Inouye’s appearance U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye appears on Rep. Ed Case's Web site, praising Case and his campaign, but the Case campaign says the video is not an endorsement.
on Ed Case’s Web site
has mixed message
The U.S. senator is shown praising
the candidate’s campaignBy Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.comA spokeswoman for Inouye, Jennifer Sabas, said the senator is not singling Case out for praise, noting that Inouye made speeches or appearances with Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono and D.G. "Andy" Anderson, the two other major Democrats in the race.
Inouye's praise of Case, however, was strong. The Internet footage was taken from a speech Inouye gave at Case's fund-raiser Aug. 28 at the Japanese Cultural Center.
In the video, Inouye says: "Although you may not be privy to the polls, the race has become very close for all three, and your man is looking good.
"I wanted to come by to commend Ed for offering himself for public service. This is something we talk about, but very few venture into.
"Ed has committed himself to this life, and I think we are all the benefactors here.
"Ed, congratulations and thank you for helping yourself. Certainly I wish you the very best. Under the rules that is about all I can say, but I am here," Inouye said.
A spokeswoman for Hirono, Barbara Tanabe, said the Web video will have no effect on the campaign.
"It is just Dan Inouye wishing the Democratic candidate well," Tanabe said. "I don't think it went beyond what he should say."
Case's campaign manager, Crystal Rose, said the campaign does not consider the video to be an endorsement.
"It is my understanding that Senator Inouye has not endorsed (Case)," Rose said. "In fact, I think the video says that."
Sabas said Inouye was careful to make himself available to all three Democratic candidates. He appeared at fund-raisers for Case and Anderson.
"Clearly, it was not an endorsement," Sabas said. "I guess you have to give the Case folks credit for doing it quickly and getting it up on their Web site."
She added that Inouye asked that the video not be used for a TV commercial during the primary election.
Because Hirono didn't have a fund-raiser scheduled while Inouye was in town, the senator invited Hirono to a bon dance in Kapahulu.
"I know she had a camera crew filming that," Sabas said.
She said Inouye permits photographs with Democratic candidates in primary races during public gatherings as long as the candidates don't label the picture an endorsement.
"If it is a public setting, it is a public event, and there is no ... endorsement, it is fair game," Sabas said.
She said all three candidates could have done the same thing.
"Before he accepted any of the invitations, he made sure he could accept all three," Sabas said.
All three Democrats have Web sites. Case's is at www.edcase.com, Hirono's is at www.maziehirono.net and Anderson's is at www.andy2002.org.
