Dear Senator Akaka:
Last week, one of your spokespersons stated publicly that you had agreed to a debate or debates. Yesterday, another spokesperson stated that you continued to have our many pending debate and joint appearance invitations under “active consideration” (as you have stated since January) and you would be agreeing to one or some.
I am not aware of any specific forum you have agreed to from among the numerous pending debate invitations extended by our statewide and community television, radio and print media. I am similarly not aware of any specific joint appearance that you have agreed to from among the many pending requests, with the sole exception of an August 8th invitation from the Hawaii Publishers Association (which is not a debate but a back-to-back appearance.) You have also not responded to my invitation to join me in a series of ten or more statewide Senate Talk Stories.
Please confirm whether there are any invitations to which you have agreed other than the August 8th event. I would similarly appreciate your confirmation of which of the other debate or joint appearance invitations under your active consideration you will accept. I also ask for an answer to my own statewide Senate Talk Stories invitation.
There are just 81 days left to election day. We are both asking Hawaii’s voters to make a crucial choice on the future of Hawaii’s representation in the United States Senate.
Joint discussion and debate on these choices and related issues is critical to providing voters with the full range of information with which to make their decisions. It is a basic job requirement for any United States Senator, and it is a basic obligation of any candidate for the Senate, incumbent or challenger, to his or her voters. Several of your own Senate colleagues running for reelection have already recognized their obligation by debating their challengers on statewide and national television.
We should do likewise, and we have ample time, before and through our five-week August district work period as well as after, to undertake a range of appearances statewide. For my own scheduling purposes and so I can continue to fairly characterize your actions, I ask for your response at this time.
”’U.S. Congressman Ed Case is a Democrat running for U.S. Senate against Sen. Akaka in the primary election set for the third week of September. See more at https://ww.edcase.com”’