I had written in my wrap story of the Democratic convention that U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa was not around for the group photo and song that closed the three-day event.

Jesse Broder Van Dyke, communications director for U.S. Sen. Dan Akaka, have me this update:

She had to run to an afternoon event at the Arizona Memorial, and the convention was running way behind schedule so she gave her speech and bolted. I only know this because I was hanging around her table brown-nosing before her speech.

It’s true — the convention did run behind schedule.

Democrats … like herding cats.

Colleen Hanabusa and husband John Souza, election night 2010.

Mufi Hannemann told me I did not give the full picture about the time he spent at the Democratic convention over Memorial Day weekend.

He said he could not make Friday night because of graduation ceremonies in Aiea, and had to leave early on Sunday — before the group photo — because of church. He also said he was at the convention for several hours Saturday morning but had to leave to do his radio show.

As for skipping the CD2 candidate forum Saturday night, Hannemann said he had a prior commitment to be on Kauai and had informed the party four weeks ago.

Mufi Hannemann, Hilton Hawaiian Village, May 29, 2012.

Democrats Mazie Hirono and Ed Case finally appeared side by side at a candidate forum, talking tourism before the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association at the Hilton Tuesday (May 29). I’ll have a full report later for Civil Beat.

But Republican Senate candidate John Carroll was the clear winner when it came to endearing himself with the audience.

He joked that he would bring “youth and vigor” to the office, though he is of the same generation as octogenarians Dan Inouye and Dan Akaka; said the Chinese would probably buy Washington, D.C., on eBay because of the national debt; said that he had tried to convince Mufi Hannemann to run as a Republican “for about 60 years”; and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to get a little time in front of the media — perhaps the only time that will happen during the campaign.

Carroll certainly made a case for his argument that his primary opponent, Linda Lingle, should debate him — for example, criticizing her failure to get an EIS for the Hawaii Superferry.

But Lingle won’t join Carroll at any campaign appearance, and Hannemann, who heads the lodging association, said Lingle’s campaign told him that the candidate ”does not participate in primary appearances.”

John Carroll, Ed Case and Mazie Hirono.

Now that the seemingly never-ending business of reapportionment has been settled, scores of candidates are pulling papers and/or filing to run with the Hawaii State Elections Office in advance of the June 5 deadline.

A whole bunch of familiar names turn up on the latest report, dated May 25.

In the state Senate, they include incumbents Clayton Hee, Donovan Dela Cruz, Maile Shimabukuro, Pohai Ryan, Michelle Kidani (who may face former House Rep. Mike Magaoay), Les Ihara, Kalani English and Malama Solomon (who may face former Sen. Lorraine Inouye).

House Rep. Bob Herkes has made it official: He’s running for the state Senate from the Big Island, pitting him against at least four other Democrats, including Gary Safarik.

On the House side, incumbents Mark Nakashima, Gil Keith-Agaran, Mark Hashem, Scott Saiki (who may face fellow dissident Scott Nishimoto), Isaac Choy, John Mizuno, Ryan Yamane and Corinne Ching are looking to run again.

CNN has this report on Mitt Romney standing by Donald Trump despite the Donald’s fresh charge that Barack Obama was not born in Hawaii.

Excerpt:

Asked on his charter plane Monday night whether Trump’s questioning of Obama’s birthplace gave him pause, Romney said he was grateful for all his supporters.

“You know, I don’t agree with all the people who support me and my guess is they don’t all agree with everything I believe in,” Romney said. “But I need to get 50.1% or more and I’m appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people.”

Romney has said in the past that he firmly believes Obama was born in Hawaii, and is thus constitutionally eligible to be president.

Photo courtesy Gage Skidmore.

The latest in neighbor isle gov’t and politics:

Governor speaks at Memorial Day ceremony in Hilo

Must give soldiers the best for a safe return, says Inouye

DLNR seeks comment on Mana Plain restoration

Missing kayakers rescued from sea off Kohala Coast

Hilo’s Lanakila Homes gets $7.5 million in help

Maui County electric rates to increase June 1

Waimea hydro project not going forward

Maui, Molokai meetings to focus on preservation plan

Kauai monk seal that bit fish hook released

Boat in distress off Molokai towed to safety

Photo courtesy USFWS Headquarters.

Here’s Neil:

• Red Cross 95th Anniversary Celebration, Plaza Club, 5 p.m.

Photo courtesy Paeonia*.       

Following the many jibes made at their party and candidates during Hawaii Democrats’ convention over the weekend, the Hawaii GOP has issued more press release responses.

Here’s an excerpt from Lenny Klompus, deputy campaign manager for the Linda Lingle Senate Committee, responding to Dan Inouye’s negative take on Lingle:

In light of his past service, it’s especially disappointing to see someone of Sen. Inouye’s stature caving to the pressures of his political party to fall into the typical, divisive, counter-productive, partisan, DC-style attacks that so often dominate the election season. He should know better than anyone that Hawaii’s voters are tired of the same old political gamesmanship that too often dominates useful dialogue in the public arena. …

And when you factor in Sen. Inouye’s glossing over the facts of our current governor’s worst in the nation approval ratings, in the 30s, along with his continuous loss of large numbers of cabinet directors and other senior-level staff, our senior Senator’s speech to his political party faithful becomes that much more disconcerting. And, his misrepresentation of Governor Linda Lingle’s positions on the issues, as well as her time in office is a sad commentary on how far into the abyss partisan politics has fallen as we get closer to election day.

