By Ken Kobayashi, The Honolulu Advertiser

U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka easily won a fourth term last night and promised that his first priority when he returns to Washington, D.C., will be the war in Iraq.

A longtime critic of the war who has called for U.S. troops to be withdrawn by July next year, Akaka said he will be working with his colleagues in the Senate to develop a comprehensive plan for the war-torn country.

He said he wants the White House to deploy more than Defense Department employees to help Iraqi civilians survive the three-year-old conflict.

by Terri Inefuku, KGMB9

Sen. Daniel Akaka is confident going into Tuesday's general election.

"I feel so happy that we've set a strategy for me for the general election," Akaka told KGMB9. "We've been following it, and the strategy was to meet as many people as I can in communities, which I've done."

Others are confident too. Just past the front steps of the Department of Education, supporters rallied for more Democrats in Washington.

"If we can get our people out to vote, Democrats win and Hawaii wins," said Democratic Party chairman Mike McCartney.

by Derrick DePledge
Honolulu Advertiser

U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, after a difficult Democratic primary, has chosen to keep his Republican opponent, Windward state Rep. Cynthia Thielen, at a distance in their general election campaign.

Thielen was appointed by the Hawai'i Republican Party as a replacement candidate, not elected by voters, and Akaka has declined invitations for debates or joint appearances and has instead met with voters at campaign events or communicated through media interviews and television advertisements.

Commentary By Lance Holter, The Honolulu Advertiser

The Sierra Club Political Committee recently endorsed incumbent Sen. Daniel Akaka for the U.S. Senate. The endorsement drew a storm of controversy because it was "totally political," said those who support Akaka's opponent, Cynthia Thielen. The Sierra Club endorsed Thielen for the Hawai'i state House, representing Kailua.

The Sierra Club makes political endorsements during election cycles to advance conservation issues, educate voters and create common ground and dialogue with political candidates running for public office. Much of the endorsement process for national elections involves sharing national environmental priorities with candidates, and highlighting the legislation required to resolve controversial issues of the era ??€" thus oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is part of the debate in Hawai'i.

by Lester Chang - THE GARDEN ISLAND

Making sure American troops pull out from Iraq by next July will be among his top priorities if re-elected, said U.S Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai??€˜i.

Akaka, who is up for a six-year term, will also focus on pushing through his Akaka Bill, and funding No Child Left Behind, healthcare programs and ethanol projects.

Akaka said he will stand by his troop pullout deadline in spite of the critics, including President Bush. Bush Saturday renewed his criticism of Democrats??€™ desire to entirely withdraw from Iraq while campaigning in Indiana on behalf of GOP House candidates. Akaka said the deadline will encourage the Iraqi government to speed up the training of security forces to take over the country as American troops pull out.