Dan Cox, on special assignment for FishbowlLA, covering the 2008 Sun Valley Media Conference.

The secrecy is getting so absurd it's comical at the Sun Valley Media Conference.

When a Reuters photographer saw them raise a Jordanian flag on campus, he asked why. (How he knew a Jordanian flag is another mystery.) But when he started asking pesky questions, the Herb Allen staff immediately took down the flag.

It turns out Sun Valley will bring Jordanian King Abdullah II in as guest speaker at the end of the week, but they didn't want to disclose it. Not clear what he'll talk about, probably oil, politics and nuclear war capabilities that Jordan is keen on having.

Last year, it was Britain's Tony Blair, but he's not in charge anymore. Sun Valley is determined to keep its big toe in political waters.