Hawaii’s new reporters shield law probably got its first workout last week after at least one reporter recorded what was said when an Honolulu police officer arrived at the scene during a confrontation and alleged assault at the Diamond Head gate into the Iolani Palace grounds. The incident occurred as a Hawaiian group claiming to represent the Hawaiian Kingdom moved in and attempted to secure the Palace. According to published accounts, despite an alleged assault in progress during a scuffle at the gate, the officer basically said that it was someone else’s problem and left the scene, referring those involved to DLNR.

I’m sure there was a lot of official interest in the recording after the incident became news, and I’m equally sure that the reporter and his newspaper would have declined to turn it over.

Luckily, the shield law went into effect immediately on July 2 and protects such work products from forced disclosure.

I leave for the Democratic National Convention on Saturday, and in the past couple of days the invitations and offers from lobbyists have started arriving.

Let’s see. The maker of Trojan condoms has sent out notices of their event, billed as the “Evolve America” Condomvention: An Evening of Sex, Politics and Rock n’ Roll featuring comedian Bill Maher.

Among the promised photo ops: ” Convention-goers racing to put condoms correctly on plastic bananas”.

What can I say?

Then this offer:

Congratulations! We heard you are credentialed for the 2008 DNC convention in Denver – you’ll be on the ground covering history in the making!

Of course, with great responsibility comes 18-hour days and surviving on little sleep.

The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity is here to help. In fact, we’ve prepared a “survival kit” just for you! It’s our way of saying: we understand your plight.

The survival kit offered items including a travel pillow, collapsible water bottle, snack bar, breath mints, luggage tag, etc.

Then came the pitch: “The most important item you’ll find in your kit is our contact information during the convention. We’d love to speak with you about the benefits of coal-based electricity to a sound energy platform.”

Among the other treats in store for those attending the convention in Denver–how about the full scale replica of Air Force One that was scheduled to arrive yesterday and be set up at Invesco Field? Wouldn’t want to miss that!

From wanderer Tim DeVault, now emailing from Missoula, Montana, added this comment on Denver:

“How does owning a restaurant prepare you to govern?”

This was a question in yesterday’s publication of Parade magazine in the Sunday papers, asked of John Hickenlooper, “a geologist and brewpub owner before being elected mayor of Denver in 2003. He’s won praise for his fiscal management.”

The mayor answered: “I think it should be required training for any elective executive. You never have enough money, you have a diverse group of people, and the public is always angry about something. You learn very quickly that there is no profit in having enemies, and no matter how unreasonable customers may be, you learn to listen to them, respect them, and find consensus.”

Just FYI: Former United Public Workers state director Gary Rodrigues is listed in the Federal Bureau of Prisons “Inmate Locator”. Current residences, the federal correctional center at Taft, California. Projected release date, August 27, 2012.

I thought that Rodrigues would be at Taft with former state campaign spending commission director Jack Gonzales, but since last summer Gonzales has been transferred to a facility in Colorado.

The Administrative Maximum (ADX) facility in Florence, Colorado, houses offenders requiring the tightest controls. It is part of the Florence Federal Correctional Complex (FCC). The ADX supervises a minimum security satellite prison camp (outside the secure perimeter of the ADX) that houses male offenders.

I would think Gonzales might be in that minimum security satellite.