RICHARD BORRECA / RBORRECA@STARBULLETIN.COM Gov. Linda Lingle spoke to Randy Roth, senior adviser, yesterday at a governors association meeting in Washington.

Lingle receives
high marks on
Washington trip

Republican governors praise
the active role and forceful
words of Hawaii's leader

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By Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.com

WASHINGTON >> In the middle of an interview with Gov. Linda Lingle, a somewhat excited Washington Times reporter proclaimed: "Isn't she wonderful? She even speaks in complete sentences!"

The early report card at both the national and Republican governors associations' meetings this weekend has been all positive for Lingle, one of 16 new GOP governors.

"I am very impressed. Clearly there is no learning curve," said Bill Owens, the Republican Colorado governor and head of the Republican Governors Association.

Today, Lingle attended a "governors only" meeting with President Bush that featured debate by Democratic and Republican governors over the president's policies regarding Iraq and the economy.

Lingle also attended the opening of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' new Washington office.

In yesterday's sessions, Lingle was drawing praise.

"She has hit the ground running, and she is not afraid to put forward her ideas," said Gov. Bob Taft, R-Ohio. "She was probably more active in our meeting than any of the new governors, in terms of her statements."

So far, Lingle has not been shy about mixing it up with fellow governors. In the initial news conference Saturday, she insisted that part of the state's current economy difficulties were caused by a state spending spree.

That comment drew a fast rebuke from the head of the National Governors Association, Gov. Paul Patton, D-Ky., who said the states had responsibly contributed to their own rainy-day funds.

But yesterday, Lingle noted that she was not alone in mentioning excessive state spending.

"Yesterday, I was talking about the states spending a lot of money, and you saw Gov. Patton take it personally and get defensive, but then today the governor of Nebraska was saying the same thing: Their budget doubled," Lingle said.

Lingle's defense of lean budgets is not the only thing attracting attention.

Simply being from Hawaii brings its own notoriety.

"It seems that half the governors have come up and said they visited Hawaii," Lingle said.

Lingle also said she is "something of an anomaly."

"I guess I stick out a little more," she said.

Taft explained that because Lingle is also "one of a small number of women governors, she has an opportunity to be a star performer across the country" for the GOP.

Indeed, Lingle said she is likely to help the RGA raise money this summer with a fund-raising swing to New York.

"I will be looking to help them nationally in fund raising during the year," Lingle said.

She figures New York's large Jewish population would be a plus for her because she is Jewish and because Jewish communities helped in her previous campaigns.

Also, Lingle said women's groups are interested in hearing from female leaders.

"Women heading companies might be attracted to come if they know women governors are going to be there," Lingle said of the various GOP forums set up to raise money across the country.

Taft said the RGA will be supporting candidates in the next two years and will be an important fund-raising tool for Republicans. Fourteen gubernatorial races will be decided in the next two years, he said.

So far, Bush is considered a plus for the GOP.

"The Republican governors very strongly support the president in Iraq and his efforts to stimulate the economy," Taft said.

Still, Taft added, if the national economy does not pick up, it could damage Republicans in their campaigns.

"If the economy doesn't get moving a year from now, it could be a different story," he said.

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Office of the Governor
Republican Governors Association