Free Republic

Current Republican Gov. Linda Lingle, a moderate who defied the state's Democratic trend by winning her first election in 2002 and re-election in 2006, will be term-limited in 2010. The poll showed Abercrombie's general election race could be more competitive than the state's typically Democratic lean would suggest. Abercrombie, who is serving his 10th full term in office, led Republican Lieutenant Gov. James "Duke" Aiona 45 to 36 percent with 19 percent undecided in a hypothetical general election match-up. Hannemann fared nearly as well as Abercrombie when Hannemann was pitted against Aiona. Results of a general election match-up showed Hanneman...

Despite a veto from Governor Linda Lingle (R) last week, the Hawaii Legislature forced through several tax increases on Monday, including the addition of three income tax brackets on top of the current nine: 9 percent on income over $150,000 ($300,000 for joint filers), 10 percent on income over $175,000 ($350,000 for joint filers), and 11 percent on income over $200,000 ($400,000 for joint filers). By adding the 11% bracket, Hawaii will move from eighth to first in the ranking of top state income tax rates, passing Maine, New Jersey, Iowa, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island and California. In Tax Foundation...

Statehood was achieved through the dedication and perseverance of these great leaders, along with the people of Hawai‘i – who in 1959 voted 17 to one in support of statehood. They voted for basic rights and privileges of American citizenship. They voted to have a voice in Washington. And, as Governor Ariyoshi said so well in his 50 Voices of Statehood piece, they voted for “control over our own destiny.”

Compare and contrast our Alaska and Hawaii governors. Go on, Sarah, you can say it - 'That's a man, baby.'

A week after being criticized by Democrats for skipping a meeting with the nation's governors and President-elect Barack Obama, Gov. Linda Lingle said she received a letter from Obama saying he is looking forward to talking with her more about Hawaii's potential economic stimulus projects. "I did get a letter from the president-elect today letting me know that he understood that I wasn't able to attend, but he wanted to reach out to me and he wanted to hear, especially, what our proposed projects are," Lingle said yesterday. In the letter, dated Dec. 3 and opening with "Dear Linda," Obama...

HONOLULU (AP) - Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle says there's no politics in her decision not to attend a National Governors Associatoin meeting next week with President-elect Barack Obama. The Republican governor says her primary responsiblities are at home. She plans several meetings with department heads on challenges facing the local economy. The conference in Philadelphia would have taken her away Monday through Wednesday. Lingle says, "Politics played absolutely no role" in her decision. Obama invited all 50 governors to discuss the nation's economy. Forty are expected, including Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Obama's Hawaii campaign director, Andy Winer, accused Lingle of...

Lingle responds to crticism for not meeting with ObamaBy KHON News Governor Linda Lingle was a no show today in Philadelphia when President-elect Barack Obama met with more than 40 of the nation's governors. Hawaii Democrats are criticizing Lingle, a Republican, for not attending. This afternoon, Lingle defended her decision. Governor Lingle says her decision was not politically motivated, rather it had to do with timing. SNIP But some island Democrats are upset over Lingle's decision, saying it doesn't make sense. Governors from across the nation convened at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, for a historic face-to-face meeting with President-elect Barack...

<p>Likely Republican nominee for governor is leading in polls. A victory could signal crumbling of a stronghold.</p> <p>The 50th state, where Democratic victories are virtually taken for granted and President Bush managed only 37% of the vote in 2000, may be on the verge of electing a Republican governor for the first time since 1962. If so, shock waves would be felt all the way to the mainland 2,500 miles away.</p>

As I speculated in a recent article, Obama had a dual purpose in leaving his campaign for Hawaii. And whaddaya know? His plane had barely touched down from his trip to Honolulu - ostensibly to visit his ailing granny - when the Republican governor of the Aloha State, Linda Lingle, placed his birth certificate under seal, directed the state's Department of Health to bar access of the document to the press, and declared that the only people eligible to obtain it were the person born or someone acting on his behalf, a relative, or a legal guardian. So did Obama...

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Although the legitimacy of Sen. Barack Obama's birth certificate has become a focus of intense speculation – and even several lawsuits – WND has learned that Hawaii's Gov. Linda Lingle has placed the candidate's birth certificate under seal, and instructed the state's Department of Health to make sure no one in the press obtains access to the original document under any circumstances.