Meantime, here’s excerpts from a press release issued by Hawaii Republicans following Mazie Hirono’s speech attacking you-know-who:

Hirono’s tired, old smears were the latest distraction from candidates and national party operatives like keynote speaker and secretary of the Democratic National Committee, Alice Gremond, who used similar scare tactics, painting the party’s opposition as “diabolical” and “venal.” Throughout the convention, national operatives and the party’s elite stated time and again that they need to keep Hawaii’s open U.S. Senate seat as a “safe” Democrat seat. …

The people of Hawaii are not surprised by the name-calling and caustic attacks from Rep. Hirono since she didn’t take one minute of her eight minute tirade to talk about her platform. It is quite sad that this is best the Democrat Party can offer the people of Hawaii.

Here’s Neil:

• Memorial Day Ceremony, East Hawaii Veterans Cemetery, Hilo, 10 a.m.

Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz will be participating in Memorial Day ceremonies at the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe.

Photo courtesy cwwycoff1.

Delegates to Hawaii Democrats’ state convention Sunday (May 27) gave multiple ovations to U.S. Sen. Dan Akaka, 87, who retires in early 2013 after 36 years in the U.S. Congress.

Akaka said it was the last time he would address his party as a U.S. senator, “but this is by no means a farewell speech but rather an opportunity to extend my aloha.”

He noted that Hawaiian words have multiple meanings, and that for “aloha” they include “greetings, appreciation, love.”

Akaka said that he had never aspired to be in Congress but wanted to instead be superintendant of Hawaii schools. Instead, he accepted then-Gov. Jack Burns’ invitation to enter a career of government and politics.

“Live aloha and pass it on,” he said in closing. “It means nothing unless you share it.”

Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz, former Gov. John Waihee, U.S. Sen. Dan Akaka and Gov. Neil Abercrombie.

Late Saturday (May 26), the Hawaii Republican Party and the Linda Lingle campaign issued their third attack on the Democratic Party of Hawaii in as many days.

Excerpt from the latest:

Falling in line with the national Democrat party, Hawaii Democrats have once again decided that they are not running on a platform of issues. Instead, they launched into what was nothing more than a narcissistic tirade of personal assaults against individual Republican candidates.

Over the past two days, the Hawaii State Democrat Convention has been a circus of internal procedural squabbling, sprinkled with baseless attacks on proven leaders like former Gov. Linda Lingle. This is not the pool of candidates the people of Hawaii deserve to select from in deciding who to send to our state Capitol or Washington,D.C.

The Democratic Party has largely shrugged off the attacks, busy with their three-day convention, which ends at the Sheraton Waikiki Sunday (May 27).

Delegate George Waialeale shows his political colors.

Dante Carpenter, chair of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, told reporters Saturday afternoon (May 26) that the party dropped its $500-per-minute rally-speaking fee because of “pay to play” appearances.

He also said it was important for the two U.S. Senate candidates — Mazie Hirono and Ed Case — to address delegates because Hawaii would be harmed if the Senate fell to Republicans and Dan Inouye lost power and influence.

Meantime, Carpenter said he was unsure whether Mufi Hannemann and Tulsi Gabbard would join other candidates for the 2nd Congressional District seat at a forum Saturday night at the Sheraton Waikiki, where the party’s convention is being held.

Dante Carpenter

Michael McGinnis of PrezHead.com has a table at the Sheraton Waikiki this weekend, where the Democratic Party of Hawaii is holding its convention.

The Oregon native travels to state party conventions to sell his “Prez Heads” (it’s Barack Obama, in case you can’t tell), which run three for $20.

On the day that the Democratic Party of Hawaii opened its three-day convention at the Sheraton Waikiki, the Hawaii Republican Party issued a blistering attack.

Excerpts:

(Spokesman Chuck) Freedman’s and Hawaii Democrat leadership’s destructive behavior has allowed their message of divisive politics to seep down into their own ranks to the point where their own Democrat candidates can’t even agree on a debate schedule!

In fact, the Democrats cancelled a debate and in an outrageous and unprecedented move, candidates for the Hawaii Democrat Party were told that if they want to address party delegates, they would have to pay for it - by the minute. Honolulu Civil Beat reported that state Democrats were imposing a $500/minute speaking fee for candidates wishing to directly address the delegates. Unsurprisingly, the only candidate to accept this offer was Mazie Hirono, who plopped down $4,000 to address the convention delegation for a mere eight minutes. Even more unsurprising, today it was announced (by Mazie herself) that the outrageous rule regarding the speaking fee was rescinded. This is par for the course with the Hawaii Democrat Party. Time and time again they are forced to go back on their own rules and decisions.

Linda Lingle wasn’t about to let the Hawaii Democratic Party State Convention begin without making some noise of her own.

Her deputy campaign manager and communications director, Lenny Klompus, put out a statement Friday. Here’s a representative excerpt:

While the people of Hawaii are focused on the economic issues facing their families and communities, including the rising costs of basic necessities such as food and energy, it’s unfortunate that political operatives like Chuck Freedman will continue to dust off very old news releases to caustically attack their potential campaign opponents. They should be letting the people of Hawaii know where their candidates stand on the myriad of issues facing the residents of our state.