Once a critic, Lingle now friendly towards Obama

[240 is Back]

HONOLULU (AP) — A picture is worth a thousand words. In Gov. Linda Lingle's case, a picture may bridge a gap of many heated, campaign-fueled words.

Almost five months ago, the two-term Republican was barnstorming the mainland on behalf of GOP presidential candidate John McCain and vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, telling audiences that Democrat Barack Obama was "indecisive" and "not comfortable with leadership."

At another point, she derided Obama's economic agenda, saying he would "devastate our economy."

But 10 days ago, a smiling Lingle was posing side-by-side with President Obama as they offered a friendly Hawaiian "hang loose" gesture known as a "shaka" for a photo taken by Guam Gov. Felix Camacho. Lingle's administration liked the visual so much they placed it on the governor's Web site under the headline, "Strengthening Federal Partnerships."

And while Lingle has avoided becoming tangled in the tangy dispute amongst other Republican governors over how best to respond to Obama's economic stimulus plan, she has offered generally positive reviews.

Lingle's transition from strident Obama critic to apparent friendliness towards him and the signature economic policy of his young administration is not lost on those who observe Hawaii politics.

[240 is Back]

lol... an oldie but a goodie...

Palin: McCain's biggest mistake was sheltering me from press

Sarah Palin frequently disparaged the political press when campaigning with John McCain. But she tells Human Events' John Gizzi in an interview that she wishes she had spent more time talking to the media:

The biggest mistake made was that I could have called more shots on this: the opportunities that were not seized to speak to more Americans via media. I was not allowed to do very many interviews, and the interviews that I did were not necessarily those I would have chosen.