Republican Party Chair - Dave Sablan

RL: Dave, Congress confirmed confirmed Rapadas.

Sablan: "You mean the Senate? Well that's great! No kidding, that's great news!" Chuckling in  reaction to the news of Rapadas' confirmation.

RL: I'd like a reaction.

Sablan: "Basically, I'm elated, I'm very happy for Lenny. He's gone through a lot, this was effectively a two year process, we submitted his name in 2001 and it took two years to get to this point. He's got a lot ahead of him. He's got big shoes to fill with Mr. Fred Black....and I am sure that he and Fred can certainly work  together to address all of the cases that are before the office of the US Attorney and we are looking forward to the exemplary work in that regard. And, I think it'll be wise of Lenny to work with Fred on these matters. I am very happy and pleased that the President saw fit to nominate our recommendation for this office. I thank all the people who supported Lenny from the Bush-Chaney campaign group to the state chairs of the Republican Parties in American Samoa and the commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. And the members of the Republican National Committee from Guam. All of us stood behind him in this regard and this is a great and historic moment for Guam."

RL: He's the first to be confirmed after O'Conner. Sablan: "Yes that is absolutely correct."

Former Speaker Tony Unpingco:

Answering my call:

Speaker: "Hey, you've heard the good news huh? He finally got it! I think he's the first for the longest time to be confirmed by the Senate, after O'Conner. I have a lot of faith in him, his record is good as far as prosecution is concerned. In spite of the many shortcomings, within the past administration where we do not provide to many - the budget has been so slim and everything. But yet, he managed to prosecute so many people in spite of the shortcomings that came about in terms of our budget, the budget they have. I really don't know Lenny, per say, as a friend or anything. I only know him professionally and that is the reason I asked him personally whether he would like to be nominated as the US Attorney on Guam."

RL: You must be proud of the fact that you've seen this happen? Speaker: "I am very, very, very proud..."

RL: Especially since like you said earlier, the President didn't have to follow your recommendation. Speaker: "Yeah, and to see the fruition of it! No he does not have to accept the recommendation. This is the first time a local person has ever been placed in that position."

RL: Lenny doesn't want that to be an issue. Speaker: "Lenny nei yeah, and I believe that's the beautiful part about it. In the past there were several nominees that were place about, but were not nominated by the president because of the finding of the FBI. But, he's the first local that ever been able to go through."

RL: Now that's a great statement Speaker. I am sure you are proud that he is a Chamorro, but the reason you appear to be very proud is because he is the first Chamorro to past the muster. Speaker: "Yeah, and he the guy also that can go anywhere, anywhere in the United States and here and still be upright in terms of what he feels and what he... becomes righteous in terms in his own ways. And so, yeah I am very elated and happy - honest to God."

RL: Chuckling from the Speaker's statement "Honest to God". Speaker: "Hu'u! (Reference Chamorro-English Dictionary Cf. Hunggan: yes, okay, sure, yeah, of course) He's one of our own and what has always been the perception and this is the biggest problem with the media..."

RL: Yeah. Speaker: "Perception, perception, in that nobody locally can do it."

RL: That's been a false perception don't you think? Speaker: "Yeah, and because they always say, 'Umbri, sa parienteshu hau. (common, he's/she's a relative) OK? Look at you for example. How many times have you really cut me down left to right."

RL: Only when I disagree. Speaker: "Yeah, and it means that professionally we disagree. But we still talk and mingle and interact, right?"

RL: Right. Speaker: "And, I do understand, that is why I'm raising this thing up. Our people has come about where they are like you, they see what they see, and call the shot they way they see it."

RL: Yeah. Speaker: "OK, you may not agree, and I may not agree. But the point is that we are mature enough to govern ourselves. We are mature enough to actually say that what is right is right, and what is wrong is wrong. And that, we are pretty well educated ah, and not educated to the point of being of ah, not like they say, you have to be unrelated to anybody here on this island."

RL: That's not a valid argument, right? Speaker: "No, not anymore, because all of our kids, we brought them up to be independent. Two of our kids right not, we impress upon them that was is right is right, regardless whether he's your relative or friend, or... brother. What is right is right!"

RL: So you see the value in changing the way things have been done on Guam? Speaker: "Oh, definitely. You know the world has become a global community. It's not like it used to be, where Guam is Guam. Now, it's part of the whole world. What affects us, affect everybody else."

RL: We can't continue to think island, we have to think global. Speaker: "Yeah, global right now and our people are exposed all over. Look at the military that are serving all over the place. They have seen how people live all over the place. You know Rlene, I got three children and a son-in-law in the Persian Gulf and coming back and forth and they know how people live over there. And they know the danger they are facing every day of their lives, and the people they have to face on. But, they respect their culture, at the same time, everybody plays in terms of the media itself, the world media. And so, whatever you see in Iraq right now is exposed to us, to Europe and all over. And, so there is no more provincial type of thinking. We have to think of how it's all affecting us."

RL: Well, this is a good step isn't it? Speaker: "Umhmm!"

RL: Is this the first time you made a recommendation? Speaker: "Oh yeah, this was the first time I put myself on the line in putting a person, of course because I was the titular head of the party. And, because I have no doubt in my mind that Lenny is very qualified. He's proven that he's objective with the many local people that he prosecuted."

RL: He'll have to prove himself now in the term of being the US Attorney won't he? Speaker: "I don't see the difference in terms of his prosecution with the local court and the federal court, everything is just centered on the crime that somebody committed on this island."