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Monday, June 25, 2007

As The Third Floor Turns, Day 14

Tony Castro weighs in on the Villaraigosa soap opera saying that based on the experience of politicians such as Rudy Giulinani and John McCain, the Mayor's divorce and alleged infidelity may not have a long term impact on his career. Noting the rumors discussed here on this blog as well as KFI's John and Ken show are part of the "feeding frenzy" when these types of issues come up but in today's more permissive society the public may not hold personal foibles against elected officials.

Of course if a pregnancy is involved it's my view all bets are off. While dalliances with another woman is one thing, someone of the Mayor's age and stature fathering a child with another woman while married signifies a sense of recklessness.

In other news, a very credible source tells us that an individual who works for KNBC says the alleged "television personality" in question is not just a recent relationship but allegedly had a relationship with Villaraigosa when he was State Assembly Speaker, during a previous separation from his wife.

Of course if the Mayor came out with details and told us the truth this would all go away.

UPDATE/CORRECTION: Our source has clarified their original comment to say that the woman in question did not have an affair with the Mayor when he was State Assembly Speaker in the 90s but that she allegedly had a "relationship" with another person who held the Speaker position. To read more, click here.

Labels:

91 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Interesting Sam,

When you yourself reported that Mayor had a vasectomy. Unless he was somehow "magically cured" from the surgical procedure he could not in a million years inpregnated someone.

Needless to say no one has proved the Mayor cheated, in my opinion he did not, the stress of the job like all past Mayors puts a train on relationships.

Why you can't just tell your readers to pray for the leader of our city during this tough time and let it be is beyond me.

June 24, 2007 11:09 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

The true danger is not to any politician's reputation, but to our country. Sojourners is a threat to our security.

June 24, 2007 11:12 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Why you can't just tell your readers to pray for the leader of our country during this tough time and let it be is beyond me.

June 24, 2007 11:16 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

When citizens construct their political opinions they make use of salient information. Politician reputation and personality perceptions are such basic ideas that remain `at the top of the head' for most voters. While the components of politician reputations can offset the potentially damaging effects of a scandal little is known about the role of political reputations in non-scandalous yet.

June 24, 2007 11:27 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Cynthia Ruiz

Before the previous post gets overun with gushing love for Cynthia Ruiz, let me provide you the forum to carry on your conversation. To get you started, here's the e-mail from Rick Acosta to Bill Christopher laying out his complaints with Cynthia Ruiz.


From: "rick acosta"
To: "BillC"
CC: "BRADLEY"
Subject: Formal Complaint East La/ South Area Representative
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 21:42:19 -0800

Dear Mr. Bill Christopher,
This is a formal request and complaint to remove Cynthia Ruiz as the East LA/ South area representative for the following reasoning.

1. She is a family member of a mayoral candidate Councilmen Antonio Villaraigosa.
2. She is working on his mayoral campaign.
3. She is involved in fund raising for the Villaraigosa mayoral campaign.
4. You have placed Ms. Ruiz in a position that compromises the integrity of the Mayoral debates with her ability to provide insider information to one of the candidates, such as what questions will be asked and to which candidate , which N.C. Representative will be asking the question and to which candidate. This was not the intentions of CBS and the Alliance which would lose all credibility.
5. Ms. Ruiz has set up her own standards as to who will attend the mayoral debate.
6. Ms. Ruiz has not participated in an Alliance meeting.
7. Ms. Ruiz was part of a group of board members of the LA-32 NC that sent a letter to the Alliance criticizing the Alliance on the Mayoral Debates.
8. Ms. Ruiz has shown partiality over candidates, with comments made in reference to Mayor Hahn, (She was glad to leave a sinking ship, after she was dismissed as commissioner.)
9. Ms. Ruiz was not asked to fill in at a meeting by the assigned East LA/South area representative Robert Jimenez as stated by the Alliance.
10. Ms. Ruiz was not asked by the East LA/South area representative to replace him as the current representative.
11. The Current East LA/South area representative Robert Jimenez is supporting me as his replacement.
12. Ms.Ruiz failed to work only with the President of the LA-32 but did notify all other board members via e-mail as to who was on the list. This was not the intention of the alliance in setting up the guest list from each NC.
Sincerely
Richard Acosta
LA-32 NC President

June 24, 2007 11:41 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

C'mon. Why won't anyone come out and just say it already. Cynthia R is a Tony V. groupie and has been for a while. Have you ever seen Cynthia when Tovy V's around. The cloudy eyes with the euphoria swagger. She's in love with him and I hear that they have had some serious "policy" discussions in "closed door" meetings.

Maybe Tony V is setting up another one of his baby's mommas'.

Go Tony....

June 24, 2007 11:43 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

In broad terms, political corruption is the misuse by government officials of their governmental powers for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, like repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Illegal acts by private persons or corporations not directly involved with the government is not considered political corruption either.

