Congratulations go to U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono for her re-election.

The rest of the country followed a different path and retained a Republican-controlled Senate that will have the power to approve hundreds of federal judges and maybe even another U.S. Supreme Court justice.

Hirono may feel some personal satisfaction in voting against Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, but her comment that America’s men should “shut up and step up” may just have been the final straw that energized America’s Republicans to step up and and let their voices be heard at the ballot box.

Hawaii has become even more isolated politically. We have no U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye to reach across the aisle to work with Republicans.

Garry P. Smith

Ewa Beach

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