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Hawaii’s World
Isles benefit from
Inouye’s seniorityFirst | Second | Third of three articles
SEN. Daniel K. Inouye, nearing 76 and with 37 years in the U.S. Senate, is still a piker compared to Strom Thurmond of South Carolina. Thurmond, once a Democrat, now a Republican, is aged 97 with 44 continuous years of Senate membership plus some earlier interim service.
Inouye nevertheless is the fourth most senior member of the Senate, where seniority packs a lot of weight, including committee choices.
Numbers 2 and 3 are fellow Democrats -- Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, aged 82, with 41 years, and Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, aged 68 with less than two months more service than Inouye. Kennedy took office immediately after his brother, John, was elected president and resigned his unfinished term.
Health permitting, Inouye plans "absolutely" to run for re-election in 2004 -- and earn the right to 48 years of continuous service by the end of that term in 2010, when he will turn 86.
Things look bright for Inouye on the health front. He has an extremely good blood pressure reading of 130 over 70, an equally good cholesterol reading of 160 (formerly 190) and a spectacularly low rating of 1 on the PSA test for prostate cancer, where even 4 is considered OK. Eye surgery lets him read without glasses.
His main health complaint is that his left shoulder hurts from the double use it gets since he lost his right arm in World War II. He has trouble now hefting his own bags into airline overhead compartments. He still drives and is amazingly self-sufficient.
It is fact -- not political hokum -- that his seniority plus an affinity for the centers of power has brought untold benefits to Hawaii. That he might stick to this for 10 more years should be good news for just about all of us.
His weight in gold is only about $1 million. He has been worth many, many times his weight in gold to Hawaii.
Inouye's clout is evidenced in diverse ways. When Japanese investors bought up big chunks of Hawaii 10 years ago he was a key figure in persuading them that charitable giving is important for acceptance in Hawaii even though it isn't in Japan.
He invited one big investor to join him at the Bishop Museum to point out the absence of Japanese names on a plaque honoring big donors to the museum, which includes a lot of Big Five and kamaaina names.
THESE Hawaii long-timers, he pointed out, also are the bulwarks of support for Aloha United Way, the Honolulu Symphony, the YMCA, Boy Scouts and more. More Japanese investors have since joined in.
Inouye's ability to choose his Senate committees has gotten him senior spots on many. He chose to remain the senior Democrat on the Indian Affairs Committee rather than serve in spots usually considered more important.
His reason: Indian Affairs is of major importance to Hawaii, particularly now that we are seeking legislation to give Hawaiians the same rights as an indigenous people now reserved for Indians and Eskimos.
He also has strong leverage to help Hawaii as a senior Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittees for defense and for labor, health, human services and education.
Ditto his service on other committees or subcommittees focused on aviation, communications, surface transportation and merchant marine. And on the Senate Democratic Policy Committee.
In the Congressional Directory for the 106th Congress, the 13-page references to Inouye compare with 10 for Sen. Daniel Akaka, eight for Rep. Patsy Mink and six for Rep. Neil Abercrombie. Seniority is what does it.
A.A. Smyser is the contributing editor
and former editor of the the Star-Bulletin
His column runs Tuesday and Thursday.