TYPES OF ABUSE
BRIBERY
GRAFT
EXTORTION
ROBBERTY
PATRONAGE
NEPOTISM
CRONYISM
EMBEZZLEMENT
KICKBACKS

June 24, 2007 11:52 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Here's a quick one for you...

in·teg·ri·ty – noun
1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished.
3. a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition.

Gee I don't know, but seems to me Villaraigosa has no integrity. Like changing his last name to let's say distant himself from his dad

June 24, 2007 11:56 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

If a husband can cheat and lie to his wife, I just assume it's that much easier to do the same to others he doesn't even know.

June 25, 2007 12:02 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

In addition, Mayor VillaLaRaza has lied time and again when he was asked about maritial troubles. He claimed he was not wearing his wedding ring because it was being resized.

He has fathered 5 children by 4 different women.

June 25, 2007 12:02 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

You have still not dealt with my primary point (that Walt just stated better than I): IF an elected official (or anyone...but we're talking about elected officials) can lie to and cheat on their wife, or the BIG committment, we can expect them to do the same to us (the "lesser" committment).

Obviously, as you point out, the reverse is not true: One can remain faithful to their spouse but, still, make bad decisions in other areas.

So do you want to address the point about integrity or shall we just let it lay there half-dead with your near-miss?

June 25, 2007 12:04 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Villar-Raigosa, a Christian man takes a vow to his wife apparently means less to you than his vow he makes to his constituents. Politics arguable is his religion.

Forgive me, but this man is shallow anyway you slice it.

June 25, 2007 12:05 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

The mother (baby's momma) supposedly is a well-known news anchor.

June 25, 2007 12:10 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

the mexi-midget mayor can not keep his puny penis in his pants

June 25, 2007 12:14 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

if she thinks Antonio has "integrity".

Once that vow is broken, there is no going back. It changes all the dynamics of a relationship. It is trust that is violated. Perhaps forgiveness can follow, but at a great price.

Like it or not, the majority of people sense that a politician who cheats on his wife and children will somehow "cheat" in his political life.

I wonder what the true nature of Bill and Hillary's relationship is after the humiliating years of "Bimbo eruptions" and Monica-type philanderings. I have a funny feeling there is just a bit of cynicism running through it. And I have to say that I was personally disgusted and angry that Bill had Monica do "it" in the Oval Office. A symbol of highest power and position besmirched by the unrestrained lust of a weak and duplicitous lout. The dumb son-of-a-bitsch!

June 25, 2007 12:15 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

MORE VillaLaRaza Rumors Here:

http://lukeford.net/blog/?p=365

Get 'em while they're Hot!

June 25, 2007 12:19 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Reputation

Antonio Villaraigosa at the 107th annual Golden Dragon Parade.Villaraigosa has gained a reputation as a national leader in the Democratic party, and some consider him a hopeful future candidate for higher office such as Governor of California, U.S. Senate, or even President of the United States if he achieves enough national recognition. He has been featured on the cover of Newsweek with the accompanying headline, "Latino Power", and in Time as one of the country's 25 most influential Latinos.

However, it has also been acknowledged that Villaraigosa's extramarital pursuits have not been beneficial to his political stature. Most recently, as of may, his wife and he split over an affair, one in which he impregnated the other woman. The mayor, who is widely considered to have designs on higher office, has been dogged by rumors of marital infidelity for years.

wikipedia

June 25, 2007 12:22 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

GANG CZAR

"There is no way you can arrest all the young people who are at risk of being sucked into this lifestyle," Carr said.'

-----What an Idiot...no one is saying you should round up kids just cause they live in the inner city.

Way to go Villaraigosa! You hired someone who has no Law enforcement experence to do the job. and is talking to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who supplies weapons and training to people who in turn kill americans and innocent Iraqi people.

Is Mr. Carr going to talk to somebody who breaks into his house bent on killing him or his family. Or is he willing to defend himself and fight to protect him and his family.

June 25, 2007 12:29 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

The owner of the Los Angeles-based Numero Uno supermarket chain, his brother and two associates, alleged to be part of a racketeering conspiracy, have been taken into custody during a two-day operation that also resulted in the seizure of approximately $1.25 million in cash and more than 60 vehicles.

The indictment, which accuses a total of eight defendants of violating the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), was unsealed today and announced by George S. Cardona, Acting United States Attorney in Los Angeles; J. Stephen Tidwell, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI in Los Angeles; Timothy J. Landrum, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA in Los Angeles; and Debra D. King, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation.

According to the indictment, George Torres currently owns 11 markets in the greater Los Angeles area and, to expand his business, allegedly exercised strict control of his organization and associates, intimidated and murdered potential witnesses against the enterprise, and used the markets to facilitate fraud and tax violations.

