‘Roll Call’ Covers Story of Inouye’s Plan to Obtain Federal Funding for the City’s Rail; Ben Cayetano and Daniel Inouye Talk Story Over a Happy Meal? Inouye Attends Fundraiser for Alaskan ‘Brother’

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US Senator Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii
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US Senator Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii

Roll Call Covers Story of Inouye’s Plan to Obtain Federal Funding for the City’s Rail

Roll Call Magazine – in a piece entitled Working Around the Earmark Ban –  brings up a press release issued recently by U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye and U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka touting $250 million they secured in funding for the city’s planned $5.3 billion elevated steel on steel rail system. The press release was noteworthy, since as Roll Call notes, “banning earmarks in the traditional sense was a top priority for Republicans when they won back the House in 2010, and the president’s call for the ban in his State of the Union the following January reinforced it.”

But Inouye, who is the Senate Appropriations chair, has proudly deemed himself the “King of pork.” He said he can secure $1.55 billion in funding for the city’s rail project.

But Roll Call has an interesting take on such allocations. The article said: “Sources on both sides of the earmark issue pointed out that the Hawaiian lawmakers did not secure more than what the Obama administration allotted in its budget, a signature move for appropriators in the earmarking era.”

Roll Call also quotes a Senate Democratic aide who had a different take: “Honolulu has gone through this rigorous process, and certainly Daniel Inouye can be an effective champion for this project and the need for this railway, but it’s not like he can go out on his own and get funds for this project that’s going to transform Honolulu.”

See the full report here:

Ben Cayetano and Daniel Inouye Talk Story Over a Happy Meal?

Daniel De Gracia authored a column for the Washington Times that questions whether Senate Appropriations Chair Dan Inouye was “Offended for being told to eat at McDonald’s?”
“Last week, Senate Appropriations Committee chair Dan Inouye (D-HI) reacted with offense when candidate for Honolulu mayor and former Hawaii Governor Ben Cayetano suggested during a debate that the senior senator should meet with constituents at McDonald’s. …
“But what’s so offensive about being told to meet with average voters in a friendly setting like McDonald’s? Has political correctness really reached the point in Washington that suggesting a little constituent time with the people is considered a personal attack?
De Gracia, an occasional columnist for Hawaii Reporter, also notes a memorable quote by Inouye that some found offensive:
“Inouye, who supports the construction of a $5.3 billion dollar rail system for Honolulu which Cayetano opposes, previously made an extravagant statement of his own that “the only thing that can stop it is World War III” in spite of the fact that a majority of Oahu voters now oppose it.”

Inouye Attends Fundraiser for Alaskan ‘Brother’

According to the Anchorage Daily News, Hawaii’s U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, was at two recent fundraising events for U.S. Senator Mark Begich, D-Alaska, which raised $100,000 for Begich’s re-election 2014 campaign.

The Anchorage Daily News wrote about Inouye’s attendance:

“… the presence of Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye, waxing enthusiastic about Mark at both events, was a bit of a mind-blower. As all who worshipped at the altar of Uncle Ted know, Inouye and the late Ted Stevens were attached at the hip — calling each other brother despite party differences, sweating at spas together, maybe even braiding each other’s hair. During comments at the Dem Party event, Inouye said he missed Ted. ‘He was my brother. But I have a new brother,’ he said. ‘I have a kid brother.'”

“It got a laugh from the crowd, but nothing like the laugh generated during an exchange with Georgianna at her event, as reported by an earwig who was there. The two were exchanging pleasantries and talking about her Native art collection when Inouye said, ‘You know, Georgianna, I have one of those oosiks.’ To which Georgianna responded, ‘I have three.’ Said Inouye, ‘Well, mine is 12 inches.’ Without missing a beat, Georgianna looked over at Irene Inouye and asked, ‘Is that true, Irene?'”

See the full story in Anchorage Daily News

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