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Mayor Sam's Morning Update Martini Republic reports that Mayor Villaraigosa will be given the Spanish language Democratic response to President Bush's State of the Union address next Tuesday. I tell you folks, this guy is going to run for Governor. The Democrats are starting to panic that Angelides and Westley are not catching on. Antonio to the rescue!

Radio talk show host Al Rantel explained to his listeners tonight why he resigned from the Advisory Board of the Bruin Alumni Association, an organization that sought to expose bias and abuse by liberal professors on the UCLA campus. Rantel says his dedication to the cause is unshaken, but after further involvement with founder Andrew Jones he found the 25 year old Jones to be "incompetent" and "not ready" to run an effort as envisioned by the group. Rantel said he became privy to a number of internal memos written to other board members that made it quickly clear the organization was in trouble. Rantel says he remains committed to other conservative student groups at UCLA and will continue on. Rantel also stated that news reports of his resignation may give the impression he no longer supports the cause, but nothing could be less so says Rantel.

Lores Rizkalla - publisher of the Just A Woman blog has announced she will be hosting a weekly, overnight weekend radio show on KRLA, AM 870. Rizkalla's show will air midnight on Sunday nights (Monday mornings). First broadcast is February 5th, Superbowl Sunday.

The Lone Wacko blog is reporting that orange growers in the Central Valley are finding it harder and harder to find field hands as illegal aliens are being drawn to work in the construction boom that has hit the quickly suburbanizing farm belt. Their solution? Import workers from Thailand.

Senior Deputy to Councilman Herb Wesson, Andrew Westall, has announced he is running for the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees. Previously Westall worked for former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg and current Speaker Fabian Nunez. He also teaches political science at Pasadena City College.

Posted by Mayor Sam @ 1/26/2006 07:40:00 AM 
Told you so, told you so...

Watch AV's dust! He's never yet met a project he could finish.

-- CD14 "investor" in AV's unfinished business

January 26, 2006 8:04 AM Phil Krakover said:

No way. Jose.

He loves being Mayor and has lots of time to do it.

Why run against Arnold when he can just wait four years? It gives him time to do what he wants in LA and is not stuck with all the budget problems that Arnold is facing.

No, you wise guys are wrong. He plain isn't running.

But, he sure likes it when you talk it up!!!

January 26, 2006 8:58 AM 
Who has the balls to tell Mr. Mayor he is in over his head? (Jimmy, are you listening?)

I like AV, but not only is he unable to deliver the rebuttal to the SOTU in Spanish, he has yet to prove he can run anthing other than his mouth.

Keep your eye on the ball, Antonio. (The ball being City Hall.)

January 26, 2006 9:03 AM Walter Moore said:

Villaraigosa's been running for governor and for Hillary's VP slot since he was elected. Why else would he have spent so much time in front of cameras, and criss-crossing the country, instead of doing the job for which he was elected? He campaigned for mayor after getting elected to City Council, and he's campaigning for higher office now that he's mayor. And, for what it's worth, I think he could when the race for governor.

January 26, 2006 9:10 AM 
I hope a competent and comitted Latino runs for the Community College Board. We need more representation there.

January 26, 2006 9:13 AM 
Krakpot asks:

"Why run against Arnold when he can just wait four years?"

Geez, how many know-it-alls did I hear say almost that exact sentence in CD14 18 months or so ago. "Why run against Hahn..." And they would finish the doofus comment by saying, "besides, he promised to serve out a full term."

AV likes running against wounded prey. It's the jackal in him. He has yet to take on a strong, popular candidate, or wait out running against a badly weakened one just to fulfill a commitment or keep a promise.

In four years, he could face someone more popular, GOP or DEM (because we DO like our recalls in CA), and then he would have missed his shot.

ANd it's going to take this city far less than four years to figure out AV hasn't a clue. He HAS to ride the wave out to the next gig before that happens.

The media's already catching on, and they're starting to drop hints to the denser elements of society, uh, people... "nothing's happening here -- AV's standing up in front of our cameras more than he's standing up for the city."

If there's blood in the water, AV is dog-paddling his junior-sized life preserver towards it already.

He can't help himself.