* George Torres, who is charged with racketeering, conspiring to violate RICO, violent crime in aid of racketeering (VICAR), "honest services" mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens;

* Manuel Torres-Ramos, 53, of Arcadia, George Torres's brother, who was also arrested and charged with racketeering, conspiring to violate RICO and conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens;

* Steven Torres, 26, of Downey, who is George Torres' son and is charged with VICAR, has agreed to surrender;

* George Luk, 58, of Beverly Hills, a member of the Los Angeles Convention and Exhibition Center Authority Commission, who is charged in the RICO conspiracy and five counts of "honest services" mail and wire fraud, was arrested;

* Steve Carmona, 39, of Pico Rivera, a former commissioner with the Los Angeles Central Area Planning Commission, who is charged in the RICO conspiracy and five counts of "honest services" mail and wire fraud as well as one count of loan fraud, was arrested;

* Gloria Mejia, 57, of Montebello, who is charged with conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, has agreed to surrender;

* Mario Solano Garcia, 52, of Los Angeles, who is charged in the RICO conspiracy, has agreed to surrender; and

*Carlos Monterroso, 51, of South Gate, who is charged in the RICO conspiracy, has also agreed to surrender.

June 25, 2007 12:32 AM  

Blogger Zuma Dogg said:

Cpt. Jack,

i got both the names...YEAH, YEAH!!! I'm moving up in the world...i knew what the F*CK you were saying in all that piratease. (that's good: "pirate" "ease, as in "leagalese" and TEASE.)

but the one who says ruiz "closed door sessions"? i thought that's a relative?

Are you saying when I call him, "Viagraosa" just for a laugh, cause it rhymed with Villaraigosa, it actually had meaning! AND...I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, THAT IF THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE SAYING...THEN TO MY OPPOSING AMIGOS, WHO LIKE IT WHEN I LEAVE THE "CHICK TALK" TO OTHER...

if an elected official is doing buisness with a contracted employee...and that business is about "BONK" when it is supposed to be about "BONC", well now we're talking City business, not personal. Maaaaaaaan, I hope I got it twisted...Won't blog on a thread, till Cpt confirms ZD is like Bruce Springsteen in Badlands.
[HA! Captain...now YOU'LL have to spend time looking at the words of Badlands to see what I mean! Clue: keyword: "facts".]

June 25, 2007 1:34 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Aggravation for you, but music to their ears

Meanwhile, back in California

Doroteo Arango spread the daily newspapers on his desk so he could see the headlines circled in red.

All the headlines dealt with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's assertion that Hispanic immigrants should immerse themselves in English, and turn off Spanish-language television.

"This could be good news or bad news for the reconquista," said Arango, chairman of Traiga Otra Vez Nahuatl (Bring back Nahuatl).

In a corner of the office, seated comfortably in a leather wing chair, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Aztlan, snorted.

"Good news, indeed!" he sneered. "You know how charming the governor is. What if our people take his advice to heart?"

"The Raza won't buy this," said Arango. "They know they don't have to learn English. Why, just the other day I was asking one of your illegal constituents if he planned to return to the home country any time soon. You know what he said?"

"What?" said Nunez grimly.

"He said, 'Aqui es Mexico!'" replied Arango. "'Here is Mexico.' He can speak Spanish all day long and get on just fine, and there are thousands like him – in San Diego, Los Angeles, the Central Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area.

"Look at the statistics. According to the California Latino Legislative Caucus, 'California now has over 2 million legal, non-citizen immigrants – over 32 percent of the national total." And then there are the illegals.

"Latinos don't have to assimilate. Let the rest of the state assimilate to them."

June 25, 2007 1:37 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Hillary Co Chair Fabian Nuñez Avoids Cash Rules
A California legislator who is national co chair of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign has secretly exceeded contribution limits by having special interests —with laws before him—donate hefty sums to a ballot measure that will keep him in office longer.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, a Democrat and well-known figure of the La Raza pro illegal immigration movement, has found a creative way to violate state laws that restrict political donations to $7,200 by instead having millions contributed to his top cause; a bill that will actually rewrite California’s term-limit law to allow him to serve another six years in the legislature.

http://www.corruptionchronicles.com/2007/06/hillary_co_chair_fabian_nunez.html

June 25, 2007 1:39 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Confidence In Congress Lowest Ever - Amid a series of bipartisan legal scandals and corruption probes, it’s no wonder that the nation’s confidence in Congress is at an all-time low. (Jun 22, 2007)

June 25, 2007 1:40 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

On Evangelical Christians

Presiden Clinton says that Democrats will never get the vote of around half of the evangelical Christians. Say the Falwell, Robertson types. But that the other half is up for grabs. According to him one of the main reasons he was elected was because he was the Democrat who got the most evangelical Christian votes, since then he said Gore got less of those votes and Kerry around 21% of them, an all time low for a Democrat. Democrats must learn to talk to people with strong religious values he argued.

