Senator Brian Schatz (D. HI) is about to get a big bump in fundraising:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/...
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will head to Hawaii once his term is up -- to speak at a Jan. 2 fundraiser for Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), according to Honolulu Civil Beat.
Schatz was appointed in 2012, following the passing of Sen. Daniel Inouye, and is up for re-election in 2014. He is running against Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI), favored by Inouye, in the primary. - TPM, 12/4/13
http://www.civilbeat.com/...
A ticket for the event, to be held at the Kahala home of developer Duncan MacNaughton, is $1,000.
A Schatz campaign spokesman confirmed the Bloomberg appearance Tuesday but would not comment further.
The reception for Schatz is being presented by "The MacNaughton Family" and "The Kobayashi Family."
Committee members for the event include developer Stanford Carr, construction firm executive Bill Wilson, Kaneohe Ranch executive Mitch D'Olier, lobbyist John Radcliffe, Hawaii Medical Assurance Association executive John Henry Felix, real estate attorney Bernie Bays, Keith Amemiya of Island Holdings, developer Christine Camp, and Richard and Elizabeth Grossman (the former a well-known plastic surgeon, the latter a retired Wall Street investor now active in the Honolulu community).
Space is limited at the event. - Honolulu Civil Beat, 12/3/13
Bloomberg's entrance into the race could also shine some national attention on this primary race:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Schatz currently has a huge fundraising lead over U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, who is challenging Schatz in the 2014 Democratic primary.
While Hanabusa is a local favorite -- Senator Daniel Inouye's dying wish was that she succeed him in the Senate -- Schatz has garnered considerable national attention and support. This past summer, Al Gore endorsed Sen. Schatz, citing the merits of his environmental record.
The 2014 Hawaii Democratic Senate Primary was already primed to be a dramatic political battle, but the introduction of Mayor Bloomberg to the mix all but guarantees national intrigue. - Huffington Post, 12/3/13
Now I know some of you may be confused and even unhappy about Bloomberg's support for Schatz. That's understandable. Bloomberg has often been deemed the "Mayor for the 1%" whereas Schatz is a proud progressive who supports organized labor and expanding Social Security. But remember, Bloomberg's endorsed candidate that the Daily Kos community had fully supported. Bloomberg threw his support behind Joe Sestak (D. PA) in the 2010 U.S. Senate race despite having opposing views on Wall Street regulations. But Schatz and Bloomberg see eye to on environmental issues and whether you hate Bloomberg or love him, he deserves credit for helping New York City become greener. Now the only question remains is if Bloomberg will help or hurt Schatz. Bloomberg's had some successes like helping Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D. IL) defeat an NRA backed candidate in her primary. However, Bloomberg's money didn't help the two Democratic state senators fight off the recall efforts from the NRA. And of course Bloomberg is planning to spend big to defeat Senator Mark Pryor (D. AR) for voting against background checks (which I think is a bad idea and might backfire on Bloomberg). By the way, gun control is an issue Schatz and Bloomberg see eye to eye on as well. So though I personally don't like Bloomberg I am at least happy he's backing the right Democrat in this race. What's ironic is a political figure I'm not crazy about is backing my preferred candidate while an organization who's work I admire is backing the wrong candidate. Check out Laurence Lewis' diary on EMILY's List's endorsement of Hanabusa:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Until Bloomberg arrives next month, I say we help Schatz keep his campaign well fueled so he can go on to win his primary and continue his hard work in the Senate. You can click here to do so:
http://brianschatz.com/