On the steamy, chaotic  floor of the Democratic national convention,  you get a choice: See or be seen.

For the Hawaii delegates their fate is to be seen. The delegation is directly adjacent to the convention floor, which means easy access and a steady parade of delegates and celebrities passing by. The delegation just got through chatting with former Hawaii resident and war hero Tammy Duckworth.

But getting a gander of the podium is a bit of a problem. The delegation is directly behind a big camera platform that partially blocks the view. But the upside to that is that Hawaii makes a convenient target when the cameraman needs a cutaway shot of the audience. All the flowers and aloha wear don’t hurt either.

One of the highlights of the first night of the Democratic convention, for the Hawaii delegation at any rate, will be the appearance of the candidate’s half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng.

She will be part of a parade of speakers who will sketch out Barack Obama’s compelling personal history. The big finish is Michelle Obama, who will follow the emotional highlight of the night: an appearance by the ailing Sen. Ted Kennedy.

Maya (everyone calls her that) has a good sub-prime slot, right after a tribute to former President Jimmy Carter. She’s up around 3 p.m. Hawaii time, if you’re inclined to watch.

Everyone wants a piece of nominee Barack Obama at this convention, and that includes the Asian American and Pacific Islander caucus.

The group has a strong presence here with events almost every day and a record number of Asian and Pacific Islander delegates in attendance. Monday night the Asian American and Pacific IslanderVote program will hold a “gala” reception featuring remarks from Senior Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye and State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders like Obama, and as you will read below, he has some specific ideas on how he can support the Asian and Pacific Islander community. (more…)

DENVER — Sen. Hillary Clinton’s name will be symbolically placed in nomination for president at this week’s Democratic convention in Denver.

But lot of work is going on behind the scenes to make sure the symbolism does not become ugly reality for the millions who will be watching on television and following the event around the world.

Formally placing the Clinton name in nomination will recognize the historic achievement she made as the first (almost) major party nominee for president. It will be a moment of high drama and a fair amount of emotion for long-time Clinton backers in the Hawaii delegation and elsewhere on the convention floor.

No one wants catharsis to slip into chaos. Convention organizers want Clinton to have her moment in the spotlight, not just as a convention speaker but as a recognized and delegate-rich candidate for president. But since she will not get the nomination, they are doing all they can to ensure this moment goes smoothly.

The Clinton campaign is organizing a group of “whips,” or floor managers, who will do their best to see that emotions do not get out of hand. One whip is Clinton supporter Colleen Hanabusa, president of the Hawaii State Senate.

She said she has been asked to make sure Clinton delegates are enthusiastic, but not too much so. The last thing anyone wants is a chorus of boos when Obama’s name is places in nomination alongside Clinton. It will be the task of Hanabusa and other whips to make sure things don’t get out of hand.

Within the Hawaii delegation, Hanabusa said, there is little concern. But who knows what might happen elsewhere? That’s what the whips are for and why they will be active on the convention floor when the formal nomination process begins.

Well, there goes the last drop of political suspense. Even as Hawaii’s Democratic delegates begin to trickle into Denver for their convention, the word is out by text message and news media leak that Delaware Sen. Joe Biden will be Barack Obama’s vice-presidential running mate.

That should serve as a relatively popular choice with the Hawaii pols, particularly the senior ones who have run into the experienced Biden over the years. Perhaps the most interested delegate will be Sen. Daniel Inouye, who — like Biden — is a senate “lifer” who has spent more than half his life in the U.S. Senate. Only Robert Byrd, Edward Kennedy and Inouye himself share that distinction, according to Congressional Quarterly.

Now, it is well known that Inouye was an avid and stubborn backer of Hillary Clinton, sticking with her even when Hawaii Democrats swooned over Obama at their caucuses earlier this year. And he has said he believes Obama would have done well to choose a vice-presidential candidate with military experience, someone like Sen. Bob Kerrey or James Webb.

But now here we are. And it should be noted that when Biden made his abortive run for president in 1987, one of the first to endorse him was his Senatorial colleague, Daniel K. Inouye. In short, they go back a long way.