Gov. Linda Lingle will skip a National Governors Association meeting next week featuring President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden.

Lenny Klompus, a senior Lingle aide, said the governor could not rearrange her schedule to attend the meeting in Philadelphia. He said the governor's office had just been informed of the gathering on Tuesday. Obama invited all 50 governors to discuss the nation's economy. Forty are expected to attend. Andy Winer, Obama's Hawai'i campaign director, accused Lingle of ignoring the meeting. He noted that Lingle made time before the election to campaign for Republican presidential aspirant John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Palin is expected to attend the meeting of governors.