June 25, 2007 2:40 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

On Iraq:

President Clinton believes that one of the worst consequences of the Iraqi war, other than the fact that it is not going well, is that it has drained vital financial and military resources, detracting from everything else America could be doing around the world. Examples? Very few resources have been left for Latin America. Iran has emerged as a big potential threat in the region but the enormous Shia population in Iraq makes it hard to act on Iran. The Darfour Genocide is also being neglected. In short, Clinton seems to believe (again this is my interpretation) that this administration put all its eggs in one basket..and risks dropping it.

On Iran

President Clinton believes that Iran is determined to get a nuclear bomb and that the majority of the Iranian people support their country’s nuclear aspirations. He also believes that it would be hard to attack Iranian nuclear installations without incurring many civilian casualties. At the same time he believes that the Iranians should be well aware of the US and European opposition to their plans and that Europe and the US must find a way to make it very costly for Iran to go nuclear.

On Hugo Chávez

President Clinton had interesting comments to make on Hugo Chavez but I would need his permission to publish these as well.

June 25, 2007 2:42 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Dinner with President Clinton
President Clinton is the person I admire the most in the world, it´s that simple. Readers of my blog and those close to me are well aware that I am rarely a fan of anyone in the true sense of the word, but when it comes to Clinton I cannot help but make the exception. Whilst in NY I was invited to attend a dinner in his honor. As usual I found the President´s views fascinating (a not to non American readers in America people call ex presidents...Presidents).

Now before I share the Presidents views with you I would like to remind you that I am not a journalist and that I did not take notes during dinner so some of my recollections maybe wrong. Still I believe that they are worth a try as they are original and challenging.

The dinner was held at the home of New York financier Marc Lasry who I thank for his kind invitation. The whole event consisted of two parts. The dinner itself during which approximately seven of us asked an array of questions to the President on current affairs; and an after dinner conversation in which I personally followed up on a number of issues. Here are my recollections, a brief summary of the three hour conversation.

On Hillary Clinton

I have been a trustee of President Clinton´s foundation for 5 years and have been with the President at many meetings in which the Hillary question came up. However, last night I had the impression that for the first time Bill Clinton has fully realized his wife may in fact very well become the next President of the United States. Clinton made clear that if she chooses to take this on, he will provide just as much support for her as she did him. He is not certain however that Hillary will run. But if she does run and wins the Democratic nomination, he is certain that she will defeat any Republican opponent she faces.

June 25, 2007 2:44 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Clinton's History
"Clinton's sympathy for Marxist terrorists"


While Timothy McVeigh awaits execution and has no chance of receiving a pardon for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing, President Clinton has seen fit to pardon 11 FALN terrorists and five Macheteros who have been serving prison sentences in the United States. Some people are wondering why Clinton did this. It was not a popular move. What pressing political reason did Clinton have for releasing 16 Communist terrorists and revolutionaries from jail?

If we look back to the Vietnam War, we find that Clinton gave active support to the Viet Cong -- who were also terrorists. Clinton also gave his support to the Marxist-Leninist dictatorship of Ho Chi Minh. Writing to ROTC Director Eugene Holmes in December 1969, Clinton admitted to working for a Communist front organization, the Vietnam Moratorium. Clinton acknowledged, "One of the national organizers of the Vietnam Moratorium is a close friend of mine. After I left Arkansas last summer, I went to Washington to work in the national headquarters of the Moratorium, then to England to organize Americans for the demonstrations of Oct. 15 and Nov. 16."

Clinton is a smart man, and he certainly was perceptive enough to realize who he was working for.

June 25, 2007 2:50 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Clintons Are Communist Lackies

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 96 16:13:40 EDT
SUBJECT: IPS -COMMUNIST TIES

Hi All,
I have a copy of the declassified FBI documents that tie the Clintons
and many of their administration to a communist organization called the
Institute For Policy Studies. In all there are more than 50 pages to
this document file, so I'll do a summary. It may take a few notes:

The Institute For Policy Studies was formed in 1963 by Peter Weiss and
Cora Rubin, daughter of Samuel Rubin. The organization is funded by the
Samuel Rubin Foundation.

