EDITORIAL
For the U.S. Senate: Dan Inouye

Given his importance to the Hawai'i economy, his commitment to the people of the Islands and his stature as the third-most-senior member of the Senate, The Advertiser endorses Dan Inouye for an eighth term in office.

Inouye has steadfastly focused on the needs and issues of his home state throughout his career. He is known — and indeed criticized by some — as being a master of the military budget. Critics suggest that Inouye's skill in working the military appropriations budget has made Hawai'i over-dependent on this one source of economic activity.

It is a legitimate point. But it overlooks Inouye's quiet but incessant efforts to build economic capacity for Hawai'i in many different ways.

He is, for instance, an ardent supporter of the University of Hawai'i and has won important federal support for its programs in ocean science, agriculture and astronomy.

Inouye also has been a key player in getting O'ahu well "wired" with fiber-optic cables. This obviously has importance to the military, but it is also critical to our success in many high-tech endeavors.

In a Senate that is almost evenly divided, both numerically and politically, Inouye has demonstrated ability to work with both parties.

His opponents in this election, Republican Cam Cavasso, Libertarian Jeff Mallan and nonpartisan Jim Brewer, are sincere and would certainly offer a different perspective in Washington.

But for the good of Hawai'i, and indeed for the good of the United States Senate, it is important that this wise and experienced legislator be returned for another term.