U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka chided U.S. Rep. Ed Case at a forum yesterday for voting too often with Republicans, while Case described Akaka as too ineffective to have much influence in the Senate.

The candidates in the Democratic primary appeared at a Hawai'i Publishers Association luncheon at Dole Cannery, only the second time in the campaign that they have shared a stage. The event was not a debate — each man spoke separately and then answered questions from the audience — but it was an opportunity to contrast the candidates side-by-side.

Case was more aggressive and used some of the bluntest language of his campaign to describe Akaka. The senator, by comparison, charmed the crowd with anecdotes and humility but did not shy away from confronting the most awkward theme of the primary.

Akaka, 81, squarely addressed the issue of his age, saying the elderly should not be cynically dismissed as frail and disposable but valued as kupuna who have wisdom and experience.

The senator also embraced his role as a liberal who has challenged President Bush on the war in Iraq, the USA Patriot Act and tax breaks for the wealthy, suggesting that the moderate Case would not stand up to the administration.

"Who is going to do that for us in Washington, D.C.? Who will be the alternative voice, that persistent conscience?" Akaka asked. "Will it be Republicans? Or even individuals who claim to be Democrats but vote to the contrary?

"Or will they just rubber-stamp the administration's decisions?"

Case, 53, acknowledged that the primary is a difficult and emotional choice for many but asked people to look honestly at the need for leadership transition. He said planning for transition is routine in business, the military and in many families and warned that it would be a mistake for Hawai'i to fail to recognize its importance in the Senate.

'NO ... LEADERSHIP'

Case said U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawai'i, is responsible for most of Hawai'i's influence in the Senate and claimed that Akaka's three decades in the House and Senate have "not been marked by significant achievement."

Case cited as an example the procedural vote in June against Akaka's Native Hawaiian federal recognition bill, which the senator had sought for six years, as "clearly a failure of effectiveness on the floor of the United States Senate."

"There have been no markers of national leadership in a 30-year career. There has been a 'don't make waves' approach," Case said. "That's not going to get our national problems solved. If we're just going to kind of go along to get along, we're never going to dig our way out of the problems that we face."

Case also alleged that the political culture in the Islands — and nationally — is broken but can be repaired by politicians who reject partisanship for consensus-based solutions. He said, if elected, he would work with Senate moderates from both parties.

"That is my natural home," he said. "That is where I will go on Day One in the United States Senate."

The forum was the first time since the state Democratic convention in May that the candidates appeared together before the same audience. Akaka volunteers waved signs outside Dole Cannery, where the senator has his campaign headquarters, and a few dozen people in the crowd gave the senator a standing ovation when he was introduced.

DIFFERENT STYLES

Akaka appeared more comfortable delivering his prepared remarks than during the question-and-answer period, when he was asked about leadership transition and the war. Case, who has held informal "talk story" sessions throughout the Islands over the past few years, was more direct and seemed more at ease when responding to questions.

Despite the edgy tone in some of their comments, the two men hugged at the end of the forum.

Afterward, Akaka told reporters that his reluctance over the years to talk about his accomplishments has meant that many voters are unaware of his work. He said his campaign would be more deliberate in the weeks before the September primary about informing voters of his record.

Akaka disagreed with Case's description of his work on the Native Hawaiian federal recognition bill, saying he has made progress in educating an often hostile Republican Senate about the Hawaiian struggle. "I don't look upon it as a failure," he said.

Some observers believe that Akaka's performance at the forum might determine whether his campaign agrees to a debate with Case. Akaka said debates are still under consideration but made no commitment.

Case believes Akaka's campaign is being heavily scripted by his advisers and said the senator is purposely avoiding the give-and-take of a debate. He said debating is a job requirement for the Senate and that voters statewide should be able to hear a free-flowing exchange on issues such as Iraq.

OPPOSING WAR VIEWS

Case and Akaka took opposing views at the start of the war and disagree on whether there should be a specific timetable for troop withdrawal. Case wants more stability in Iraq before setting a withdrawal date, while Akaka prefers removing troops by July 2007.

Case has accepted debate invitations from the four commercial television networks and from PBS Hawaii. "Clearly, there is a distinct strategy of avoidance," he said.

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com.