Samuel Rubin was a member of the Comintern of the Communist Party, which
was the inner circle of Lenin, and helped foment the Russian peasants
into revolt in 1917. He left Russia at some point during the
revolution, and came to the U.S., where he made a fortune using the
name, "Faberge", for his cosmetic company. The Faberge family, who were
"White Russian" (non-communist), and who also fled Russia, sued Rubin
for using their name for a company whose profits supported the spread of
communism, and won a settlement. Rubin was assisted in his financial
endeavors by billionaire Armand Hammer. Hammer has long been suspected
of being a member of the Communist Party. After the downfall of the
USSR, the KGB files were opened and Hammer's membership in the Communist
Party was proven. The Soviet publication, Izvestia, confirms that
Armand Hammer was a Soviet agent, who personally carried the money from
Lenin to the United States to establish the Communist Party USA.

Back to the Institute For Policy Studies (IPS). The FBI has compiled
2705 pages of documents on this organization, 1743 of which are
available to the public through the Freedom of Information Act. The FBI
has withheld 962 pages of documents, and one of the reasons given is,
"specifically authorized by an Executive (Presidential) Order to be kept
secret in the interest of national defense." Another reason for
withholding the 962 documents was given as follows.... "Records or
information were compiled for law enforcement purposes and could
reasonably be expected to disclose the identity of a confidential
source."

June 25, 2007 2:51 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Indians give Hillary 2 million dollars.

"I will work very hard to be a good steward of those contributions," Clinton told 1,200 of the nation's most prominent Indian-Americans, who flew in from all over the country and paid $1,000 to $4,600 to dine with her at the New York Sheraton.

June 25, 2007 2:57 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

The awards honor mayors for measures to curb global warming and increase energy efficiency.

Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez was recognized for shepherding a city program that promotes ``green-tech'' companies, use of bicycles and purchase of cleaner city vehicles. The program has caused an overall reduction of city greenhouse gas emissions by 67 percent since 2000.

Fayetteville Mayor Dan Coody was selected for a city alternative transportation program that created 129 miles of multi-use trails and 163 miles of on-street linkages to the city.

June 25, 2007 3:13 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Clinton Foundation Will Receive $200-Million
Two international donors have pledged at least $100-million each to support sustainable-development efforts by Bill Clinton’s nonprofit organization, reports Forbes magazine.

Carlos Slim Helu — a Mexican investor and the world’s second-richest man, with $49-billion — pledged $100-million to the Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative, which will work with private companies to deal with social, economic, and environmental issues as they relate to sustainable growth. Last year he poured $1.8-billion into one of his foundations, and announced he will donate as much as $10-billion over the next four years to support health and education programs.

Canadian entertainment and mining magnate Frank Giustra also pledged at least $100-million and half of his future natural-resources earnings.

June 25, 2007 3:15 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

L.A. Mayor Selects Minister as 'Anti-Gang Czar'
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has picked Jeff Carr, a nonprofit executive with lengthy experience working with religion-based programs that help poor people, to be the city’s new “anti-gang czar,” reports the Los Angeles Times.

Mr. Carr is an ordained minister and chief operating officer at Sojourners/Call to Renewal, a liberal evangelical organization in Washington that promotes social justice. Before joining Sojourners, Mr. Carr was at the Bresee Foundation, a religious group in Los Angeles that provides services in health care, education, job training, technology, and recreation.

Mr. Carr’s new position will focus on gang reduction and establishing youth-development and intervention programs.

June 25, 2007 3:15 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Speaker fees enrich Clintons
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA - Jun 15, 2007
He also performs charitable work through his Clinton Foundation and has made no secret of his desire to build up his income now to be free to help his wife

June 25, 2007 3:19 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Who cares if Villaraigosa cheated on his wife and impregnated a bunch of different women! He's a hollow, incompetent buffoon, and THAT'S why he shouldn't be mayor of LA, or hold any other office than maybe secretary to the assistant director of the L.A. branch of the PTA.

June 25, 2007 3:21 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

French & Mexican Socialists All Getting Divorced

Just days after the tragic announcement that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will no longer pretend to be married to his wife, Corina French socialist leader and failed presidential candidate Ségolène Royal announced she has separated from her socialist boyfriend of 30 years — to whom she wasn’t even married!!

June 25, 2007 3:21 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Hillary dump Antonio!

June 25, 2007 3:22 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Russian arms help Chavez launch guerrilla warfare against USA

(I bet he bought it with Sojourner-Clinton Foundation money)

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has urged soldiers to prepare for a guerrilla-style war against the United States.

He said the US government is using psychological and economic warfare as part of an unconventional campaign aimed at derailing his government.

Dressed in olive green fatigues and a red beret, Chavez spoke yesterday inside Tiuna Fort – Venezuela’s military nerve-centre – before hundreds of uniformed soldiers standing alongside armoured vehicles and tanks decorated with banners reading: “Fatherland, Socialism, or Death! We will triumph!”

