Akaka's daily pleas might help sovereignty

THE ISSUE Senator Akaka has begun giving daily speeches on the Senate floor to urge enactment of Hawaiian sovereignty.

FRUSTRATED by tactics that have blocked congressional action on his Hawaiian sovereignty bill, Senator Akaka has begun pleading his case for the bill on a daily basis from the Senate floor. The desperate strategy may be necessary for the bill to receive a Senate vote and for Akaka to counter accusations that his seniority in Congress has been ineffective.

Rating Akaka as one of the five worst senators, Time magazine described him last month as "a master of the minor resolution and the bill that dies in committee." The magazine noted he has "struggled" to win approval of "a bill that would provide increased autonomy to the islands," a clumsy reference to the Akaka Bill.

Akaka's daily speeches thus far are anything but confrontational, in tune with his collegial and affectionate manner. He thanked Majority Leader Bill Frist for "working to uphold his commitment" to bring the Akaka Bill to the floor and Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., the chief obstructionist, for working "to uphold his promise to allow the bill to come to the floor for debate and roll call vote."

Akaka's speeches might begin a robust floor debate. On its second day, his speech was preceded by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., likening the bill to recognizing Hispanics who lived in Texas before it became a republic in 1836 or giving tribal status to Amish or Hassidic Jews.

If the Akaka Bill reaches the Senate floor, the vote could be close. Akaka said this week that it has bipartisan support in the Senate, citing support from four Republican senators. For its enactment, six Republicans must vote in favor of the bill if it receives solid support from Democrats and the Senate's one independent.

Watching from across Capitol Hill will be Rep. Ed Case, challenging Akaka in his re-election bid in November. Case says it is time for Hawaii to begin building seniority in the Senate for the next generation.