Lingle, Hirono trade barbs in first debate of their Senate race

By Star-Advertier staff
POSTED: 02:00 p.m. HST, Sep 06, 2012
LAST UPDATED: 06:10 p.m. HST, Sep 06, 2012

Former Gov. Linda Lingle and U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono offered competing visions in the first debate of their U.S. Senate campaign, with Lingle outlining a bipartisan approach to national problems and Hirono declaring that Hawaii needs a Democratic senator who shares their values.

Lingle, a Republican, portrayed Hirono as ineffective in Congress and suggested she did not have the command of key federal tax and spending issues. Hirono said that if Lingle and Republicans take control of the Senate, U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, would lose his chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee and entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare would be threatened.

More: http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/168848276.html?id=168848276