June 25, 2007 3:27 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Clinton recently said,

"On Election Psychology:

President Clinton said that unfortunately the Republicans have the upper hand in using psychology in their campaigning. He offered many examples but one that stuck to mind is the current trend among Republicans to tag Hillary as an "angry woman." Personally, I met Hillary a few times and would hardly say that she is an "angry" woman; if anything I would say that she is a "concerned" woman. But Clinton went on to explain how the American electorate expect men to be angry but not women and how this label is part of the psychological warfare (my words) that the Republicans are good at. Another very vivid point he made is that this psychological machinery sometimes is used among Republicans against each other. He illustrated this with the attacks made on John McCain, a man as brave as they come, portraying him to be a person not brave enough when it came to pursuing aggressive American Foreign Policy.

On Vladimir Putin:

President Clinton had dinner last week with Vladimir Putin and had many interesting comments to make about him. Clinton asked Putin why he invited the Iranian leaders to the Kremlin. Putin’s response was that Iranian nuclear capability is a great concern to Russia seeing as they are even closer to Iran than Israel. It is in part because of this that Russia would prefer to engage in dialogue as opposed to not pursuing any means of communication."

June 25, 2007 3:29 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Chavez to head to Russia, Belarus, Iran, in latest bid to heckle US
Petroleumworld.com, Venezuela - 11 minutes ago
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez attends a ceremony to celebrate the 186th anniversary of the army in Caracas June 24, 2007. Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez

June 25, 2007 3:30 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Deaths raise intrigue along Venezuela-Colombia border
By Chris Kraul, Los Angeles Times | June 17, 2007

SANTA BARBARA, Venezuela -- A whodunit involving two undercover Colombian soldiers whose bodies were found here in western Venezuela has heightened tensions between the neighboring countries and lifted the lid on the dirty little secrets of their border relations.

June 25, 2007 3:34 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

WHAT A FRIGGIN SURPRISE, DUHHHH!

LA Times Writer Defends Hugo Chavez Closure Of TV Station
Posted by P.J. Gladnick on May 30, 2007 - 19:51.
Although most media coverage of the closure of RCTV by the Hugo Chavez government in Venezuela has been somewhat bland, we now have an example of a journalist who actually supports the takeover of that long established television station. It is the former Associated Press reporter in Venezuela, Bart Jones, who wrote an approving article in today's Los Angeles Times, Hugo Chavez versus RCTV. Jones justifies the closing of that station by the Chavistas by claiming that it supported the 2002 coup against Chavez:

June 25, 2007 3:36 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Hugo Chavez versus RCTV - Los Angeles Times By Bart Jones, BART JONES spent eight years in Venezuela, mainly as a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press, and is the author of the forthcoming ...


www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-jones30may30,0,1061242.story?coll=la-opinion-center

June 25, 2007 3:37 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

NO LOCAL COVERAGE OF THIS!!!! Of course Antonio doesn't want all these Mayors to know he's such a cheat and sleaze Interesting one topic is "Home Depot Excellence in the Community"

HUNDREDS OF MAYORS TO MEET IN LOS ANGELES FOR THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE of Mayors' 75th Annual Meeting - June 22 to June 26

Invited speakers include: Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (CA), as well as Republican and Democratic Presidential hopefuls. U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (NY), U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich (OH), New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison are confirmed participants.