Hawaii hospitals suffered operating losses of $150 million last year and expect the situation to worsen in the near future. "This has been sort of a tough year and it looks like we're headed into tougher times," said Richard Meiers, head of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii. "We've got a lot of challenges ahead of us." Hawaii's hospitals have been hurting as the federal government's Medicare program and the state's Quest program haven't been fully reimbursing them for the costs of providing service. Hawaii Medical Center, which operates two former St. Francis hospitals on Oahu, filed for bankruptcy this year...

HONOLULU (KHNL) - Congressman Neil Abercrombie lashed out at Governor Linda Lingle Friday, after statements she made recently on the mainland. While campaigning in Colorado and Nevada for Republican presidential candidate John McCain and running mate Governor Sarah Palin, Abercrombie says Lingle questioned Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's Hawaii ties. Born and raised in Hawaii, and a graduate of Punahou School, Barack Obama has always cherished, and embraced his connection to the islands. But this past week on the mainland, Lingle told reporters Obama has never voted in Hawaii, nor has he owned a business here. "Senator Obama likes to...

Aloha State Bides ‘Aloha’ … and ‘Aloha’ ... to Universal Health Careby Gina L. DiorioIn a January, 2007 speech at the Families USA Conference, Senator Obama heralded, “The time has come for universal health care in America.” Well, it seems that in one state, at least, the time has indeed come – and gone. After just seven months, Hawaii has halted its universal health care system, citing budget shortfalls and the fact that many with private coverage had (shockingly) opted to exchange their own, self-funded care for free, government care. After all, why pay for something Big Brother will...

Sometimes it’s all in the details, or the lack thereof. A news brief on “CNN Newsroom” Oct. 17 said that Hawaii’s universal health care program for children would be hit with the “budget ax.” The screen said “Hawaii’s Budget Ax” and anchor Heidi Collins reported that, “For the past seven months it’s been the only state in the nation to offer universal healthcare for children. Now that program is being dropped.” The state will stop funding the Keiki Care Plan, a basic health insurance program for some 2,000 children, beginning Nov. 1. The program was a public-private partnership with Hawaii...

HONOLULU – Hawaii is dropping the only state universal child health care program in the country just seven months after it launched. Gov. Linda Lingle's administration cited budget shortfalls and other available health care options for eliminating funding for the program. A state official said families were dropping private coverage so their children would be eligible for the subsidized plan. "People who were already able to afford health care began to stop paying for it so they could get it for free," said Dr. Kenny Fink, the administrator for Med-QUEST at the Department of Human Services. "I don't believe that...

HONOLULU – Hawaii is dropping the only state universal child health care program in the country just seven months after it launched. Gov. Linda Lingle's administration cited budget shortfalls and other available health care options for eliminating funding for the program. A state official said families were dropping private coverage so their children would be eligible for the subsidized plan. "People who were already able to afford health care began to stop paying for it so they could get it for free," said Dr. Kenny Fink, the administrator for Med-QUEST at the Department of Human Services. "I don't believe that...

Hawaii is dropping the only state universal child health care program in the country just seven months after it launched. Gov. Linda Lingle's administration cited budget shortfalls and other available health care options for eliminating funding for the program. A state official said families were dropping private coverage so their children would be eligible for the subsidized plan.

Echoing the theme of recent John McCain campaign ads that claim Barack Obama associates with terrorists, Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle told a small Henderson audience that in this presidential election “it’s the protection of your families that’s at stake.” If the choice between the Republican and Democratic nominees is “posed in this fashion,” she said, then voters are “going to say McCain.” Lingle’s stump speech for McCain attracted only about 60 people to the Henderson Convention Center on Wednesday afternoon — chairs were taken away shortly before she arrived. By contrast, nearly a thousand came to the same venue to...

PLUS.....catch the line where she says Obama "TOUTS that he is from Hawaii" ( "touts" is a VERY interesting word choice..) and yet he has never called the governor of his "birthplace" to introduce himself. Hmm, he KNOWS this is one lady that could lay her hands on ANY official doc in a minute ( like a Hawaiian birth certificate). Gov Lingle is no doubt particularly radioactive to Obama. Tsk tsk Barry.

I think it was during the Rudi speech, after he said something like, "Obama...Experience...Zero...nada.." that the crowd started chanting Zero, Zero, Zero. That crowd came up with an excellent theme/symbol/slogan/etc. Zero. There should be lots of ideas on the Zero theme.