I spent a while browsing this morning for news of the Hawaii delegation at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.

First, if you’re interested in who the movers and shakers are, here’s a list of who is representing Hawaii’s Democratic Party as compiled by the national party.

Name	Residence
Neil Abercrombie	Honolulu
Daniel K Akaka	Honolulu
John W Bickel	Honolulu
Dorothy C Binder	Kula
Vinny Browne	Honolulu
Hope Busto-Keyes	Wailuku
Hope Busto-Keyes	Wailuku
Dante K Carpenter	Honolulu
Reginald Castanares	Ewa
Mun-Won Chang	Aiea
Neil J Clendeninn	Hanalei
Bruce A Coppa	Honolulu
Cynthia Evans	Waikoloa
Stephanie Lei Fitzpatrick	Honolulu
Brickwood M Galuteria	Honolulu
Loretta Giannotti	Wailuku
Mike Golojuch Sr.	Kapolei
Michael J Golojuch Jr.	Kapolei
Colleen Hanabusa	Honolulu
Edward Haseqawa	Honolulu
Mazie Hirono
Daniel K Inouye	Honolulu
Gilbert Kahele	Hilo
Esther Kia’aina	Waiane
Albert Lewis	Waimanalo
Jodie Maesaka-Hirata	Pearl City
Jadine Nielsen	Honolulu
Russell Okata	Honolulu
Steven G Pavao	Hilo
Marion Poirier	Mililani
Paul S Schultz	Aiea
Michelle Sewell	Haiku
Debbie Shimizu	Honolulu
Dolly Strazar	Hilo
Yuriko Jane Sugimura	Aiea
Kahala Ann Trask Gibson	Hana
Shan S Tsutsui	Wailuku
Clifford “Chip” T Uwaine	Pearl City
Aileen Y Wada	Aiea
Mary D Wagner	Wailuku
John Waihe’e	Honolulu
Ralph Whitaker III	Honolulu
Jackie Young	Honolulu

If you’re interested in comparisons, here’s a list of delegates to the 1960 convention.

Then the news, scarce as it is.

From SILive.com (Staten Island, NY):

But truth be told, the arena, home to the Charlotte Bobcats of the NBA, doesn’t have a large floor space, so a lot of states are up in the stands and not that close to the action.

But some states do have premium spots, including host and swing-state battleground North Carolina; President Barack Obama’s twin homestates of Hawaii and Illinois, and Vice President Joseph Biden’s homestate of Delaware.

Native Americans speak out at the Democratic National Convention, Cronkite News Online.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, told the attendees (at the meeting of the DNC’s Native American Council) to “speak with one voice.”

“Are you satisfied to know that in Indian Country there are more suicides among young teenagers than anywhere else in the United States?” Inouye said. “Are you satisfied that the longevity of Indian men and women are the lowest in the United States? Then let’s do something about it.”

Mayor with Hawai‘i delegation at Democratic National Convention, The Garden Island

A total of 38 delegates comprising the Hawai‘i delegation to the Democratic National Convention arrived in Charlotte, N.C., Monday.

The Hawai‘i Convention Delegation includes Convention Delegate Chair Dante Carpenter, National Assemblywoman Jadine Nielsen, National Assemblyman Russel Okata, plus elected officials Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, Gov. Neil Abercrombie, Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., State Sen. Brickwood Galuteria, State Sen. President Shan Tstutsui, State Rep. Cindy Evans (House Majority Leader) and former Gov. John Waihee.

Standing committee members include John Waihe‘e III, Hope Busto Keyes and Reginald Castanares.

From the Northwest Progressive Institute:

On Monday, I attended the APIA (Asian Pacific Islander) caucus, where we were treated to a wonderful speech by Hawaii Governor Abercrombie and a thoughtful panel discussion from elected and prospective candidates.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times profiled Congressional candidate Tulsi Gabbard.

She also has emerged as an unlikely advocate on social issues, notably same-sex marriage and abortion.

It’s a compelling evolution for Gabbard, the daughter of state Sen. Mike Gabbard and former state Board of Education member Carol Gabbard, social conservatives known for opposing same-sex marriage and abortion. Gabbard once shared her parents’ views but changed her mind after two deployments with the Hawaii Army National Guard to Iraq and Kuwait.

“It brought me to a deeper understanding of the meaning of freedom in our country,” Gabbard said in an interview. “We cannot afford to walk down that dangerous path of government overstepping its boundaries into the most personal parts of our lives.”

