; "Rules must be binding. Violations must be punished. Words must mean something," and then he promptly ran to the UN, like the teacher's pet snitching on the bad kids. To make matters worse the very next day Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announces that we are cutting spending on missile defense.

The one big stick we could possibly use against North Korea’s ambitions for long range missiles, has now been broken in half by Obama’s insane military spending cuts. Beefed up missile defense for our western most states or our allies (South Korea and Japan) who could be threatened by North Korea, has now been scaled back by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates as per Obama’s requested cuts.

Some argue that North Korea using long range nuclear weapons against us is highly unlikely. While this argument has some merit, it doesn’t answer another likely scenario. The scenario of North Korea selling it long range missile technology to a nation that would use it against us. Iran immediately comes to mind. Iran which is run by Islamic extremist, are racing toward getting nuclear technology. Their tactic of buying time by entering and exiting diplomatic talks have proven very successful for them.

The real threat comes from the fact that Islamic extremists are not deterred by the notion of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction). This is because for the Islamic extremist, the survival of Islam takes precedence over the survival of their nation. Therefore losing Tehran in a nuclear exchange is acceptable so long as it advanced the causes of Islam as they see it. So to deter a nation with this kind of belief, the passive role of having a large nuclear stockpile will not do. Instead a more proactive approach is required (I.e. missile defense, aggressive diplomacy and stopping their plans early). Currently the Obama Administration is doing none of these.

So while Obama claims not to be naïve and dreams that “yes we can have a nuclear free world”, reality is taking a very different and dangerous tract.