Lingle: Hawaiian issues on Bush's 'radar screen'
By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau
Although President Bush did not mention Native Hawaiian recognition issues in his fund-raiser speech in Waikiki Thursday night, Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday said she was satisfied with her discussions on those matters with the president.
"He believes so strongly that when you make a commitment, you have to live up to it," Lingle said. "I don't think he felt comfortable at this time to lay out a clear position on it, but he obviously is very interested in it now. It's on his radar screen, and that's what we wanted to accomplish on this trip."
LINGLE
The president and the first lady made a 12-hour stopover in O'ahu Thursday en route to Washington, D.C., concluding a six-nation trip through Asia and the Pacific. The visit included an exclusive fund-raiser for the Hawai'i Republican Party as well as a fund-raiser for the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign.
Bush did not address the Native Hawaiian recognition bill or any specific Hawai'i issues in his re-election fund-raiser speech at the Hilton Hawaiian Village before some 600 supporters who paid $1,000 or $2,000 per ticket.
He said he appreciates "the unique contributions Native Hawaiians have made to this state and to our nation."
Lingle told reporters yesterday that she rode with the president and the first lady in their motorcadeThursday and she brought up Native Hawaiian recognition issues during all but one of their car trips on O'ahu. She said she was pleased with her efforts to make inroads with the president on those issues even if the president did not commit to supporting a bill that would foster the creation of a U.S.-recognized Native Hawaiian government with some amount of sovereignty.
The measure, called the Akaka bill after its sponsor, Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, could help protect federal entitlements for Hawaiians, but has stalled in the Senate.
In February, Lingle traveled to Washington and lobbied the president's political adviser, Karl Rove, the Department of the Interior, and the Justice Department about the Native Hawaiian recognition measure. She said that Thursday was the first time she discussed the issue in detail with the president.
Lingle said she will follow up with Rove and others in December, when she travels to Washington to participate in a National Governor's Association roundtable discussion on issues relating to long-term care.
Ira Rohter, University of Hawai'i political science professor and leader of the Hawai'i Green Party, said he didn't expect Bush to make any commitment about the Akaka bill during the stopover and wasn't surprised that Bush didn't mention it in his fund-raiser speech.
"He's not visiting this place, he's just passing through it," Rohter said, adding that Bush would not gain much from announcing a commitment to Hawaiian recognition because it is not a big issue for the national Republican party.
"He's not going to get any Mainland votes for having somehow recognized Hawaiians," he said.
"So I don't think the fact that he didn't do anything is indicating that somehow there was a failure. I think this is just the beginning of a process."
Office of Hawaiian Affairs Chairwoman Haunani Apoliona was pleased that Bush mentioned Native Hawaiians in his speech.
"His statement didn't go as far as to commit his support for (Akaka bill), but I think his statements, particularly about appreciating our unique contributions as Native Hawaiians to the state and to our nation was important," Apoliona said. "The fact that he raised it in his speech, in view of all the other topics that he covered was also important.
"There's more work to do and I'm confident our governor will be continuing to educate the president. I think him having been to Hawai'i is a good thing. He probably gained a greater appreciation of our community and how we factor in the world."
Lingle also said the president's visit helped to "put Hawai'i into the game of trying to help the president win re-election" and helped the local party's efforts to make significant gains in the state House, where the GOP holds 15 of 51 seats.
Before arriving at his own fund-raiser, the president attended a fund-raiser for the local GOP at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel, where attendees each paid $10,000 for a ticket.
The state Republican Party has declined to release a list of who was invited to the Kahala Mandarin event, and GOP chairman Brennon Morioka did not return calls to The Advertiser yesterday.
Lingle said yesterday that about 15 people showed up for the event and she believed all were from Hawai'i. Among the guests were Bank of Hawaii chief executive Mike O'Neill and John Baldwin of Maui, she said. O'Neill declined to comment and Baldwin could not be reached yesterday.
Advertiser staff writer Johnny Brannon contributed to this report.
Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.
