Former Gov. Linda Lingle said Monday that U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono has attacked national Republicans during their U.S. Senate campaign because she does not "have a record of her own to stand on." Hirono countered that Lingle’s bipartisan theme is a facade and that had she been in the Senate, there would be no federal health care reform law.
Lingle and Hirono traded stinging critiques during a one-hour debate broadcast live on statewide television by KHON. Lingle, who is trailing Hirono in public-opinion polls, was the aggressor.
"My opponent’s campaign strategy is to run against Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, George Bush and any other Republican because she doesn’t have a record of her own to stand on," the Republican said. "Her backup plan seems to be to convince voters that they should support her so she could protect (U.S.) Senator (Dan) Inouye.
"It’s really sad that she’s not able to stand on her own."
Hirono, a Democrat, has sought to link Lingle to Romney and Ryan — the GOP presidential and vice presidential candidates — and their threat to Hawaii-born President Barack Obama. The congresswoman has also warned that if Republicans take control of the Senate, then Inouye, also a Democrat, would lose his chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee and his title as Senate president pro tempore.
Hirono said voters do not care about Lingle’s claim that Hawaii needs a senator in both camps. "What they care about is someone who has a head and a heart. And here’s where my head and heart are: I will strengthen Obamacare so that more people can have the benefits of health care in this country, not repeal it the way my opponent has said she would do. I would strengthen Medicare, not turn it into something that we can’t even recognize, another thing that she has said she would do.
"I would support President Obama’s jobs plan to create 2 million jobs, get our economy going, not stop it the way the Republicans in the Senate have done for the past two years," she added.
"So the people of Hawaii have a clear choice to make as to who’s going to control the Senate, who’s going to set the agenda for our country in the Senate. Are the people of Hawaii going to send Linda Lingle and the Republican Party to do that?
"I don’t think so."
The debate — moderated by KHON reporter Gina Mangieri — was sponsored by AARP Hawaii, so it focused on issues important to seniors. It was the second of five debates before the November election.
Both Hirono and Lingle favor lifting the payroll tax cap on income in Social Security so the wealthy would pay more of the burden. Hirono opposes raising the retirement age of Social Security, while Lingle would consider it for younger workers.
Lingle backs a premium-support option in Medicare that would give seniors the option of purchasing private health plans as an alternative to traditional Medicare. Hirono opposes the option, fearing that it could leave sicker seniors in traditional Medicare and eventually collapse the program.
Hirono said she would let the President George W. Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy expire. "I believe in tax fairness. I think the majority of the people in this country feel likewise," she said. "This is not where the Republicans are going. And, in fact, my Republican opponent does not support repealing the Bush tax cuts for the richest 2 percent."
Lingle said Hirono does not understand the implications of ending the tax cuts, arguing that small-business owners who report business income as personal income would be harmed. "This is going to cause a tax increase on citizens all across America. Hundreds of millions of people will pay higher taxes if these tax increases occur. It will also be devastating to the economy," she said.
Lingle said she instead supports the recommendations of Obama’s bipartisan commission that would reduce income tax rates, broaden the tax base and restrict tax exemptions and loopholes.
Both Hirono and Lingle said they would not have a litmus test for judicial nominees to the Supreme Court, yet both women said they likely could not support a nominee who would overturn abortion rights. Lingle has previously said that no one issue would influence her.
Hirono asked Lingle whether she regretted her support for the Iraq War given that no weapons of mass destruction, the pretext for war, were ever found.
Lingle said she supported Bush and the majority in Congress that backed the Iraq invasion. But she questioned Hirono’s support for the troops because "I have never seen her once at a command-change ceremony, at a deployment ceremony or visiting any of the families at the funerals that I have attended for our service members here in Hawaii who have lost their lives defending our freedom."
Hirono said she is proud that Inouye and U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka voted against the authorization for the Iraq War.
"Linda, your response clearly illustrates why we need two Democrats in the United States Senate," she said.
