Advising
By ddepledge
Former congressman Ed Case is not known for surrounding himself with a lot of political handlers, but he has turned to some advisers with interesting backgrounds in his Democratic primary campaign for U.S. Senate.
Al Hoffman, a former television newsman and public-relations executive at Hawaiian Airlines and Communications Pacific, has helped Case prepare for his debates against U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono.
Hoffman was a media adviser to former Gov. Linda Lingle in her unsuccessful Republican run for governor in 1998. Lingle was up against Gov. Ben Cayetano and Lt. Gov. Hirono.
Lingle is the leading Republican contender for U.S. Senate.
Janet Scheffer, the president of Mana Means Communications, is helping Case with the news media.
Scheffer’s only significant prior political experience was on Quentin Kawananakoa’s failed Republican primary campaign for Congress in 2006 and his unsuccessful state House race in 2008. Kawananakoa lost to former state Sen. Bob Hogue in the 2006 primary for Congress. Hirono beat Hogue in the November general election.
Scheffer was also involved in her friend Adrienne King’s unsuccessful Republican primary campaign for lieutenant governor in 2010.
Political Radar
June 15th, 2012 at 11:36 am
Not surprising. He’s previously advised Republicans:
http://my.firedoglake.com/paiagirl/2012/05/20/hawaii-senate-candidates-rightwing-credentials/
Now he’s receiving advice from them.
These are the folks he’s most comfortable with.
June 15th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
Thanx, Derrick, this speaks volumes. As much as I think Mazie sometimes appears to be little more than her handlers (can’t she do better than Carolyn Tanka? What a bomb while at UH), the company Ed appears to be keeping is looking downright scary).
June 15th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Ohia, I think that Mazie showed that she is much more than any crew of handlers, in last night’s PBS debate. Please also consider that a lot of people around Mazie in this race are people foisted on her by supporters, not people that Mazie actively sought out and recruited.
As for Derrick’s list of Ed people, WOW! Thanks, Derrick! Really telling!
So, is there any thought whether Al Hoffman is a there to help Ed or not ? I do not know the gentleman, so am not trying to cast aspersions. But, it is curious to go from Lingle to Ed when Lingle is in the same race. Or is the operative part that he was part of the failed Lingle campaign, so maybe is no longer welcome by Lingle?
Ed is not the brightest light, nor is he the debater that he likes to think he is. So, with that crew of preppers, it is no wonder that he went down in flames last night. When Mazie went to Georgetown University Law Center, it was one of the hardest law schools to get into, so she is pretty bright. Another big difference between the two is that Mazie works really hard, whereas I read where one year, Ed only introduced a single piece of legislation. Esther Kia’aina was his Chief of Staff then, so when people tout her credentials, which include never passing the bar exam, I just want to sink into the floor. The same article about Ed and the one piece of legislation also said that he carried a Minus 3 effectiveness rating.
Part of what sunk Ed last night was all his Republican credentials, like voting for Bush’s tax cuts, twice. Voting for the Iraq war, even though the rest of the Hawaii delegation did not. Given that he is in tight with these Republican advisors, I guess Ed really is a Republican as people have said all along.