U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye has apologized to Big Island state Rep. Dwight Takamine for asking Takamine to help mediate an internal House leadership fight in November, fearing his request may have cost Takamine the chairmanship of the powerful House Finance Committee.

Takamine, D-1st (N. Hilo, Hamakua, N. Kohala), was removed as chairman in a leadership shakeup after state House Speaker Calvin Say, D-20th (St. Louis Heights, Palolo, Wilhelmina Rise), overcame a dissident faction of lawmakers trying to replace him as speaker. State Rep. Marcus Oshiro, D-39th (Wahiawa), one of Say's allies, has taken over the Finance committee.

Inouye, D-Hawai'i, and Democratic Party of Hawai'i Chairman Mike McCartney had met with House leaders during the dispute and had urged them to resolve the situation in a way that would allow them to all work together afterward. Inouye, according to some people who attended the meeting at the party's headquarters, had asked Takamine to serve as sort of a mediator.

Takamine apparently stayed neutral until Say called for a leadership vote on Nov. 13, the sign Say had enough votes within the Democratic caucus to win. In the days that followed, several Democrats and union leaders had asked the leadership not to punish Takamine with the dissidents.

But one lawmaker familiar with what happened said some of Say's allies believed "there needed to be heads on stakes" as a warning to future plotters.

In a Nov. 28 letter, Inouye wrote Takamine that he may have made things worse with his request, "with more, not less blood, on the floor." Copies of the letter were sent to Say and state Rep. Sylvia Luke, D-26th (Punchbowl, Pacific Heights, Nu'uanu Valley), one of the dissidents, who lost her chairwomanship of the House Judiciary Committee in the shakeup.

"Dwight, I am truly sorry," Inouye wrote. "Had I had any inkling of the harmful position I asked you to assume, I would never have done it. My request to you was based on the high regard I hold you and that you are held in to both chambers and in many leadership circles from business, nonprofits to labor.

"It was also based on the need to at least try to get beyond the factions and focus on strengthening the institution in light of our Democratic victories at the polls. Too much energy had been focused on fighting and stymieing each other across the caucus table, all the while giving the governor upstairs a free ride."

Inouye closed the letter by writing, "I owe you one."

Takamine and Say could not be reached yesterday for comment on Inouye's letter.

Luke, who attended the meeting with Inouye and McCartney, said she expected she might lose her chairwomanship if the attempt to replace Say failed but said Takamine was not among the dissident faction. Luke said leadership is sending a message that lawmakers who do not show their loyalty will be punished.

"With this letter, it was pretty clear there was no misunderstanding," she said of Takamine's role.

But Oshiro, who also attended the meeting, said it was never made clear that Takamine was supposed to mediate. Oshiro said he had considered Takamine among the lawmakers who had not committed to Say before the leadership vote was called. Had Takamine committed, Oshiro said, he probably would have kept the Finance committee, which he had led since Say became speaker eight years ago.

"At the end of the day, my job was to count the votes," said Oshiro, who was majority leader at the time. "In my mind, he never committed to Calvin."

Say acknowledged after he retained the speakership that it would be harder for him to keep control over such a large caucus, which has grown to 43 Democrats. The dissidents, who also unsuccessfully tried to replace Say after the 2004 elections, have said they would be more publicly vocal next session about their disagreements with leadership rather than keep their differences within the caucus.

This discord could be a problem for House Democrats if the disagreements involve parts of the majority legislative package or issues where they are trying to stay unified when negotiating with the Senate or the Republican governor.

State Rep. Scott Saiki, D-22nd (McCully, Pawa'a), who was ousted as majority leader after the leadership turmoil in 2004, said he hoped the leadership's treatment of Takamine was not a reflection of how the House will operate over next two years. "The House leadership, in effect, killed the messenger," he said.

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com.