Campaigns making use of others' wins

Akaka will stress the Iraq war; GOP wants to focus on isle issues

The general election season opened with the separate campaigns of two big political stars, Democratic U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka and Republican Gov. Linda Lingle.

Both are considered the favorites to win Nov. 7 against their challengers: Republican state Rep. Cynthia Thielen against Akaka; and former state and county officeholder Randy Iwase, a Democrat, against Lingle.

To bolster those candidates and others, the Democrats and Republicans are each running combined campaigns to emphasize their candidates' strengths.

Democrats, who have been more effective than the GOP in running a coordinated campaign, have taken the unusual approach this year of using defeated primary candidates as stand-ins for Akaka while he is representing Hawaii in Washington, D.C.

Democrats Rep. Brian Schatz and Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, losers in the 2nd Congressional District primary election won by Mazie Hirono, have both taken turns standing in for Akaka in forums featuring the GOP's Thielen.

Thielen sprinted into this general election after having been picked by the GOP state executive committee after the primary winner, Jerry Coffee, was unable to run because of illness. Akaka comes off a hard victory against U.S. Rep. Ed Case.

"He is going to run the same kind of campaign," Elisa Yadao, Akaka's campaign press secretary, said.

Akaka will continue to stress his opposition to the war in Iraq and the value of having someone who is a political partner with Hawaii's senior senator, Daniel Inouye, Yadao said.

Thielen says she has two major campaign issues: First, she wants to stress her record as an environmental attorney and concern to change the federal policy away from oil. Second, Thielen says that if the Republicans continue to control the Senate majority, it makes sense to have someone from that political party in Congress.

"Today, we don't have a voice inside that majority caucus room. I want to be that voice," Thielen said.

Taken off the table in the Senate race is the relative age of the two candidates. During the primary, Case, 54, had stressed that at 82, Akaka was nearing the end of his effectiveness in the Senate. Thielen, 73, said she would not be making age an issue in the general election.

Democratic Party Chairman Mike McCartney says Democrats are hoping to unite the various factions within the Democratic Party for the general election.

He pointed to the eight major candidates who ran against each other for Case's congressional seat.

"Actually, it was helpful to have the spirited primary because it drew out people who were willing to help, and now we are turning the losers into an advantage for the party," McCartney said.

Republicans say their coordinated campaign will be more about educating their first-time candidates and those who are going up for a second legislative race against a Democratic foe.

Also, the GOP hopes Lingle's high approval numbers will lift up the Republicans in other campaigns.

Republicans are also trying to steer the debate away from the national politics and President Bush.

As the president's approval ratings continue to sink, the Hawaii GOP argues that "the election is about what is happening in Hawaii, and people care about their pocketbooks on a local level," GOP Chairman Sam Aiona said.

Democrats say they will continue to make Bush's high disapproval numbers a key part of their campaign.