Age, experience, seniority play key roles in Akaka v. Case

U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai‘i, and U.S. Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawai‘i, have become locked in a “generational battle” for Hawai‘i’s other senate seat, and neither one is backing down.

Case, 53, has profound Aloha for the senior statesman — a 30-year congressional veteran — but said he’s running to take Akaka’s seat to begin shifting power from Hawai‘i’s current senators to a newer, younger generation of political leaders.

Akaka and fellow Democrat Sen. Daniel Inouye are both in their early 80s.

“We need to build up our second senator experience, seniority and relationships, so that when Sen. Inouye’s career ends, and I hope he can serve as long as we can, the person who takes over has a running start at representing Hawai‘i,” Case said.

Akaka said age won’t stop him from doing his job, and he can more than muster the resolve and energy to serve Hawai‘i efficiently in Washington D.C. Furthermore, his seniority and connections in Congress are an asset for all Hawai‘i residents.

“The nation and Hawai‘i cannot afford somebody who is inexperienced,” Akaka said.

Akaka said he is part of a tandem team with Inouye that has brought hundreds of millions in federal funds to Hawai‘i over more than four decades, and the now is not the time to break up the team. (Inouye’s term is up in four years, but he has said he will seek another six years.)

Case disagrees, and says he has congressional contacts that will allow him to do the job Akaka has done and more.

Whether Akaka can still be effective in Washington and whether Case can convince voters that Akaka is past his prime is at the center of this year’s heated race.

With extensive political experience and the corresponding name recognition, Akaka and Case are the front-runners in a race that has seen 10 Hawai‘i residents file to run for the seat.

Case actually hasn’t officially filed yet, though he and Akaka both pulled election papers on May 26. Akaka filed on Wednesday.

Throughout his recent term, Akaka has been a vocal opponent of the war in Iraq and a staunch advocate of veterans rights. He has also been an ally of the environment and, most notably, Native Hawaiians. Last month his bid to grant federal recognition to the indigenous people of Hawai‘i, the Akaka Bill, died in the Senate. Akaka is also known for boosting funding for various education programs.

Case, on the other hand, has represented the 2nd Congressional District, made up of rural O‘ahu and the Neighbor Islands, for nearly four years.

In the House, Case has lobbied successfully for federal funds to fight drugs, pushed for the preservation of natural resources, worked to bring more services to Hawaiians and supported Hawai‘i-based troops by visiting Mainland military training bases and Iraq.

Case said he is ready to take on more challenges, this time as a member of the U.S. Senate.

Despite that, age seems to be the central factor, one that Akaka said gives him an edge.

“There are so many good things about age; age makes a difference,” Akaka said during a Saturday luncheon at the Hanapepe Hongwanji Mission Church. “Seniority makes a difference, and experience, and being known and having friends.”

Case, who also feels his age gives him an advantage, has repeatedly challenged his opponent to a debate, which he says will reveal his superiority.

“It has been somewhere in the range of 20 opportunities — to debate, to make a joint appearance, including (on) statewide television stations,” Case said Friday. “I would be willing to appear jointly with Sen. Akaka on Kaua‘i, so people can on Kaua‘i can size us up and make the choice.”

Akaka said Case may have his chance, but not now.

“I have not said I am not going to debate,” Akaka said. “I would consider debating him between now and the (September) primary.”

Akaka said he loves Hawai‘i and wants to continue to serve the state in Washington, and any first-time voters who feel about Hawai‘i the way he does will vote for him.

“I would like for them to know, from day one, I reflect the people of Hawai‘i in the United States Congress, meaning I work together with people, I build relationships. I help people as much as I can,” Akaka said. “I care about people. For me, that is the Hawaiian style.”

Case, who hails from the Big Island, says his deep love for Hawai‘i also has motivated him to run for higher office.

“I believe my overall political philosophy and style better fits the people of Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i overall,” he said.

He said he has family roots in Kaua‘i, has produced results for Kaua‘i and routinely meet government leaders, business leaders, community leaders and residents to try to find a way to improve the quality of life on Kaua‘i.

“Within two weeks, I will have done 22 talk story community meetings on Kaua‘i alone,” he said. “I will not be an election-year politician.”