The experience also spurred Gabbard to run for Congress. One of her tasks in Iraq was to review casualty lists and contact injured Hawaiian service members or their families to make sure they received appropriate services.

“Those names, that experience, is something that will never leave me,” she said. “I understood and saw firsthand the true cost of war at a very personal level.”

From the Huffington Post (“LGBT Caucus At Democratic National Convention Is The Happiest “):

Some LGBT convention attendees said they were happy about what Obama has done for their community, but said everyone at the convention has something to celebrate.

“I think he’s done a lot of other things than just help LGBT people,” said Neil, a 61-year-old delegate from Hawaii with a rainbow lei around this neck. “I think the caucus is pretty happy, they’re very encouraged. But they’re also very worried. They know certainly it can be turned back” if Obama loses.

From a speech by Maya Soetoro-Ng, President Obama’s sister and a Hawaii resident:

Four years ago at this convention, I spoke with you all about how Barack and I didn’t grow up with much in the way of wealth. But we were blessed with a mother who taught us that education is the surest path from limited means to limitless opportunity. She inspired me to become a teacher. And she inspired Barack’s deep commitment to giving all our young people the opportunities our education gave us.

He’s made sure more of our youngest children have the stable foundation that Head Start provides. He’s saved the jobs of teachers in our schools. And he’s helped more of our students afford a higher education.

Our mother also taught us that everyone has worth, regardless of who they are or what they believe. That’s what inspired Barack’s vision for a more inclusive and compassionate America, where everyone has a part to play in our shared story.

He’s worked to guarantee women equal pay for equal work and the freedom to make our own decisions about our health. He named two brilliant women who understand our lives to the Supreme Court. And he’s fought to make sure gay Americans can openly serve the country they love.

Making sure everyone in America has a chance to make it like he did—that’s what my big brother is all about. And that’s what he’ll do for four more years!

From the Charlotte Observer (“Fried chicken, political buttons and a little darkness: Delegates find it all“):

North Carolina-raised Ralph Whitaker has lived in Hawaii since 1997, but it took no time to feel at home after flying to Charlotte on Saturday for the Democratic National Convention.

It wasn’t the thick humidity that hung on the Hawaiian delegate who grew up in Raleigh.

Or the towering pines.

Or even the red clay.

It was chicken – seasoned and frying in grease.

Walking along an uptown Charlotte street, a “wafting” scent stopped him.

“That’s fried chicken,” Whitaker, 51, told fellow Hawaiian delegate Michael Golojugh.

“I don’t see a restaurant anywhere, and you can smell fried chicken?” Golojugh asked.

“It’s in the genes,” Whitaker responded.

They hunted down the source of the scent at an uptown diner and sat down to a plate of chicken and cornbread.

He savored each bite.

“It took me back to Raleigh to my mother’s table, with collard greens and cornbread,” said Whitaker, a first-time delegate and an Army veteran. “Fried chicken isn’t something you smell in Hawaii.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/09/04/3501868/fried-chicken-political-buttons.html#storylink=cpy

From Roll Call:

Also from Roll Call (“Regional Fashion Is Flashed at Convention“):

Besides Texas, the most distinctively dressed are the Hawaiians. It is a major focal point of pre-convention planning for the delegation.

“We have a committee that decides it, so it is planned months in advance,” Pepper Dombroski of Maui said.

Hawaii, like some of the other delegations, does have dissent among the fashion decisions. Some delegates complained that red, white and blue should be incorporated into their shirts.

“Everyone has an opinion,” Dombroski said. The state party chair eventually made the final call on what Dombroski describes as “aloha attire.” The shirts did not include patriotic colors.

“This is really a traditional aloha shirt,” she explained of her Tori Richard-designed shirt. “And one that I can certainly wear after the convention, so I’m happy either way.”

The Hawaiians also have orchid leis flown in daily for the convention.

From WBTV in Charlotte:

For the DNC, the Hawaii delegation had one of the longer journeys. As part of the President’s home state, they have a front row seat in the convention hall.

Delegate Kahala Ann Trask Gibson says that seat is just icing on the cake after her long trip, “Just to get to the airport I have to go to 52 bridges and 52 waterfalls and I leave Hana Maui to get to the airport, it takes almost three hours.”

Gibson’s total flight? 11 hours. But she told WBTV – the DNC is the trip of a lifetime.