Clinton Targets Proposals For Hawaii

Ahead Of Tuesday's Caucuses, Democrat Offers Plans To Rejuvenate Tourism; Chelsea Clinton Will Visit Over Weekend

(AP)  Hillary Rodham Clinton pledged Wednesday to "pay special attention to Hawaii" with plans to rejuvenate tourism, reduce reliance on foreign oil and help veterans as the islands prepare for their Democratic caucus next week.

Clinton's "Solutions for Hawaii" plan comes ahead of a difficult caucus vote Tuesday in the islands, where rival Barack Obama was born, raised and graduated high school.

"I know we face an uphill battle in the state, but we plan to run a vigorous and successful campaign," Clinton said.

Neither candidate has planned campaign trips to Hawaii, but the Clinton campaign announced on Thursday that Chelsea Clinton will visit Hawaii over the weekend to campaign for her mother.

The former first daughter is to appear in Honolulu tomorrow and Saturday before appearing Sunday at a rally on Maui.

James "Kimo" Apana, Clinton's Maui coordinator, said he hoped the appearance would "fire up" local Clinton supporters and help them feel more connected to her presidential campaign.

Obama's half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, is also campaigning for him locally.

If elected president, Clinton said her programs would strengthen Hawaii's economy, invest in renewable energy and remedy a shortage of public school teachers.

"I will pay special attention to Hawaii because I know how tourism-dependent Hawaii is," Clinton said in a conference call with reporters from San Antonio, Texas.

Clinton said she, too, has strong ties to Hawaii because she has visited the state five times since 1993. Also, former President Bill Clinton was responsible for signing the 1993 Apology Resolution that recognized the overthrow of the kingdom of Hawaii in 1893.

There are only 20 delegates at stake in Hawaii on Tuesday - the same day as the Wisconsin primary - but a Clinton victory would put a dent in Obama's recent string of wins in eight states.

Clinton emphasized that her broad plans have specific benefits for Hawaii.

She said she would maintain military spending, support a proposed light-rail system in Honolulu and sign into law a proposal recognizing Native Hawaiians.

"We can make investments like light rail as we grow the economy," Clinton said. "I will certainly help Hawaii and Honolulu deal with these problems."

Obama has not yet released proposals targeted at Hawaii, but campaign spokesman Brian Schatz said his views more closely reflect those of island voters.

"Obama's foreign policy is more in line with Hawaii's perspective. He got the war right the first time," Schatz said. "We think that his understanding of diversity comes from his upbringing here."

Clinton said her "Tour America Initiative" would bring visitors to Hawaii through a federal government-funded marketing campaign that would create a Web site to promote tourism in the United States and dispel misperceptions about difficulties of traveling to the United States.

Her proposed $50 billion investment in researching, developing and deploying alternative energy would directly benefit Hawaii, which currently imports about 90 percent of its fuel, she said.

A $1 billion Green Building Fund would improve energy efficiency in 84,000 buildings in Hawaii. Together, these energy programs would create 2,100 jobs in Hawaii and lower energy costs, the campaign said.

More than 100,000 veterans living in Hawaii would benefit from Clinton's programs by improving health care, offering loans for their business ventures and enabling Filipino World War II veterans to bring their families to the United States, she said.

Clinton has released similar state-specific initiatives in several other states, a campaign spokeswoman said.

[sierra20071]

ANOTHER BONEHEADED MOVE "On the infamous FISA bill
On illegal wire taps--Obama voted to NOT grant immunity to telecom companies for allowing wire taps"

Tell me how do you hold the telecom companies libel when they were acting on orders from our Bonehead president. WWYD - ask Natalie Maines, Whoopie Goldberg, and 13 Attornies that went against the present Bonehead administration ...it was a time of no compromise, and if you didn''t get on board you went DOWN!! If O can''t even rationalize this and be fair, if he is willing to make a boneheaded vote just to get votes well damned him too.

