Schatz Strikes Back at Hanabusa in Final Debate Before Primary
The U.S. senator and the U.S. representative talked about American interests in the Middle East, the VA and their experiences in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz accused U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa of living in the past Thursday during their final televised debate before the Aug. 9 primary.
Schatz continually asked voters to stack up his record in the Senate against hers in the House, where he said she passed only one bill.
Schatz didn鈥檛 mention that Hanabusa has been stuck in a Republican dominated chamber throughout her tenure.
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz and U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa squared off in their final televised debate before the primary.
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But his main point was that Hanabusa鈥檚 efforts at the state level, where she rose to Senate president, shouldn鈥檛 be as much of a factor in this election.
鈥淵ou do not have an active record as a legislator in the Congress,” Schatz said.
It was a tactical shift for the senator, who found himself on the defensive more often than not during the last two televised debates.
Hanabusa didn鈥檛 take Schatz鈥檚 charges lightly.
She countered by criticizing the lack of legislation to come out of the Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Competitiveness and Innovation, which he chairs.
Hanabusa also returned to the barbs she used in Tuesday鈥檚 debate that linked Schatz to a proposed pension tax put forth by Gov. Neil Abercrombie in 2011.
Overall, the debate, sponsored by Hawaii News Now and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, was a lively affair that covered a lot of ground, from the recent fighting in Gaza to the resignation of Eric Shinseki, former secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Other issues, such as Native Hawaiian rights, government surveillance and Medicare, were also discussed.
The candidates went toe-to-toe on the U.S.鈥檚 actions in Iraq and Syria as well, doing their best to draw distinctions between their policy stances.
Among other things, Hanabusa worries about sending troops back to Iraq to secure the U.S. Embassy whereas Schatz finds it to be a necessity to protect American interests in the country.
The candidates also disagreed over where money should be spent to beef up veterans services in the Pacific.
In all, Schatz and Hanabusa have taken part in five debates, including two on the neighbor islands.
Polls taken before the debates have shown Schatz with a lead over Hanabusa.
The senator also has been out front in on fundraising and expenditures.
