Newly sworn-in state Rep. Beverly Wolff Harbin said yesterday that she was committed to serving out her term despite the intense public scrutiny surrounding her personal finances and calls from her own party to step down.

The small-business advocate was sworn in Monday after being appointed by Gov. Linda Lingle to succeed Kenneth Hiraki, who resigned from the Legislature earlier this month for a job in the private sector.

Since Hiraki was a Democrat, the Republican governor was required to appoint a Democrat to replace him. But the Democratic Party has accused Lingle of handpicking one of her own.

Democratic Party spokesman Tom Brower said Harbin joined the party just three days after Hiraki announced his plans to resign in July and noted that she ran in the Republican primary for a state House seat in 1980, losing to Donna Ikeda.

"Simply put, she is a Democrat in name only," the party said in a statement.

Harbin charged on Wednesday that the state Democratic Party had deliberately delayed issuing her party card for a month. Brower said Harbin's membership card was not held up and went through the same paperwork process as any other application.

Harbin, whose term expires in November 2006, said she has deep roots as a Democrat and accused the party of being threatened by her desire to change the "status quo."

"Am I surprised? Of course, not. Anybody that has any type of intelligence or knowledge and any type of passion for our state is considered a threat to the imploding old boy network," she said. "I've probably been a Democrat longer than some of these people have been alive."

Even Hawai'i's most prominent Democrat, U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, entered the political fracas yesterday, sharply criticizing Lingle and saying he was "deeply saddened and very much disappointed."

"The governor's appointment does a great disservice to the citizens and residents ... and minimizes their constitutional right to meaningful representation in the Hawai'i state Legislature," said Inouye.

Inouye spokeswoman Jennifer Sabas said the senator's uncharacteristic criticism stemmed from his frustration in feeling that the needs of the district were brushed aside for political reasons.

Lingle chose Harbin over four candidates recommended by the Democratic Party. They included former Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee Roy Benham, former Honolulu and Maui finance director Peter Leong, public labor union agent Kevin Mulligan, and Karl Rhoads.

Lingle has said she selected Harbin because of her extensive small-business background and because she has worked, lived and been active in the 28th House District, which covers Kaka'ako and Downtown.

There were six candidates to replace Hiraki, including the Democratic Party's four nominees, only one of whom was among the three finalists interviewed by Lingle.

Russell Pang, the governor's spokesman, said all six candidates were interviewed by Lingle's staff and were given "fair consideration."

Adding to the controversy, Harbin and her husband failed to pay $125,000 in state taxes relating to their former auto repair shop, which closed in 2000. The state has filed tax liens against the Harbins.

Lingle's chief of staff, Bob Awana, has said Harbin would not have been appointed had the information been disclosed during the interview process. Financial records are not part of the background check.

Harbin said she is not discouraged by the rude welcome into politics.

"It's made me mad. I'm a three-generation Portuguese person and you know what? I don't sit down and take crap from anybody," she said.

"I have my integrity, my belief and my passion for the future of Hawai'i and they can never take that away from me."