January 26, 2006 9:56 AM Westsider said:

If AV has aspirations for other offices, then he should wait 4 years. I doubt that he'll jump into the Governor's race. Angelides and Westly already have raised so much money, it would be hard for a third major Dem candidate to jump in. And why jump in? To go down to defeat to Arnold?

January 26, 2006 10:51 AM 
Too many bad assumptions and poor analysis of how super egos work to even begin to untangle that last message... I give.

January 26, 2006 11:12 AM Archie Bunker said:


You'd be surprised how easily the Democratic party will rake in funds if AV runs, remeber the Special election. I wouldn't be surprised is Angelides and Westley give AV an IE.

January 26, 2006 2:18 PM Capitol Hill Democrat said:

The unions will high tail it to AV if he drops in. Angelides and Westly are not catching on. The Democrats have a chance to turn out busloads of veteranos who want to have the chance to see a Lat-tee-no governor in their lifetime. Angelides is a Michael Dukakis Democrat and Westley looks like Dan Quayle. They won't beat Arnold.

January 26, 2006 2:28 PM William Mulholland said:

Problem is that the Guild wants that seat to go to a minority since Warren Furutani was one of the few minorites on the Board of Trustees at all.

Westall may be able to get money, but when the guild speaks, people tend to listen (remember Joey Hill anyone?)

January 26, 2006 4:19 PM 
Anon at 9:56 is 100% correct.
Can you bet legally on elections in Vegas?

January 26, 2006 4:21 PM 
9:56 is 110 percent correct; bet your overpriced, soon-to-be devalued new L.A. home on it, and you may just make enough to cover the rapidly growing "spread" between what it's actually going to be worth on the market in 5 years, and the 150 percent of that real value that you'll still OWE on the principal by then.

People in $800K homes are going to be walking away from them. . .

January 26, 2006 4:57 PM 
Mullholland, didn't think we'd see you around here... not while the DWP was spending tons of it's squirreled away bottled water money on "saluting" you on their's and the city's site!


Well, at least they aren't paying F-H to do the press on it, right?

January 26, 2006 5:00 PM 
Westly is a much better candidate than anyone is giving him credit for. He has money to spend and a good message (founded eBay, is business friendly and still progressive). Don't discount this guy.

January 26, 2006 5:29 PM 
Thank you! Although you would think with all I have done, they would give me props on the homepage.

I appreciated the "shout out" and the exhibit at the DWP did my Irish heart proud (not much discussion about that St. Francis Dam incident in 1928).

I still drink my tap water (with a Brita filter, as some of these pipes are older than I am). But for now, I'm going to do my best to keep it real :)

January 26, 2006 5:33 PM 
Samuel "Joey" Hill Jr. lost to Nancy Pearlman who raised $1500.00. People may listen to the Guild, but they don't always win.

338,590 62.62%

202,079 37.38%

January 27, 2006 3:05 PM 
Westsider is right. AV will not run against Steve or Phil. I'm sure of it. He will not continue his "not finish his term to move up". That MO won't work for him. It didn't go against him anywhere but CD 14 this time, but it will if he does it again.

I don't think he'll run for mayor again though. I think he'll run against Arnold. IF for some reason, Steve or Phil win, he may challenge them.

Regardless, we know he wants it.

January 29, 2006 10:34 PM Scott said:

Mayor Tony running for governor?

Hell, why not run him for President? That'd get Bush to stop even bothering to try and cater to the Spanish-speaking vote.

Maybe AV can challenge him to debate in Spanish? Whatever problems AV has in fluency will be dwarfed by Bush's attempts at Manglish. Hell, Bush can't even speak English.

January 30, 2006 12:06 AM 
Villababoso is unsing the Mayoral position to run for Governor on the city's dime. Laura "Slick" Chick is using the controller's office to run for mayor. Why else would she give so many press releases on the job she's doing, when THAT IS HER JOB IN THE FIRST PLACE!

January 30, 2006 10:15 AM 
Is AV going to have his statements translated, and if so in English, why not just speak in English? Oh yea, the pandering for votes aspect....hmm , maybe I'll buy stock in teeth whiteners befor the speech is aired. He's probably hitting the stuff 3 times a day in preparation.

January 30, 2006 1:15 PM













