Gov. Linda Lingle defended her recent criticisms of Hawaii-born presidential candidate Barack Obama yesterday, brushing aside a key endorsement he garnered over the weekend.

While saying she admired former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Lingle said her fellow Republican's endorsement of Obama was motivated by the historic nature of the Democrat's presidential quest.

“;The fact that Sen. Obama is African-American would be historic, and there is something that moves (Powell) in that way,”; Lingle told reporters at a state Capitol news conference. “;And he felt there needed to be a generational change at this time.”;

In his endorsement Sunday, Powell, a retired four-star general, called Obama “;a transformational figure.”;

Powell “;said it would send a statement to the country and a statement to other countries about us because it would be historic,”; Lingle said. But, she added, it would also be historic if Sen. John McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, were elected the first female vice president.

When asked about Powell's sharp rejection of Palin as a potential president, Lingle said she had not heard that part of the NBC interview on “;Meet the Press.”;

Powell said he did not think McCain had “;a complete grasp of the economic problems that we had.”;

“;I was also concerned at the selection of Gov. Palin,”; he added. “;Now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president. And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Sen. McCain made.”;

Lingle also defended her criticism of Obama during last week's mainland campaign swing paid for by the McCain campaign. She said when people found out she was the governor of Hawaii, they would ask whether she knew Obama. She was quoted as downplaying Obama's childhood ties to Hawaii and saying that many people in the islands did not know him before he ran for president.

She dismissed Obama's background in Hawaii, saying, “;I don't think it is a plus for him on the mainland.”;

Lingle, who campaigned with President Bush during his re-election campaign four years ago, said she plans a third mainland trip to campaign for McCain.

The Hawaii Republican also stressed that she would not be seeking a post with a McCain administration.

“;I have said repeatedly that there is no position that I would accept. My goal is to finish my term, which runs through 2010,”; Lingle said.