Gabbard isn’t challenging Hirono — yet

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard dismisses as baseless hype speculation that she might challenge U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono in 2018.

But you’d have to be pretty thick to believe that Gabbard, who embraces the national media spotlight, has no higher political aspirations.

Pundits had focused on U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz as a likely opponent, given that he’s up for re-election in 2016 to a seat that he barely won in the first place. But that seems less likely now that Schatz and Gabbard have forged an unusual alliance to jointly raise campaign cash.

Smooth move, Brian. Watch out, Mazie.

Watching HART meetings could be dramatic

If it’s good enough for other government proceedings, it’s surely good enough for the high-stakes rail transit meetings.

A proposal to televise the meetings of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s board of directors makes sense, given the growing uncertainty and unease over the $6 billion project’s cost overruns. Even live videostreaming would be worthwhile.

Other public meetings — such as of the City Council, key Legislature committees and most neighborhood boards — are routinely broadcast on Olelo, either live or delayed. Granted, some of these proceedings are downright snoozers, but given the breadth and expense of the rail project, HART’s meetings could well become must-see TV.