Gov. Linda Lingle said today that she would campaign in six states on the

Mainland for the GOP presidential ticket of U.S. Sen. John McCain and Alaska

Gov. Sarah Palin.

The Republican governor will also serve as a surrogate for Palin at the vice

presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis on Oct. 2.

Lingle told reporters at a news conference at the state Capitol that she is

scheduled to campaign for the GOP ticket in Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire,

Maine, Massachusetts and Missouri.

Lingle said the campaign swing, paid for by the McCain campaign, would be

beneficial for Hawai'i because she will inevitably speak about the state at

her appearances.

Lingle has been a national campaign surrogate for Palin, a friend she met

through the Republican Governors Association, and spoke about Palin in a

prime-time address at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul earlier

this month.

Some Democrats have questioned why Lingle has been willing to be such a

visible advocate for McCain, an opponent of a Native Hawaiian federal

recognition bill, and for Palin, who unlike Lingle opposes abortion rights.

Democrats also believe Lingle's activism puts her out-of-step with local

voters who support Hawai'i-born U.S. Sen. Barack Obama as the Democrats'

presidential nominee.

Lingle said that being involved in the campaign puts her in a better

position to have access if McCain is elected president. The governor

campaigned on the Mainland for the re-election of President Bush in 2004.

Lingle also said she believes McCain is the better choice.

"Senator McCain, overall, is just a much better person to lead the country,

so I'm very comfortable being out speaking on his behalf," she said.

"I think his record is clear and superior to Obama's record. So while I

guess you could pick any one issue on either side, if you weigh the

candidates side-by-side, clearly Senator McCain is better for our state."