Playing Not to Lose - Hirono's Convention Piece Laced With Negative Attacks, Distracts People Of Hawaii From Her Own Congressional Record

HONOLULU- The Hawaii Republican Party released the following statement today:

"In a clear admission that she can't run and win on her own record, Rep. Mazie Hirono closed out the Hawaii Democrat Convention today by taking all her time on the stage to attack former-Governor Linda Lingle, candidate for Hawaii's open U.S. Senate seat.

Hirono's tired, old smears were the latest distraction from candidates and national party operatives like keynote speaker and secretary of the Democratic National Committee, Alice Gremond, who used similar scare tactics, painting the party's opposition as "diabolical" and "venal." Throughout the convention, national operatives and the party's elite stated time and again that they need to keep Hawaii's open U.S. Senate seat as a "safe" Democrat seat.

It is quite obvious that experience, leadership and common sense solutions to our state and country's economic challenges are not a requirement for a Democrat to run for office. Conversely, we have a true leader in Governor Linda Lingle whose commitment to bipartisanship and always putting 'people first' are qualities the people of Hawaii demand and deserve in their next U.S. Senator.

According to the rhetoric coming from the Democrat Convention, the only prerequisite is that a candidate attach a (D) to their name when it appears on the ballot.

The people of Hawaii are not surprised by the name-calling and caustic attacks from Rep. Hirono since she didn't take one minute of her eight minute tirade to talk about her platform. It is quite sad that this is best the Democrat Party can offer the people of Hawaii.

It is also sad that Hirono is such a Washington, D.C. insider and is so out of touch with the reality here in Hawaii. She clearly has no grasp on the background and facts surrounding topics her vitriol espoused. And, all the public surveys prove this point: Congress and those currently in office, have the lowest approval rating in our country's history.

In sports, they call this style 'playing as the presumptive leader;' in politics it is called 'playing it safe.' In either case, the result is the same --lack of talent, expertise and grasp of the issues eventually catch up with you and it's only a short time before the public catches up with you, and you find yourself beat.