KONO Taro’s Blog

Washington says that Hatoyama is proposing Camp-Schwab-Land-Plus-Futenma-Plan, that is to build a new helipad on the land in the Camp Schwab and to keep the Futenma Air Base in case of emergency. The proposed helipad in the Camp Schwab is for the limited use and, thus, it is difficult for US to accept the original Camp Schwab Land. The new plan gives US Marines right to use the former Futenma Base in case of emergency for air lifts. Okinawa may use the land of former air base as a park or something meantime. Nobody will be happy with this plan, but this plan may be just acceptable to the US.

AOKI Mikio, don of the LDP Upper House Members, and his followers have sidelined MASUZOE Yoichi, the ranking member of the Upper House Budget Committee, and KAWAGUCHI Yoriko, number 2 in the Budget Committee. Usually, the Budget Committee kicks off with the questions from the ranking member and the number 2, but the leadership of the LDP Upper House, which is under strong influence of Aoki, decided against letting Masuzoe and Kawaguchi ask questions on the first two days of the Committee. The first two days of the Committee are attended by PM and are covered by NHK nationally.
I have voiced against the Party nominating Aoki in the Upper House election this summer. He is the typical old style LDP politician whom LDP needs to get rid of in order to revive the Party. Hatoyama and DPJ are crumbling, but LDP needs to change drastically to win back the support from the public. Those senior politicians who put their interest before the country and the Party need to go away.
Will Masuzoe resign or will he swallow his pride?

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A good news and a bad news.
A good news is that the LDP-backed Independent candidate has won the Nagasaki Governor race. A bad news is Tanigaki and his deputies are planning to meet at seven tomorrow meeting and a news conference is set at 7:30. Why so early? Tanigaki must be planning to refuse the Budget Committee debate from tomorrow until Ozawa comes to testify in the Parliament. I must say this is a real crazy tactics. People do not want to see MPs wasting time on scandals. They want policy debates on economic recovery, pension and medical reforms etc. Team Tanigaki must have thought the victory in Nagasaki is the product of their effort to push Hatoyama around with questions on himself and Ozawa. No, people are now disillusioned with lies in the DPJ Manifesto. It is the time to be offensive on policy front.

Several journalists called me yesterday asking if I would leave the Party with MASUZOE Yoichi of the Upper House. I flatly said NO. They were suspecting that MASUZOE would leave the Party with HATOYAMA Kunio, the Brother, who would finance the new party. They were said to join Your Party of Watanabe Yoshimi. The rating of DPJ and Hatoyama, the Elder, has plummeted, but LDP rating is still flat. If you watch TV, you see old LDP members asking questions, and the questions are mostly not about the economy but scandals of Hatoyama and Ozawa. Tanigaki should have the younger ones debating about the economy and social security. LDP Upper House leadership is still not letting those who supported me in the leadership election stand and ask questions in the Budget Committee. They are now more Aoky than Aoki himself.

Mr.SHIMOJI Mikio,MP of Kokumin Shinto has proposed two new Futenma Relocation Plans: the Kadena Integration Plan and the Camp Schwab Land Plan. Either plan is realistic and well thought. However, either needs another round of EIA, which will take some time. I suspect that SHIMOJI had talked with the Chief Cabinet Secretary in advance, and even with the US. The Socialists are now just another liability to the Coalition. DPJ will let the noisy Socialist leader walk away from the Government in May by relocating the Futenma Air Base somewhere in Okinawa. Then, the Socialists will split up and TSUJIMOTO Kiyomi, Senior Vice Minister of Transportation and some others may join DPJ. Ozawa does not need them, but if some Socialist Upper House members come out with them, that is what he is hoping.

The rating of the Hatoyama Government is falling fast, but the rating of LDP has NOT risen! LDP leadership now wants to subpoena Hatoyama Mother to the Parliament. A big sigh. Is it what people want? What is LDP expected to do is to debate the economy. Tanigaki and his old deputies are relying on money scandals of Hatoyama and Ozawa in their Parliamentary tactics. They have also kept Old AOKI Mikio on the candidate list. These are just two major mistakes.

Michael Green, former Director of Asian affairs, NSC, and Richard Lee Armitage, former Deputy Secretary of State voiced their concerns about the Hatoyama Government.
Hatoyama or his government, if I may boldly predict, will end up relocating Futenma to Camp Schwab. The question is at what price. Will Hatoyama commit harakiri or his cabinet minister, or ministers? Mr. EDANO Yukio was appointed a cabinet minister. Is he to replace the Chief Cabinet Secretary in May, or will he replace Mr. MAEHARA, Construction & Transportation Minister, who most likely replace either Okada or Kitazawa? His sudden appointment is very interesting.

The ships of the Naval SDF which had been to the Indian Ocean operation came back to Japan. The Government did not value their activities and terminated the operation. Instead, the Government will increase the aid to Afghanistan. The notorious check-book diplomacy has come back.
The new mayor of Nago, where Camp Schwab is, in his interview with the Asahi Shinbun, expressed his staunch opposition to the relocation. Foggy Bottom has repeatedly told us that Camp Schwab is the only option they accept. The mayor indicated that he would resign if the Government decides to move the base to Camp Schwab. If the mayor resigns, the people of Nago will elect him again. Then what does the Government do?
I have always thought Okada, Foreign Minister, can handle these issues much better. But now, I am wondering if I have been wrong.

I came to Washington, DC to attend the 58th National Prayer Breakfast.

The proceedings of the Breakfast was:

58^th National Prayer

C0-Chairs:
The Honorable Amy Klobuchar, US Senate, Minnesota
The Honorable Johnny Isakson, US Senate, Georgia

Opening Music
Mr. Robert Fraumann

Greeting
The Honorable Amy Klobuchar
The Honorable Johnny Isakson

Pre-Breakfast Prayer
Rear Admiral Barry Black, CHC, USN(Ret.)
Chaplain, US Senate

Breakfast

Welcome
The Honorable Amy Klobuchar
The Honorable Johnny Isakson

Song(God Bless America)
Sergeant First Class MaryKay Messenger

Reading from the Holy Scriptures
The Honorable Ron Wyden, US Senate, Oregon

Greeting from the US House of Representatives Breakfast Group
The Honorable W. Todd Akin, US House, Missouri
The Honorable Charlie Wilson, US House, Ohio

Prayer for National Leaders
The Honorable Orrin Hatch, US Senate, Utah

Reading from the Holy Scriptures
His Excellency Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero

The Prime Minister of Spain

Prayer for World Leaders
Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

Message
The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton,
US Secretary of State

The President of the United States

Closing Song
Mr. Ralph Freeman

Conclusion
The Honorable Amy Klobuchar
The Honorable Johnny Isakson

Closing Prayer
Mr. Tim Tebow, Heisman Trophy Winner, 2007