Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Linda Lingle’s Love Affair with Flag Burners
Ken Conklin’s review of the doings at Iolani Palace last Friday, August 18th, includes an interesting description on Hawaii’s “Republican” governor’s non-support of the Flag Wavers in favor of the Flag Burners:
Governor Linda Lingle, Proclamation for Statehood Day 2006, on official stationery…. It was published two days after Senator Slom's first announcement, and barely a day before the privately-organized celebration. Governor Lingle had been asked to organize a government-sponsored celebration, but refused on grounds of "political correctness" because she felt it might offend ethnic Hawaiians for the State of Hawai'i to celebrate the state holiday that honors the fact that we are a state!” [Lingle’s Proclamation mentions the State Capitol completed in 1969, but not Iolani Palace that served as the capitol until that time.]
“Lingle created the proclamation only after advisors warned her that, in view of the privately-organized celebration, she would be embarrassed if she failed to issue one. The proclamation as first printed had the wrong date for the 1959 Admission Day. An official announcement of the proclamation backdated its date of issuance to make it appear the proclamation had been issued earlier. Note that Lingle has repeatedly traveled to Washington D.C. to zealously lobby Congress to pass the Akaka bill, and spent most of her time with President Bush when he was in Hawai'i urging him to support the Akaka bill. Lingle has also personally attended numerous ceremonies for groundbreaking on Hawaiian Homelands projects. She personally appeared at a huge red-short rally at 'Iolani Palace, and wore the red shirt while speaking in support of Kamehameha School's racially segregated admissions policy. Yet she refused to have the state sponsor the Statehood Day celebration, refused to attend it, didn't issue a proclamation until it became apparent that the celebration would go forward under private sponsorship and she would be embarrassed if she made no statement at all.” [Emphasis added]
“Thus it is clear where Governor Lingle's priorities lie -- support racial separatism, cultivate the approval of Hawaii's highly favored racial group, and do nothing that might offend the most radical leaders of that group.”
Yes, it should be clear by now to all honest observers that Lingle is a consummate opportunist. If she had any principles when she began her political career they have long since been pushed aside by the “just win baby” ethos of the professional politician. Apparently, Lingle will even denigrate the legitimacy of Hawaii’s Statehood in order to become a senator of a state she’s not sure should exist!
Lingle’s lack of a political philosophy means she will have no long-term effect on how the state government does business. After her term expires, whether next year or in 2011, it will be back to business as usual for the state kleptocracy. Her tenure as governor will be a quickly forgotten interregnum. While the Democrats are conceding her the governor’s race this November, they will pull out all the stops to keep her out of the senate. Then Hawaii’s Christine Todd Whitman will return to a well deserved obscurity.
# posted by Grant Jones @ 6:28 PM 
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