`Circumstances have changed’
By ddepledge
U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye said he would continue to support U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka if Akaka runs for re-election in 2012, but Inouye warned that he may not be able to help Akaka as much as he has in the past with fundraising and questioned his fellow Democrat’s fundraising pace.
In an interview Thursday night on Insights on PBS Hawaii, Inouye said any doubts about Akaka’s age should apply to him as well, since they both are 86-years-old. He also defended Akaka’s record and understated style. But he said that circumstances have changed since he and other Democrats rallied to Akaka’s side when he was challenged in the primary by former congressman Ed Case in 2006.
“As to his service to our nation, he’s done well. I think the record shows that. There are some who are flamboyant, some who are not. Some who are very vocal, and some who are not,” Inouye said. “The fact that one is flamboyant doesn’t mean that he is successful. The fact that someone is quiet and studious doesn’t mean he’s a weakling or he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Because, when I first got to the Senate, most of the very powerful senators hardly said a word. Have you ever heard of a speech by (legendary Georgia Sen.) Richard Russell?
“So, secondly, I have supported him all along and if he should decide to run I will support him. But now circumstances have changed. The last election I was able to concentrate fully on Senator Akaka. But now I’m president pro tem. I’m chairman of the appropriations committee and I’m a member of the leadership council.
“And, as such, they expect me as one of the leaders of the Senate to help all Democrats, not just one. And I’ve been doing that, even during my own re-election time.”
Inouye said he gave more than six figures to Akaka’s campaign in 2006 and he doubted whether he could match that again for 2012. Inouye gave $300,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to help Akaka against Case and also steered other donors toward his colleague. He noted Akaka’s slow fundraising pace for his reelection — he had just $66,278 in cash on hand at the end of the year — and predicted he would need at least $3 million to be competitive.
A spokesman for Akaka was not immediately available to comment. Akaka has said that he plans to run for re-election.
Several Democrats, both nationally and in Hawaii, have been raising doubts about whether Akaka will — or should — run for another six-year term.
Linda Estes, a former Kauai Democratic leader, wrote in a letter to the Star-Advertiser that Akaka should retire. She said he has served Hawaii with distinction and should retire with honor. She also said he should announce soon so other Democrats would have time to organize their campaigns.
“I believe that I’m saying what a number of people are thinking,” Estes said today.
Dante Carpenter, the Democratic Party of Hawaii chairman, said the party is operating under the assumption Akaka is running. “My understanding from conversations from Senator Akaka himself is that he’s running for re-election and has every intention to do that,” he said. “And, until I hear otherwise, that’s what my understanding is going forward.”
Carpenter and other Democrats have expressed concern about a potential challenge from former Gov. Linda Lingle, a Republican with fundraising prowess. Lingle has said she would decide by this summer whether to run for Senate.
Inouye, in his interview on PBS Hawaii with the Star-Advertiser’s Richard Borreca and KHON’s Gina Mangieri, listed several potential successors if Akaka should retire. He named U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz, U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, Gov. Neil Abercrombie, and former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann. Pressed further, he also mentioned Case and Tammy Duckworth, the McKinley High School graduate and Iraq war veteran who works for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
But Inouye said the party should try to narrow the choices. “Our problem, I think, at this juncture is to try to keep it down to a workable number,” he said. “Can you imagine if all six of them or seven of them ran? They’d kill each other.”
Political Radar
February 25th, 2011 at 3:51 pm
“Et tu, Brute?”
February 25th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
Mufi would be the best of the bunch. He could get hawaii some dollarz..
February 25th, 2011 at 5:55 pm
The writing’s on the wall… time to come home, Sen. Akaka.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:07 pm
I think Abercrombie, Schatz, Hanabusa, and Hirono should all resign to run.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:11 pm
“Daniel K. Inouye has spoken.”