[sjbj2322]

Part 2: Clinton does not appear to have been as openhanded. Her PAC, HILLPAC, and campaign committee appear to have distributed $195,500 to superdelegates. Only 12 percent of her elected superdelegates, or 13 of 109 who have said they will back her, have received campaign contributions, totaling about $95,000 since 2005. An additional 128 unelected superdelegates support Clinton, according to a blog tracking superdelegates and their endorsements, 2008 Democratic Convention Watch.
Because superdelegates will make up around 20 percent of 4,000 delegates to the Democratic convention in August--Republicans don''t have superdelegates%u2014Clinton and Obama are aggressively wooing the more than 400 superdelegates who haven''t yet made up their minds. Since 2005 Obama has given 52 of the undecided superdelegates a total of at least $363,900, while Clinton has given a total of $88,000 to 15 of them. Anticipating that their intense competition for votes in state primaries and caucuses will result in a near-tie going into the nominating convention, the two candidates are making personal calls to superdelegates now, or are recruiting other big names to do so on their behalf. With no specific rules about what can and can''t be done to court these delegates, just about anything goes.

[sjbj2322]

Part 1: YEA%u2026..Here%u2019s your HONESTY. OBAMA BELIEVES IN YOU BUT JUST IN CASE%u2026.WHOSE BUYING VOTES WHILE TELLING HIS SUPPORTERS THAT IT SHOULD BE THEIR VOICE AND NOT THE SUPERDELEGATES THAT DETERMIN WHOSE NOMINATED.

Obama, who narrowly leads in the count of pledged, "non-super" delegates, has doled out more than $694,000 to superdelegates from his political action committee, Hope Fund, or campaign committee since 2005. Of the 81 elected officials who had announced as of Feb. 12 that their superdelegate votes would go to the Illinois senator, 34, or 40 percent of this group, have received campaign contributions from him in the 2006 or 2008 election cycles, totaling $228,000. In addition, Obama has been endorsed by 52 superdelegates who haven''t held elected office recently and, therefore, didn''t receive campaign contributions from him.

[b-easy63]

Here''''s a few more differences between Hilary and Obama

On torture: Obama voted to restrict methods to the Army field manual version (meaning no waterboarding)

Hilary voted to NOT restrict methods of torture


On the infamous FISA bill
On illegal wire taps--Obama voted to NOT grant immunity to telecom companies for allowing wire taps

McCAin voted to grant immunity

Hilary was in Washington, but failed to show up to vote either way--instead she left town, she also failed to vote on any aspect of FISA according to TURLEY--so she is not on record for or against --why is that?

[b-easy63]

Hey Hawaii--be careful if Hilary promises you anything--she does not believe in promises. That''s why she doesn''t bother keeping them.

[b-easy63]

Clinton said she, too, has strong ties to Hawaii because she has visited the state five times since 1993. Also, former President Bill Clinton was responsible for signing the 1993 Apology Resolution that recognized the overthrow of the kingdom of Hawaii in 1893.

Gee--I have visited Hawaii more times than Hilary--I never knew it--but...I guess this means I have "strong ties to Hawaii too"

LMAO

[b-easy63]

Now Hilary is pitching that she will get rid of special interest and that candidates must not be beholden to corporations, charging that Obama is and she is not--further, she proposes to do everything in the Universe for each state (esp. Hawaii and Wisconsin--because they are voting soon--and to use the plans of Obama and Edwards and make them even better. the more she talks--the more she comes across as a very desperate LIAR.

In other words, as usual--Hilary will say, do and promise ANYTHING to anyone to get elected--then like she did to the DLs for illegals and the pledges she signed to the DNC--when it is convenient for her--she will RENEGE on all promises, as usual. LMAO

Posted by b-easy63 at 06:40 PM : Feb 14, 2008

[b-easy63]

Hilary really will do and say anything to get elected, won''t she? But as can be seen by her reneging on the DLs for illegals--she says it one minute--takes it back the next. Hilary Clinton is a true POS and cannot be trusted.

[boatdocster]

remco82 - Well put.

Now that she is losing, she ''suddenly'' authors a number of proposals for a state she had no interest in 6 months ago but now desperately needs after 8 straight losses.

Hillary, tell me what its like to stand on that street corner beg for votes....

Pimp out Chelsea just a little more

[samthetvcat]

Hillary''s always trying to buy votes with out tax dollar $$$carrots$$$ . . . I don''t think she yet gets the fact that she''s asking people to foot their own bill and that people see through this . . .

[jedi08]

Bush Clinton Bush Clinton

So much secrecy and back room dealings. We need honesty and good judgment. Not corruption and more of the same.

Obama 08

[remco82]

Hillary is as phony as a four-dollar bill.