Remembering Daniel Inouye: A quietly heroic life in politics

The longtime Democrat and war hero dies at age 88. A look at his life, legacy, and the hole he leaves in the Senate

Inouye, a WWII veteran, earned a Distinguished Service Cross that was upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 2000.
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Unless you're from Hawaii, there's a good chance you haven't heard much about Sen. Daniel Inouye (D), who died Monday at age 88 from respiratory complications. But that doesn't mean the Aloha State's senior U.S. senator was inconsequential in national politics. A World War II hero who had represented Hawaii in Washington since it became a state in 1959, Inouye was the longest-serving member and president pro tempore of the Senate, putting him third in line for the presidency, behind only Vice President Joe Biden (D) and House Speaker John Boehner (R). He made his biggest mark, however, in the Watergate and Iran-Contra hearings and as a longtime member and current chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

"Just to get the crass politics out of the way," says David Dayen at Firedoglake, "Hawaii is one of three states where the governor makes a temporary appointment of a new senator based off of a list of three people submitted by Inouye's party." That Democrat, appointed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D), will serve until a special election in 2014, and "my money would be on Rep. Colleen Hanabusa." After Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stunned his colleagues with news of Inouye's death, the Senate tapped Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) as the new president pro temp. Leahy is also next in line to chair the Appropriations Committee, if he gives up the gavel of the Judiciary Committee.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.