Mazie Hirono issued a statement Friday (Aug. 10) noting that “students are in their classrooms, preparing themselves for the jobs and careers of the future.” Then she attacked. Excerpts:

Thankfully for Hawaii’s students, parents and teachers, today is a very different Friday than the debilitating Furlough Fridays of Republican Linda Lingle. Parents didn’t have to find child care, or adjust their work schedules, or lose a day’s work and a day’s pay to take care of their children. …

These are not the values that our next U.S. Senator should have. We need someone who will stand up for our students and working families. The Republicans need only 4 votes to gain control of the Senate. …

Lingle deputy campaign manager and communications director Lenny Klompus responded. Excerpts:

With less than 24 hours before Hawaii’s Primary Election, Mazie Hirono is arrogantly acting like she already beat Ed Case by launching a false attack against Governor Linda Lingle. She is trying to distract voters from the important issues in this once-in-a-generation election because she has no serious plan to help the people of Hawaii and get America back on track. …

Hirono’s D.C. style attacks are becoming the norm for her campaign which is clearly being run from the inside the Washington Beltway. … This is not leadership and this is not what the people of Hawaii deserve in their next U.S. Senator.