I was distressed to see one of my Senate colleagues unfairly maligned, as happened with Sen. Dan Akaka in a recent Time magazine article.

Anyone familiar with the art of the legislative process on Capitol Hill will tell you that very few bills, as originally introduced and sponsored, become law in that form. More often than not, a particular bill becomes a provision of a larger, more comprehensive legislation that is slated for passage into law.

After all, the goal is to get your measure passed, rather than to get the credit for being the bill's original sponsor or proponent. However, it would seem that the latter was the benchmark that Time used.

This tells me that Time is either very naive or misguided.

Let me give you a concrete example: Sen. Akaka, as a senior member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, worked on a bill calling upon VA facilities to give a greater focus on warrelated blast injuries.

The need is clear. The number of returning veterans from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom with serious combat injuries is significant, a majority of those injuries are being caused by explosive devices, such as roadside bombs and mines.

This initiative did not pass as a stand-alone measure, so by Time's calculations, it "died" in committee. In reality, it is today the law of this land. While Akaka did not get the "credit" because he was not the original sponsor of the larger bill, I know he is satisfied that as a result of his action, four new poly-trauma centers have been established nationwide, providing additional services to support our returning heroes who are amputees, have spinal-cord injuries, brain injuries and/or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Hawai'i is served through a poly-trauma center established in Palo Alto, Calif.

I can cite numerous examples which make the same point — don't be obsessed with getting credit, but instead focus on getting the job done. And what has been the result?

Hawai'i's tropical forests are better protected and managed; hydrogen and fuel cell research has been expanded to increase our renewable energy options; a Federal Emergency Management Agency office was established in Hawai'i in 1993 and protected from closure in 2005; resources were provided to teach economic literacy in school, equipping students with practical skills including balancing a checkbook, credit-card responsibilities and applying for a loan.

These measures are far from minor and did not "die" in committee — you just need to know where to look if you are sincerely interested in getting the complete picture.

Additionally, if I for one minute took seriously Time's measurement of worth — the number of bills and resolutions introduced and passed — I fear I could be subjected to similar treatment.

The vast majority of the earmarks I propose are not bills introduced for consideration at all. I am also not an original sponsor of the appropriation bills within which the earmarks are included, except, of course, for defense because of my role as the ranking member of the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee.

Here again, it is not the importance of having your name attached to the provision, it is the importance of getting results that matter. And it is the results upon which the reputation of the Hawai'i congressional delegation is built.

Last fall, Sen. Akaka took to the Senate floor to protect a provision we jointly included in the U.S. Department of Education budget to fund a Native Hawaiian Law Center at the University of Hawai'i to expand the pool of expertise in the field of Native Hawaiian law.

There was no bill on this subject. Rather, it was an amendment that had been accepted and included in a "must-pass" funding bill. My colleague waited patiently until the opportunity for challenge had clearly passed before leaving the Senate floor. There was no fanfare. Sen. Akaka just did his job as a part of a team effort.

It is that subjective characteristic, difficult to measure, which is the true value and measure of effectiveness.

It should also be noted that Sen. Akaka began his congressional career as a member of the U.S. House, representing rural O'ahu and the Neighbor Islands. As such, he knows firsthand the unique and pressing healthcare needs of rural communities.

That is why he played a key role last year in convincing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to bring the University of Hawai'i's health professions training program to Hilo. There was no bill introduced that carries his name. But we have been assured that $500,000 will be made available annually over the next several years.

Finally, in its attempt to ridicule Sen. Akaka, Time sought to make fun of one of the bills that became law — the naming of a post office in Hawai'i. Sounds pretty "unambitious." Trivial, even.

However, it is important and far from trivial for the many people who knew and loved my colleague, the late U.S. Sen. Hiram Fong, for whom the post office was named.

In fact, the Hawai'i congressional delegation was officially called upon by a commission established by the Hawai'i Legislature to pursue the naming of a post office in memory of Sen. Fong. It was a team effort for which Sen. Akaka took the lead in carrying out the responsibility. The measure was introduced on December 13, 2005, and became law on March 20, 2006. It was not difficult and it did not take very long. It may still be "unambitious" by Time's standards, but I would say that by Hawai'i's standards, the word "honorable" more aptly describes the action taken at the behest of our constituency.

I think you get the picture. Time's benchmark is a shallow oversimplification of the intricacies of the legislative process. As such, Sen. Akaka's rating is inaccurate, unfair and undercuts the many legislative contributions my Senate partner has made during his tenure for the benefit of Hawai'i and our nation.

Daniel K. Inouye is Hawai'i's senior U.S. senator and a supporter of Sen. Dan Akaka in the upcoming Democratic primary election. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.