Interesting new strategy is developing by core supporters of the Hawaiian recognition or Akaka Bill.

As Gordon Pang reports, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has hired a former Senator and prominent Native American, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, to lobby the bill among his former Republican colleagues on the Hill It's a smart strategy, particularly since one of the fields of objection to the Akaka Bill in the past revolved around threats to limited resources already committed to Native American groups . That concern has supposedly been written out of the latest draft of the bill, but some lawmakers with strong Indian constituencies might still have concerns. Campbell will help alleviate those worries.

Less clear is OHA's belief that they need to push hard now, to get the measure before President Bush before the end of the year, and the end of Bush's term. It's true that if the bill does not pass Congress this year, supporters will have to start from scratch in the House and Senate next year. No fun at all.

But going ahead this year is almost certain to generate a Bush veto and put the whole matter on a much higher plane of public attention. Senators who might have let the bill through through as a matter of courtesy for their colleagues could be much more gun shy if the whole world was watching in the context of a veto fight.

Some think the grinding work of starting from scratch next year might be a better course, since the next President, whoever he is, is likely to be more open to the Akaka bill than has the adamantly opposed Bush. Democrat Barack Obama is solidly in support and Republican John McCain, while perhaps not so enthusiastic, has given his vote to the cause in the past.

Is this a case of one bird in the Bush or two (possibly) in the hand?

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