Insult to injury
January 13th, 2010 by Derrick DePledgeWendy Mink, the daughter of the late U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink, sent an open letter to former congressman Ed Case on Tuesday alleging that he is distorting the history of a special election in 2002 to fill out the remaining weeks of her mother’s term.
U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye said over the weekend that Case insisted on entering the race even though party leaders wanted to give Mink’s husband, John, the honor.
Inouye is backing Case’s rival, state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, in a special election to fill out the remainder of U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie’s term in Congress. Abercrombie is running in the Democratic primary for governor.
Case, in a response posted on his campaign Web site, said he entered the 2002 race to gain a few extra weeks of seniority. He said John Mink had said he would not run in a second special election in 2003 to replace Mink for a full term, so, had John Mink won the first special election, the benefits of seniority would have been lost.
Case claimed John Mink “was talked into the race by those who supported others for election to Congress.”
Case also said that John Mink supported his re-election campaign in 2004 and donated money to his candidacy. On his Web site, Case included a photo of himself with John Mink, who died in 2005.
Wendy Mink, an independent scholar who teaches at the Johns Hopkins Washington Center in Washington, D.C., says Case is disrespecting her father.
Here is her letter:
In recent news reports and in your email letter to supporters, you mischaracterize events and choices surrounding your 2002 decision to oppose my father, John Mink, in the special election to complete the final six weeks of my late mother’s congressional term. To back up your story, you deploy a photo of my father, implying that he would support you in this election. My father passed away in 2005 so he cannot set the record straight.
You were successful in your effort to prevent my father from wrapping up my mother’s congressional work. But my father was a big-hearted man, and so he looked past your conduct and congratulated you on your victory. He was gracious in your presence and even supported your reelection. Now, you abuse his generosity of spirit by running a photograph of him smiling at you, suggesting that he would support you today.
In your recent effort to rebut Senator Inouye’s criticism of your character, you add insult to injury. In your e-mail letter to supporters and in news interviews, you claim that my father “was talked into the race by those who supported others for election to Congress.” John Mink was no dupe; he was never anyone’s puppet. The idea that he should complete the final six weeks of my mother’s term came straight from his heart – out of a profound loyalty to my mother and out of a sense of duty to her remarkable staff.
Given that only six weeks remained in my mother’s term, other distinguished potential candidates stepped aside in deference to my father. That was the honorable thing to do.
You distort the brief electoral history of the aftermath of my mother’s passing to suit your interests. In the process you disrespect my father.
Please, Mr. Case. Stop telling stories about my late father. And stop using his picture to salve your conscience.
January 13th, 2010 at 10:32 am
I suppose many people, including me, told him the same thing:
"In a single sentence you dismissed John Mink as a tool, unable to think or act for himself. And that, dare I say, is your problem: you come off as thinking you are smarter than everyone else, in this case, as knowing why someone did something better than the person who did it."
Unfortunately, the only thing worse than voting for Ed Case is votong for Colleeen Hanabusa or Charles Djou.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
This is so typical of politics in Hawaii. Why did Wendy not say anything at the time to Mr Case? That was 8 years ago! Why is she now coming forward??????
January 13th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Ohia, I respectfully have to disagree ... there is NOTHING worse than someone willing to lie about a person's legacy for personal gain. If a person has poor character then how can you ever expect them to do what is right? Shame on Case.
January 13th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
Well said, Ponder, but I dare say, then, that Hanabusa and perhaps Djou are just as unfit to hold office.
January 13th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
Per my usual, Im a Hanabusa-fan. Why? Not because she's a party loyalist. Not because she's Inouye's kind of gal. Not because Ed's a self-absorbed, Steve-Case-cousin, apparently lying, jerk.
I like Hanabusa because shes a smart, strong politician who exhibited real leadership in the Senate by stabilizing and even professionalizing that cast of characters. I did not agree with her HB444 stuff, but that aside, Ive seen her masterfully navigate the Legislature in ways not many can compare to.
Because I think Hanabusa can stand on her very own, Im not really getting the bash-Case approach to the initial star-up of her campaign. I wish she would just nail this based on all respectable accomplishments.
January 14th, 2010 at 6:00 am
Maybe she, Hanabusa, dies have skills and strengths, but honesty and integrity are not among the list. She lies just as easily as other politicians, but sometimes her lies are even more offensive because she will tell them to intelligent people who clearly know the truth, and she'll do this right to your face, and lie again when you try to challenge her. And there was nothing worse than seeing Inouye acting as King as if he has the right to determine who holds office. That's enough to make a person vote for Case or Dijou in spite. Remember the average voter versus us political junkies are two different types.
January 14th, 2010 at 8:36 am
I have not had that experience with her, Ross. Testify in front of her? You know exactly what shes thinking, what she wants, and why she wants it. The reality is you dont get this far in that building without a high degree of credibility. The only game that I can tell shes plays is being the smartest one in the room.
Agreed, Inouye is acting King-like. However, I say when youre the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, then you can go ahead and act however you want to act. Hes the Chair - and we all are benefitting from it. So, Im willing to shut my trap and let him be King.
Still, I think we all got his message: he wants Hanabusa in. Now, he might do well to fade back a bit and let his gal do her thing.
January 14th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Ed Case has proven over the years that he is so ambitious that he doesn't care who he bumps off. He proved that in the John Mink episode and later in running against Dan Akaka. Case would also be the most conservative rep. from Hawaii in our state's history. And I'm including Hiram Fong and Cec Heftel in making this comparison. Case would not represent the views of the majority of Hawaii's voters.
January 14th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
Local Guy: as conservative as Pat Saiki? I get your point, 'tho . . . .