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Robert Casey, FBI Section Chief and Greg Scarbro, FBI Unit Chief on Crime Data -- Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence -- Key Resolutions on Illegal Guns, Prisoner Re-Entry, Homeland Security, Immigration, D.C. Voting Rights, Mayors Water Council Meeting (Palisades) -- The Honorable Grace Napolitano, U.S. House of Representatives (CA) (Invited) Tom Cochran, USCM Executive Director -- Jonathan Tisch, Travel Business Roundtable Chairman and CEO Honorable Senator Hillary Clinton (NY) Mayors High School Dropout Crisis Workshop Bob Wise, Former Governor of WV and President of Alliance for Excellent Education -- Roy Romer, Former Governor of CO and Chairman of Strong American Schools 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Homeland Security Task Force Meeting - R. David Paulison, FEMA Administrator -- Anne Petera, The U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, Hunger and Homelessness Task Force Meeting (Pacific) -- Chris Gardner, Inspiration for The Pursuit of Happyness Movie (Invited) -- Alice Waters, Founder of Edible Schoolyard and Owner of Chez Panisse Restaurant in Berkeley, -- Philip Mangano, Executive Director U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Saturday, June 23 Mayors and Business Leaders Breakfast -- Home Depot Excellence in Community--- Trees Award (Two cities will receive $75,000 and $25,000 for innovative programs to help build urban forests) -- Ed Mazria, Mazria, Inc. Odems Dzurec, Remarks re. Climate Change & cities 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM Opening Plenary Session,--- The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California -- Marian Wright Edelman, Children's Defense Fund, Community Development and Housing Committee Meeting CDBG 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Jobs, Education and the Workforce Committee Meeting (Pacific) -- Key Resolutions on The No Child Left Behind Act, Summer Youth Employment Funding 11:00 AM - 12:30 AM Energy Committee Meeting (Palisades) -- Morry B. Markowitz, Edison Electric Institute -- Michael Zatz, Energy Star Commercial Buildings Program -- Key Resolutions on The Mayors' Energy & Environment Block Grant, Energy Independence 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM Mayors' Climate Protection Awards Luncheon (Los Angeles Ballroom) Sponsored by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. -- City Climate Protection Awards (Two cities -- one large, one small -- will be recognized for implementing innovative projects to make their communities greener, healthier and more sustainable) 2:30 AM - 4:00 PM Children, Health and Human Services Committee (Palisades) Meeting -- Key Resolutions on Children's Health Insurance, Universal Health Care, Head Start 2:30 AM - 4:00 PM Urban Economics Policy Committee Meeting (Constellation Ballroom II) -- Key Resolutions on Minimum Wage and Funding for the 2010 Census 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM Environment Committee Meeting (Constellation Ballroom I) -- John Hofmeister, President, The Shell Oil Company -- Key Resolutions on Municipal Water, The Mayors' Climate Policy Framework Sunday, June 24: 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM Census 2010 Workshop (Constellation Ballroom I) -- Renee Jefferson-Copeland, Customer Liaison Office, U.S. Census Bureau -- Linda Franz, Asst. Division Chief, U.S. Census Bureau, Geographic Partnerships 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM Plenary Session (Constellation Ballroom I) -- Address: The Honorable Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico -- Public Leadership in the Arts Awards: Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, AZ Governor Janet Napolitano, Producer Randy Jackson (American Idol), Actor Jimmy Smits (West Wing, NYPD Blue), and The Actors Fund will be honored for their leadership and advocacy of the arts -- The Honorable Dennis J. Kucinich, U.S. House of Representatives (OH) MEDIA AVAILABILITY re. Governor Richardson and Rep. Kucinich Monday, June 25: 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM Business Plenary Session (Los Angeles Ballroom) -- 2007 Water Taste Test Award (During the meeting, all mayors will conduct a blind taste test of the tap water from five finalist cities to select a winner) -- Release of Metro Economies Report (The state of unemployment and labor markets across the 300+ metro areas and what it means for the future of the U.S. economy) -- Address: HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson 12:30

June 25, 2007 6:30 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Fools who can't count have no credibility! It's four children with three women (two with his wife) and a vasectomy in the mid-'90s. Your wishful thinking won't change any of that!

All one can do is shake one's head in pity at the blather that appears here, and even MayorSam himself is a sucker for it...Sad.

June 25, 2007 7:31 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Villaraigosa kept saying during mayoral campaign that he would clean up city hall. He was going to be different. Problem is we all knew that would never happen.

Steve Lopez said he was going to investigate those 26 city cars for Antonio's staff. How many people has he appointed for political paybacks? Can anyone name the commissioners? One is Cythina Ruiz who is being paid over $100,000 as Public Works Commissioner. Then why would Antonio appoint Ernest Cardenas again to be paid over $100,000 and he is the brother of Tony Cardenas, see a conflict here? What about all the gang money he gives to people that helped with his campaign, Project Amiga, Homeboy, El Centro Ayuda, Azteca Fire, LA Bridges, and the list goes on.

June 25, 2007 7:35 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

11:09

No proof thant Antonio cheated??!!! Are you just an idiot or do you just practice blind faith.

Corina has filed for divorce twice, is that proof?

Martha Reyna and her husband Richard split up because of Antonio - is that proof?

Bob Hertzberg's wife won't talk to Antonio because while Bob and Antonio roomed together in Sacto, Antonio would have nightly whore parties - is that proof?

Antonio admitted to his infidelity - is that proof?

The guy is a scumbag, what is beyond you is the ability to see the truth. You are acting like one of the countless Tony one nighters whoe firmly believe that he will remember them the next morning.

June 25, 2007 7:45 AM  

Blogger Red Spot in CD 14 said:

Good Morning "MAYOR SAM",

Thanks for pointing out the Tony Castro story. It should also be noted that he reports that Corina found "ROMANTIC MESSAGES" on his Blackberry. That was the last straw. Enquiring minds can refer to Tony Castro.com

June 25, 2007 7:56 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Jessica Wethington McLean

June 25, 2007 8:14 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Campaign 2008


Democrats try out faith-based message
Candidates aim to close the 'God gap'


By ANNMARIE TIMMINS
Monitor staff

Talk of religion and politics has long been the domain of the conservative right, especially around hot-button issues like abortion and gay marriage. According to exit polls, 40 percent of the electorate go to church at least once a week and tend to vote Republican. In the 2004 election, of the 26 percent of voters who attended weekly services, 60 percent voted for President Bush, 40 percent for John Kerry, according to the Washington Post. Among those who attended church more frequently, 65 percent supported Bush and 35 percent Kerry.