February 25th, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Yes, I agree that Akaka should retire, don’t believe that his health is suffiicently robust to allow him to carry out the duties of the office. He has done his time and now is the time to let others do their time. He just lost the chair of the veteran affairs committee, so his influence in the senate has diminished. However, the dems should support a strong candidate other than case, as lingle would be a disaster if she won. She really messed up the State so, don’t want her to do the same representing Hawaii in the senate.
February 26th, 2011 at 1:52 am
Sen. Akaka is Chairman of the Homeland Security subcommittee that the entire Federal workforce comes under. Sen. Akaka is Chairman of the subcommittee that all of our National Parks and monuments come under. Sen. Akaka is Chairman of the subcommittee that ALL Defense-related construction comes under. He is now a member of the Senate Leadership, as well as Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee. If a Senator from anywhere else received even one of those posts, it would be headline news for days. Only in Hawaii would people look at that line-up and think that it is somehow not enough. Unbelievable!
The two Dans together will be necessary to get our coastal by-pass roads built. Those will likely be Defense-related roads. The two Dans together are an exceptional team, unparalleled in the country, and are practically one of Hawaii’s economic sectors. We put another person in, that person will not be able to deliver like Sen. Akaka can deliver for Hawaii. That huge base housing project that was headline news for days. That came courtesy of Sen. Akaka. Is any freshman Senator going to be able to deliver things like that. No.
We are feeling sassy now, with tourism numbers up, but the airlines are going to jack up rates, and tourism might soften again. Do we really want to retire someone who is doing so much for Hawaii, especially in these economic times? No.
Even Lingle is not saying for sure that she will run, and privately her people are saying that she will only run if Sen. Akaka steps down. My GOP friends are lining up to help Sen. Akaka with his re-election campaign. I think that if Sen. Akaka is willing to run again, then bless him, and let’s re-elect him! Imua Sen. Akaka! Imua Hawaii!
February 26th, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Old News. lingle is planning to run for Senate. Senator Inouye may
retire after a Candidate of his approval may take over his place or Senator Akaka’s.
I assume that Senator Akaka may have health issues. Assuming.
lingle tried to get in favor of the Akaka Bill and will probably continue to support it so she makes it possible to pass and get credit for a Bill made by Senator Akaka.
As a republican she may be part of the majority as Democrats are the minority. I assume she will not credit Senator Akaka at all. Assuming.
February 26th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
Sen. Akaka is a good man. He has done much for this State. He is a legend.
However, if anyone saw him in person over the 2010 election the first thing you would notice is his frailty. Many different times he was hunched over and not looking good.
He is a very smart man, but the Akaka-people should recognize that sometimes you need to save the boss from the boss. After all, that is what makes a Chief of Staff in a political office. They need to recognize that it’s not about him, but the State of Hawaii and even some would argue, the Democratic Party. The biggest problem with the Dems here is that we have well-qualified people circling like confined mano– they’re all biting and snapping at each other trying to take the other out. That kind of blood is on Akaka because his time is pau!
If the State of Hawaii and its vitality for the next 50 years was important to the man, he would retire and let the next generation step up. As heart-breaking as that is, it would be more heart-breaking to lose both Dans at the same time and allow Hawaii to fall at the bottom of DC’s pecking order of seniority.
February 26th, 2011 at 3:23 pm
I am not surprised these questions about the durability of Akaka are coming out. Back in ‘06 when Case ran against Akaka, there were many that thought of these questions, but because Case was running, they backed Akaka without question.
Now the questions come, and they are coming from more than one source.
Being that Hawaii politics runs on a snails pace, I guess it does take five years after the subject is first broached – in this case the durability of Akaka to serve another term – before people start scratching their heads and say “hmmmm”.
You can thank Ed Case for that one, because while the question was verboten in ‘06, it is now a increasingly asked question today.
February 26th, 2011 at 9:55 pm
Just wait til Hawaii loses all its senority and can’t get any more DC pork….
Message to Inouye cronies: “Get a job!”