The travel industry, the state of Hawaii and the nation have lost a giant. The story of Daniel Inouye is well-known: war hero, Hawaii's first congressman, elected to nine terms in the Senate, a passionate advocate for his state and a champion for travel and tourism.
He will be missed, and we fear the U.S. Senate will be all the poorer for having lost a lion of the old school who did not let ideology stand in the way of progress. A lifelong Democrat, Inouye was a close friend and frequent collaborator of such Republican stalwarts of his generation as Bob Dole of Kansas and the late Ted Stevens of Alaska. They knew how to work together, how to accommodate their differences.
We have lost more than an advocate. We have lost a teacher and public servant whose life will be remembered as a shining example of how it's done.