The governor said she is missing a National Governors Association meeting next week with President-elect Barack Obama on the financial crisis to instead focus on shoring up the state's economy.

"I felt my primary responsibility right now is here," Gov. Linda Lingle said by phone yesterday. "Politics played absolutely no role. My decision is made only on the basis of my responsibilities here at home."

Lingle said attending the governors meeting Tuesday in Philadelphia with Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden would have required her to be gone Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

On those days, she said, she has numerous meetings scheduled with department heads on the slumping local economy and the state's growing deficit.

Still, political onlookers said Lingle's decision to skip the meeting could anger Hawai'i residents, who supported Obama 3-to-1 in the general election, and send the wrong message to the president-elect at a time when Republicans and Democrats are being called on to come together to deal with the foundering economy.

All 50 governors were invited, and 40, including Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential candidate, plan to attend. Republican presidential candidate John McCain will also be at the meeting.

"I don't understand what she's doing," said Ira Rohter, a University of Hawai'i political science professor. "It seems really weird because Hawai'i's really facing a dire situation."

Nick Shapiro, a spokesman for the Obama transition, told The Associated Press the meeting is a chance for Obama to talk with governors about "the unique challenges facing our states." Obama also could make announcements about what he plans to do to help the states.

Lingle commended Obama for calling the meeting, but said governors will only get about an hour and a half for a discussion on the financial crisis with him. She said she believes an annual dinner with the president in February will lend itself to more frank conversation on the economy.

WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA

A schedule provided by Lingle's office shows the governors meeting in Philadelphia runs from 10 a.m. to noon. About 20 minutes is set aside for short remarks by Obama and others. The bulk of the meeting is to discuss four major topics: a state safety net program, "state anti-cyclical" programs, state infrastructure programs and home/mortgage stabilization.

Lingle said her previously scheduled engagements next week include:

• Internal meetings Monday on slumping tourism and the ailing state hospital system.

• A meeting with the state economist and others Tuesday, along with a news conference on an electric car project launch and annual dinner meeting with Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command and other leaders.

• Internal meetings Wednesday on the budget, legislative proposals and potential cuts to the state Department of Human services along with other departments.

Lingle said she decided not to go to the Philadelphia meeting after weighing what she would gain by going, versus what she would gain by staying. Lingle also pointed out that she has just returned from a trip to Asia — from Nov. 11 to 22 — where she promoted travel to Hawai'i and tried to drum up business investments.

"It certainly wasn't in any way meant to be disrespectful," she said of her decision not to attend the meeting. "My decision was made knowing that I was just back from two weeks being gone, and I had a constantly increasing deficit that I had to deal with."

Lingle said the National Governors Association does not allow governors to send representatives in their place to the meeting. However, Lenny Klompus, a senior Lingle aide, said last night that the governor would ask that Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona be allowed to attend.

MAINLAND CAMPAIGNING

Lingle, a Republican, campaigned on the Mainland for McCain and Palin. She was criticized locally for telling Mainland voters that Obama's Hawai'i ties were overstated.

Obama, who grew up in Honolulu and graduated from Punahou School, has been widely popular in the Islands since he announced he was running for the country's highest office.

"It would seem to me to be in the best interests of Hawai'i and of Linda Lingle that she would try to make it to the meeting of governors, which the president-elect called," said Dan Boylan, a University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu history professor and political analyst. "This is the president-elect in a very bad time economically for this state and this country."

Not to mention, Boylan added, Lingle is from the state where Obama was born.

Hawai'i "obviously holds him in real affection," Boylan said.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann also is urging Lingle to reconsider her decision to skip the Philadelphia meeting.

"I believe it's a huge mistake," Hannemann said in a statement. "This is the time to put partisan politics aside and do what's best for Hawai'i. The fact that 40 of 50 governors, including Gov. Palin, plan to attend the conference shows that Gov. Lingle is out of step with our government leaders."