The governor has a new luncheon speech that has been getting attention.

Earlier this month, Gov. Linda Lingle delivered her "what are we for" speech to the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce. A transcript of the talk was released to the public.

In the speech, she took a whack at Maui politicians and businesses for not standing up for the Superferry, going as far as to issue the fire-breathing line, "I think there are few episodes that have been as pathetic in the lack of political leadership as there were in that Superferry situation," which has brought up all sorts of talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

But the bulk of the speech, which she has also given in luncheon talks in Honolulu, is not recrimination and retribution. It was a pep rally, the type of speech Lingle used to give just before she was first elected to office, with the call to civic action echoed in "what are we for?"

"In our time it seems to be that people are real quick to tell you what they're against and what they don't want, but they don't seem to be able to articulate a clear vision for what we do want. What are we for? And then put at least as much effort behind what we're for as behind what we're against."

Lingle did mention the collective bargaining battle with public employee unions, but it was two brief paragraphs of a 10-page script. The rest was talking about the opportunities we have to invest in a better, healthier future: a solar telescope being proposed for Haleakala; an undersea cable to bring wind farm energy from Moloka'i and Lana'i to Maui and O'ahu; a wave energy project off Ha'iku.

"Is any one of those alternatives ... as bad as taking 5 to 7 billion dollars a year out of the Hawai'i economy and giving it to a foreign country or a foreign company to buy oil to ship across the ocean to burn into the atmosphere?... What is your solution?"

She used the example of Hilo residents demonstrating in support of a new Thirty Meter Telescope. They held signs for what they wanted. "Picture this: The community coming out on the street, not for something they were against, but something they were for ... They got the telescope. They're building that bright future for the kids there on the Big Island."

Provocative name-calling aside, Lingle's speech has a core of particular relevance to our time: Fight for what you want. You don't have to agree with her position on specific projects to agree with her on that message.