In the past couple of weeks, right here on our pages, the citizens of Hawaii have been shown there are some good choices for U.S. senator.
Both Ed Case and Linda Lingle have demonstrated they want to reach across party lines, if elected, to find solutions to the large problems facing our country.
Case and Lingle have shown they will not be dictated to by their party chiefs - they will make their own decisions.
Lingle wrote a piece here - defending women's reproductive rights - that flew right in the face of GOP dogma. Case blatantly told us the solution to Social Security funding includes the gradual increase of age for eligibility.
In short, both Case and Lingle showed a desire to work across party lines to find solutions to the pressing problems of our day. Case's primary opponent, Rep. Mazie Hirono, wrote a letter here on Social Security that ducked the cold hard facts that people are living longer and, therefore, must work longer by saying others must be taxed more to pay for those extended benefits.
We think Hirono's response to Case's ideas was awfully close to pandering to part of the electorate. (Disclosure: The writer of this piece is a member of AARP - the primary group we think Hirono is pandering to).
In the early 1980s, Social Security was put on stable footing for almost three decades with the gradual increase in the retirement age. Political leaders need to have the courage to adopt that approach again.
Of course, Social Security is only one issue. But, again, Lingle and Case say they want to reach across party lines to find consensus to solve problems with Medicare, the national debt and job creation.
In short, we have two good candidates, both of whom would represent an independent voice in the Senate.
Lingle is clearly going to win the GOP nomination. If willingness to work on the problems - and not party fealty - were the issue, Case would be the Democrats' nominee.
That would make for a very good choice for Hawaii's voters.
* Editorials reflect the opinion of the publisher.
