The Aug. 19 editorial praising Linda Lingle is so wrong it is funny.
The writer says, "Lingle is the most independent politician we have ever run into," implying Lingle will not follow the Republican Party line if elected to the Senate.
Has the writer listened to Lingle's speech at the 2008 Republican National Convention? Her speech introducing Sarah Palin as the vice presidential candidate? Saying what a good choice Palin was, she knew her well, they were both women governors from small states, and Palin was the perfect choice for the job?
Choosing Palin was a stupid, disastrous, political blunder that John McCain made on bad advice. Thank God we the country didn't have to have Palin a heartbeat away from being president.
So was Lingle correct in saying Palin was the perfect choice? Is she as dumb as Palin, or was she lying through her teeth in order to follow the Republican Party line?
After seeing Palin nominated, Lingle probably thought, "Why not me?"
If elected, Lingle will follow the path of ambition and do what is necessary to advance her career. That means voting with the party line, which is controlled by the zealots and the far right. She wouldn't mind being called a maverick, but not on issues that would alienate the base.
In Hawaii, she had to seem pretty liberal to get elected. She will move as far to the right as is necessary to advance within the Republican Party.
Nowadays, that is pretty far right.
Sally Raisbeck
Wailuku
