Schatz kicks off election campaign by working to build political bonds

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz told supporters on Saturday that Hawaii’s congressional delegation could set a national example as problem solvers who look for opportunities for bipartisanship but repudiate those who only want President Barack Obama to fail.

The Hawaii Democrat, building the foundation for his election campaign next year, said he would work with Republicans on issues such as conservation, tourism and civil liberties.

"But make no mistake, there is a group of people, especially in the House of Representatives, that have dedicated their professional lives to making sure that everything President Obama proposes fails," Schatz told more than 500 supporters at his campaign debut at Farrington High School. "And those people should not be worked with. They should be repudiated."

Schatz, who was appointed in December to replace the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, said no one could fill the shoes of either Inouye or former U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, who retired this year. But he said he and others could walk in their footsteps by fighting for economic opportunity in Hawaii, like Inouye, and reflecting the spirit of aloha, like Akaka.

Inouye could cast a shadow over the Senate campaign, particularly if U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa chooses to challenge Schatz in the primary. Inouye, who served in the Senate for a half century, had just before his death at age 88 urged Gov. Neil Abercrombie to appoint Hanabusa as his replacement.

Hanabusa has said she is considering primary challenges to Schatz and Abercrombie. If Hanabusa does campaign against Schatz, the new senator will have to carefully navigate how to approach Inouye’s legacy.

"We get it," Schatz told supporters. "We understand that politics shouldn’t be a game of king of the mountain, where we try to knock each other down and figure out who’s winning and losing. But for us this really is about Hawaii’s future."

Schatz’s advisers say privately that the issue of Inouye’s legacy will likely fade over time as Democrats weigh Schatz and any challengers on their own merits. But the short period between Inouye’s death, Schatz’s appointment and the start of the campaign makes the issue inescapable.

Over the past three months, Schatz, the former lieutenant governor, has had to get acclimated to the Senate while simultaneously raising money and attracting endorsements to prepare for the election to fill out the remaining two years of Ino­uye’s six-year term.

The April campaign-finance report, which will cover the first quarter of the year, will offer some insight into Schatz’s ability as a fundraiser in a marquee campaign. Schatz’s advisers have pushed for a $1 million quarter, a figure that would give prospective challengers pause.

Schatz has won early endorsements from the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly and the League of Conservation Voters.

Schatz’s youth — he is 40 — and progressive politics place him on the trend line of a Democratic Party in leadership transition. As a former state party chairman and organizer of the Hawaii-born Obama’s 2008 campaign in the islands, he has important connections with party activists.

He can also tap into some of Abercrombie’s organizational footprint in a year when the governor will be up for re-election.

But Schatz does not have a deep, established political base of his own. The senator also does not have the kind of national sparkle that has surrounded U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, 31, since she was elected last year.

Linda Kwok Schatz, the senator’s wife, who introduced her husband on Saturday, described him as a doting father of two young children who has not lost perspective after his unexpected ascent to Washington, D.C. She said he values humility and hard work, the Hawaii example set by Ino­uye and Akaka.

"He’s not up there rattling cages or getting caught up in the political limelight. As his wife, I won’t let him," she said, adding that his mother, Barbara, would not let him, either.

Abercrombie told Schatz’s supporters that his appointment was about the future. When Abercrombie mentioned Inouye’s passing, a burst of feedback erupted from one of the speakers.

"As you can see, Sen. Ino­uye is still a presence," the governor joked.

Abercrombie said it is unfortunate that there is speculation about a power struggle in Democratic politics. "Brian Schatz is a senator because I wanted to make sure the people of Hawaii had the power," he said. "No one has a legacy of passing power on. This is not a kingdom. This is not some kind of authoritarian dictatorship.

"People do not have a right to office. They earn their office. And that’s what Sen. Schatz is doing right now."