----- Original Message ----- > Hawaii's Hirono Says "Edit Gubernatorial
Debate" or "Don't

Broadcast It Again"

Hawaii Public Television Agrees To Hirono's Ultimatum
The "Old Boys Network" Extends to Public Television
"You can't alter history," says Lingle/Aiona Campaign
Manager

Honolulu, HI/EWORLDWIRE/October 30, 2002 --- Within two
hours after Hawaii Public Television (HPT) aired the only
televised gubernatorial debate that Mazie Hirono has agreed
to participate in, the Lingle/Aiona Campaign received a
telephone call from HPT president Mike McCartney, saying
that the debate would be "edited" for rebroadcast.

Mazie Hirono had vehemently complained that the one-hour
format was not as she had anticipated and that the last two
questions should be edited out of the end of the debate.
Representatives of the Lingle/Aiona Campaign met with Mike
McCartney on Saturday morning, October 26, to ask that
Hawaii Public

Television not edit the live debate for re-broadcast. Mike
McCartney asked for time to "think about it" and promised
to have an answer by 7 p.m. on Saturday evening. He called
the Lingle/Aiona campaign Saturday evening to say that he
needed until Monday morning to make a decision. On Monday,
morning he met with representatives of the Lingle/Aiona
campaign and said, "If you won't agree to allow us to edit
it, we can't rebroadcast the debate because 'Mazie Hirono's
camp won't agree'."

The Lingle/Aiona Campaign asked that Hawaii Public
Television at least allow C-Span to broadcast the debate as
originally aired. "All of the states across the nation are
airing their gubernatorial debates on C-Span," said Bob
Awana, campaign manager for the Lingle/Aiona Campaign,
"Hawaii's debate will be noticeably absent as a result of
Mazie Hirono's demands."

"This is not only outrageous," said Bob Awana, "it is
unethical and a breach of the public trust. How typical of
the Democrats to change the rules suddenly when they don't
like the outcome. Linda Lingle said it best during the
debate 'How can you expect people who campaign without
integrity to run government with integrity after they get
elected?"

Hawaii Public Television was planning to re-broadcast the
debate on Friday, November 1. "Our candidate was also
surprised by Hawaii Public Television's mistake on timing,"
said Awana, "but was willing to live with the results.
After editing, it would be a very subjective version of
something that didn't actually take place as portrayed,
they will alter the historical record of an important
political event.I can't begin to express our complete
disappointment in the ethics and integrity of Hawaii Public
Television. We knew going in that Mike McCartney was a
former state senator, a Democrat, and the chairman of Ben
Cayetano's 1998 re-election campaign, but we honestly
didn't expect him to completely roll over when Hirono
demanded that this debate not be shown again."

On Monday afternoon a letter from Mike McCartney, HPT
president, announcing his decision "not to rebroadcast the
debate" was dropped off at Lingle/Aiona Headquarters. In
addition, the letter stated "C-Span was informed earlier
today that no tape of the broadcast will be made available
to them and no permission will be granted to re-broadcast
this program".

Further, the letter stated, "The no broadcast decision will
also apply to any web streaming and transcripts of the
program as it pertains to our station".

"We are absolutely stunned by this decision, we've had
calls from all over the country asking why Hawaii's debate
will not be shown," said Bob Awana. "We have to assume that
Mike McCartney is simply too beholden to the Democrat Party
to do the right thing as the head of Hawaii Public
Television. And, the really, really unfortunate part of all
this is that it is the public who loses out. It was a good
debate and since Mazie Hirono has canceled nearly every
public debate with Linda, or sent Matt Matsunaga to
represent her, this televised debate is one of the few
chances the public will have to see the two of them debate.
What Hirono and McCartney have done is shameful."

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CONTACT:
Lenny Klompus
Lloyd Yonenaka, Press Secretary
Linda Lingle Campaign
1290 Ala Moana Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814PHONE: 808 440-9600
FAX: 808 440-9628
EMAIL: lloydyonenaka@lindalingle.com

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