Maybe Lingle can still serve Hawaii from Illinois

It’s a stretch, and not just geographically. The journey of former Gov. Linda Lingle from Washington Place to a job with the Illinois governor set off a new round of speculation among local pundits about what she’s really thinking. Will she pursue political office on the mainland, after losing a U.S. Senate race to Mazie Hirono in 2012? Will she return to politics in Hawaii? Is she done with all that?

It’s hard for Hawaii residents to think of Lingle in anything other than political terms. Not so for Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican. He hired Lingle to be a financial adviser, describing her as one of his "superstars" who will help Rauner revive the state’s crumbling finances.

In any case, Lingle will always be kamaaina. So would it be reasonable for her to advocate putting President Barack Obama’s library in Hono-lulu instead of Chicago? That’s probably a stretch, too.