Abercrombie outburst highlights tensions with Gov. Green nominees

Feb. 18—Gov. Josh Green has urged state senators to treat his Cabinet nominees with courtesy and respect, but some senators say it goes both ways after one was called an "idiot " by no less than former Gov. Neil Abercrombie at this week's confirmation hearing for Ikaika Anderson.

Gov. Josh Green has urged state senators to treat his Cabinet nominees with courtesy and respect, but some senators say it goes both ways after one was called an "idiot " by no less than former Gov. Neil Abercrombie at this week's confirmation hearing for Ikaika Anderson.

Abercrombie told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that he apologized to state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole by telephone Friday for calling Keohokalole "an idiot " while seated in the front row of Tuesday's hearing on Anderson to run the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

Keohokalole told the Star-Advertiser that he accepted Abercrombie's apology, and both said they hope to move on.

The name-calling of a sitting senator by a former governor in a public hearing, however, underscores the tensions, emotions and pressure around some of Green's 20 Cabinet appointees and their deputies as Green begins the search for another nominee to run DHHL after Anderson withdrew his name from consideration following the contentious hearing.

DHHL is under incredible public pressure to develop a plan to spend a record $600 million in state funding to help clear the waitlist of 28, 000 Hawaiians across the state who have been promised homes.

Keohokalole (D, Kaneohe-Kailua ) and state Sen. Les Ihara (D, Palolo-Kaimuki-Moiliili ) both voted against recommending Anderson's confirmation following the five-hour hearing of the Senate Committee on Hawaiian Affairs.

Ihara stood on the floor of the Senate the day after Anderson's hearing and condemned Abercrombie's behavior without naming either him or Keohokalole.

Instead, Ihara said that a "former governor " had called out a senator.

"He called him an idiot, " Ihara said. Senate rules ask "that we stand up to protect visitors and senators to this Capitol building from indignities to our humanity."

Abercrombie considers Anderson his "son, " and Keohokalole said he would expect that his family and friends would be just as passionate in defending him.

But the incident also raises expectations about how Green's other controversial nominees may be treated in their own separate confirmation hearings.

A "humbled " Abercrombie called his outburst "regretful and unfortunate " and said he hopes that it will help turn down the temperature around Anderson's successor and other Cabinet appointees.

"Everybody has something to learn, " Abercrombie said. "Hopefully, ironically, I hope a cooler and calmer atmosphere will prevail and the personality drama disappears. I was grateful for his (Keohokalole's ) graciousness."

Both Keohokalole and Abercrombie acknowledged the emotion and passion around helping Home Lands beneficiaries and hope to focus on that mission.

"Our eyes should be on the prize, " Abercrombie said.

Keohokalole said, "I accept his apology and want to move on. I do not hold against anyone the animosity that's generated when we in the Senate are critical of people that they love when they are up for vetting and confirmation. It's a difficult process that I don't enjoy. I don't harbor animosity against friends and family members who do not like their loved one being asked hard questions. Civility is a two-way street, and I'm prepared to do my best to be dignified and civil."

Different Senate committees will hold individual confirmation hearings on Green's other nominees. It's unclear whether the hopes of civility by Abercrombie and Keohokalole will come to fruition, said Colin Moore, director of the University of Hawaii's Public Policy Center.

"Gov. Abercrombie knows his behavior was wrong, " Moore said. "But it goes to show that the atmosphere is very tense around these confirmations. We're coming up on some others that can be tense as well, " such as Green's appointees for attorney general and the head of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Moore said the Senate is "not going to be a rubber stamp."

For nominees, he said, "you are really putting yourself out there for public scrutiny. Any negative things you've done in your career are going to come out."