Akaka said he represents the interest of the entire state, but has not forgotten Kaua‘i when it needed help.

He and Inouye are moving through the Senate $14.5 million to support improvements at the Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor in West Kaua‘i.

Akaka also said he has worked with Inouye to bring $13 million in federal disaster relief funds for Kaua‘i and O‘ahu, which were pummeled by 42 consecutive days of rain in the spring. The persistent rain led to the failure of the Ka Loko Reservoir in Kilauea in March, killing seven people and causing millions in damages.

Both Akaka and Case made separate visits to Kilauea in the wake of the tragedy.

Over the last three or four years in Congress, Case said he has worked on funding projects to improve traffic, infrastructure, roads, harbors and airports on Kaua‘i and in the rest of his congressional district.

If elected to Congress, he said he will bring renewed attention to finding funds to improve and strengthen Kuhio Highway and Kaumuali‘i Highway.

Preservation of the Kaua‘i’s natural resources is also important to him, Case said.

He successfully introduced legislation to expand the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge and will work to find funds to expand it as a senator.

He also said efforts to protect Kaua‘i from an invasion of invasive plants and animals are inadequate, and he has introduced legislation to require incoming bagging inspections.

He has also pledged to work to fund defense programs and projects at the Pacific Missile Range Facility and the West Kauai Technology Center.

Case also has goals for education.

“No Child Left Behind continues to be a major challenge for public education and is clearly impacting the teachers and the schools on Kaua‘i,” Case said. “And we need to modify it and fund it.”

Case said he’s been working on these areas since he took office and has come a long way.

“But we have a long way to go,” he said.

Akaka said the biggest difference between he and Case is that “I don’t toot my own horn.”

Akaka’s director of communications, Elisa Yadao, said the senator has won a reputation as a “kind man, a gentle man, a decent man,” but at the same time he can make tough decisions.

When President Bush authorized military force in Iraq because leaders from that country would not release information about weapons of mass destruction, Akaka — a World War II veteran — gave credibility United Nations-sanctioned searches that failed to yield such weapons.

Both he and Inouye joined more than 20 other senators who voted against giving the president the green light to invade Iraq. A decorated member of the most decorated U.S. military unit for its size (the 442nd Regimental Combat Team) Inouye lost his right arm in combat in Europe.

Akaka said he also introduced legislation that allowed 20 members of the 442nd to receive the Medal of Honor for bravery in combat in World War II.

He said he initially asked the Pentagon to give the same medal to 100 members of that fighting group, but was turned down. Akaka also said another Japanese-American soldier from the 442nd was up for the same medal but was turned down because he was a medic and didn’t carry a rifle.

“When I found out, I went back to the Pentagon and got that changed,” Akaka said.

Supporters said Akaka has always helped veterans from Hawai‘i and from other states.

For the Iraq conflict, Akaka supported funding legislation for trauma centers for returning veterans from Middle East conflicts.

Akaka also said he is trying to help as many Americans as possible receive Medicaid benefits.

As of July 1, people are required to have either a birth certificate or a passport to qualify for the benefits.

“We found that there are 51 million people in the United States who would be affected by this,” he said.

Akaka asked the deadline be set back to Jan. 31, 2007, to allow states to address situations where people who were born in the United States but don’t have birth certificates.

This situation has affected Filipinos who were born in the Philippine Islands but have become U.S. citizens without a U.S. birth certificate.

Akaka said his request was dashed because of “the Republican leadership in Senate.”

During his tenure in Congress, Akaka funded programs to serve seniors and families, protected natural resources, worked to direct $40 million in federal money for national parks and authored the Hawaiian Home Lands Recovery Act to restore lands taken by the federal government during the territorial days of Hawai‘i.

And despite the stalling of the Akaka Bill in the Senate, he and Inouye have worked on countless other bills that did become law, Akaka said.

“These are the things we do,” he said. “We able to do this because of our seniority.”

Akaka was first elected to the U.S. House in 1976, and was appointed to the Senate when Sen. Spark Matsunaga died in 1990. He won re-election in 1994 and 2000.

For more information on the two candidates, go to www.akaka2006.org and www.edcase.com.

• Lester Chang, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or lchang@kauaipubco.com.