The fallout from the Norman Hsu legal and political finance scandals reported by Brody Mullins in last week's Wall Street Journal is toxic and far reaching already impacting the campaigns of current Democratic front-runners Clinton and Obama. Equally disturbing is the potential for Republicans, the "Great Dividers," to fan still present embers of racism and xenophobia around the county into flames that could cause serious damage to Asian American voices in the Democratic Party leadership who have worked long and hard to be heard and respected.
Shame on you, Norman Hsu! Was it for ego gratification that you spilled the soup putting the spotlight on the Asian American political community? Didn't you realize how much it could hurt the community whether or not you are found guilty by the legal system?
The bottom line is that he attempted to leverage his influence by first re-inventing himself in New York City Democratic politics, and then moving to the San Francisco Democratic political marketplace. Maybe the Republicans wouldn't have him...
Norman Hsu was a minor player in 2003 and 2004, and if you were around during that time in the donor and political finance circles - you knew that he was ignored and barely given access. He was in the minor leagues. Not even the Asian American community paid him much attention.
Capitalizing on the debacle of the Presidential loss in 2004, Hsu saw opportunity and began what appears to be his purposefully architected campaign to become a "player." Refer to the campaign finance records, and one can see the pattern of political contributions to key Democratic candidates.
Hsu's ascent from a virtual outsider to a "top Democratic donor" happened in a relatively short period of time, and has no precedent. That no one knew what he did for a living was curious in itself. Then suddenly he was always in San Francisco showing up in dark Armani suits and silently placing himself at head tables. The puzzle is why leading Democratic fundraisers in the Bay area allowed this to happen.
One can surmise that in the land of entrepreneurs perhaps Norman Hsu's mythology was plausible. But one would have hoped for more discernment in checking the myths propagated by him -- since the inside circles were filled with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs done good, sometimes the ex-wives, and often those of old San Francisco family money, and Norm did not hail from any of these camps.
Our challenge now is to salvage the reputations of the reputable members of the Asian Pacific American community that have tirelessly worked since 2002 to earn a place at the proverbial Democratic leadership "table."
Congressman Mike Honda was invited into the DNC leadership as their representative, and earned one of the coveted Vice Chair positions. They were welcomed into the 2004 Presidential campaign, and became major fundraisers and donors. Several years prior, they formed and funded a non-profit to train young high school and college aged students in civic engagement, called Vision New America.
There was a long term plan in place to do the hard work, and it was accomplished. The respected Chinese families forged ahead to support the Congressman, and other Asian American candidates nationally, and in the state of California - and there were successes. Now after all these years, this community has earned a position of respect in the political landscape of the Democratic Party. The last thing they need, the last thing we need, is the kind of crap.
Note to Norman Hsu: the Democratic Party does not need your shenanigans. Please go away. These are the years of long awaited success, and a time for the voices of diversity to be heard - not shunned.
Note to the rest of us: Do not let these machinations by one over ambitious individual silence the voices that have worked so hard to find their rightful place in the political framework of America.