HONOLULU -- Linda Lingle talked candidly about her ideas for the University of Hawaii. She was also upfront about how relations with University of Hawaii president Evan Dobelle were strained in the days prior to the election.

"Inappropriate" was what Lingle called the TV ad Dobelle cut endorsing her opponent Mazie Hirono just before the election.

Lingle was not too pleased about the ads and apparently let Dobelle know it.

"He called. It was not a pleasant conversation and I hung up on him," Lingle said.

That's how Lingle found out about Dobelle's ad, less than an hour before it hit the airwaves.

This was what Dobelle had to say about getting off to a rocky start with Hawaii's new governor.

"I sat next to Mazie in Cabinet meetings and I am devoted to her personally and it was all about Mazie and not about Linda, and I think the governor elect understands that," Dobelle said Wednesday night.

Both say publicly they can put the incident aside and move on.

Lingle's views differ with Dobelle on the plans for a West Oahu campus.

She said she's mindful of the university's autonomy and points out she also favors the idea of giving the university the authority to negotiate its labor contracts.

Lingle's influence on UH may come by way of the board or regents. The terms of six of the 12-board members expire next year.

Lingle wants three of the positions to be from outside of Hawaii, preferable from the Asia Pacific region.

"Especially if you are going to have a Asian-Pacific focus, I think it sounds reasonable you'd want people from that part of the world. With 12 members it's not like you're going to turn control over to someone outside of Hawaii. But I do think that broader perspective will help us a lot," she said.