The split is called the "God gap" in political circles, and Democrats are trying to close it.

"Faith and politics," said David Lamarre-Vincent, executive director of the New Hampshire Council of Churches. "As the right got it right, the left finally figured it out."

Adam Taylor, director of campaigns and organizing for Sojourners, a Christian organization focused on spiritual renewal and social justice, said there's a significant shift this election that's made it easier for the Democrats to claim some religious ground. This time around, he said, the leading Democratic candidates are much better at talking about faith than the leading Republicans.

June 25, 2007 8:25 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Clinton and Obama were also part of a progressive Christian forum on faith and poverty hosted by Sojourners earlier this month.

June 25, 2007 8:26 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

The Dynamic Center: The Religious Left?
Posted by Dan Martin on 06.22.2007

We all are aware that the Religious Right swung much of the 2004 Presidential election. What role might the religious left play in 2008?

During 2004, I would often drive past a gaudy, and perhaps tacky, electronic sign for a mega Church. The bright lights of the sign flashed a message that helped swing Ohio and the Electoral College into Bush's column. The message blared in bright forty foot tall lights "Vote the Bible." As a somewhat savvy consumer of religious messages, I was confronted with several questions about what such a slogan might mean:

1. Did it mean vote for candidates from Tessalonika or Ephesus? Certainly Republicans and Democrats cannot be found in either testament of the Bible.
2. Did it mean vote the Beatitudes and support candidates who would clothe the naked, feed the hungry and take in strangers?
3. Did it mean vote Leviticus and support candidates that would enforce stringent laws to minimize destructive social behaviors?
4. Did it mean vote the Torah and support candidates that favored periodic debt forgiveness?

First, the group Sojourners is run by self-described evangelical Rev. Jim Wallis. He put out a book entitled God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It in 2005. Wallis argues passionately that the poor have a prominent place in scripture and that any publicly articulated Christianity that ignores the poor is not Christian at all. While Wallis' work does take some swipes at the left, his policy stances are clearly more at home in Democratic circles. Given Wallis' popularity, the sales of his book, and the network his website provides, he is developing into a major player. No one should be shocked to see the Democratic Presidential nominee in 2008 cozying up to Wallis during the general election.

June 25, 2007 8:29 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

By Dan Laidman
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE

June 24, 2007

LOS ANGELES – Only four months ago, Jeff Carr traveled to Iran to meet President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – and got grilled about it by Fox News after his return.


AdvertisementNow he's tackling a distinctly more local issue: gang violence in a city that has the worst gang problem in the nation.
Carr, an evangelical minister who drew national attention as part of a liberal Christian advocacy group, hopes to make waves beyond Southern California after being selected by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as Los Angeles' first “gang czar.”

June 25, 2007 8:30 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Venezuela: Chavez Eyes Guerrilla War With U.S.
June 25, 2007 14 45 GMT



In his weekly radio address June 24, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called on his soldiers to prepare for guerrilla warfare against the United States. He said his comments were a response to what he called a political and psychological campaign by the United States aimed at destabilizing his Bolivarian Revolution. Chavez also announced the appointment of Gen. Alberto Muller Rojas as head of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela.

June 25, 2007 8:31 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Hell no! Was H. Clinton Foundation funding guerillas in Venezuela?

June 25, 2007 8:32 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

###### BREAKING NEWS #######

BOB HERTZBERG HAS SEPERATED FROM HIS WIFE.....

MORE TO FOLLOW....

June 25, 2007 8:34 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Chavez's declaration of war arrives b/c WCVI mandated war.

June 25, 2007 8:34 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Did You Happen To Notice That We Are At War? Hugo Chavez has declared War!

William C. Velásquez Institute
2914 N. Main Street, 1st Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90031
(323) 222-2217 phone
(323) 222-2011 fax

June 25, 2007 8:38 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

URGENT: TRIP NEEDED TO VENEZUELA TO "EXPERIENCE" THEIR ELECTION PROCESS UNDER GUISE OF "EDUCATION SEMINAR"
Mayor Sam's Sister City - 06/22/2007 Tags : Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, South Africa

Wonder if any State or City elected officials went on this trip? I think they met with Hugo Chavez, it looks like? [Looks like Hugo Chavez and Villaraigosa ally Antonio Gonzales. (The Mayor's "Docallio"!)] October 12, 2006 Dear WCVI Friends, On behalf of the William C. Velásquez Institute (WCVI), I would like to invite you to join me in attending an Educational Seminar in

June 25, 2007 8:41 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Venezuela Conference Report

The keynote speaker for the conference on Saturday was Antonio Gonzalez, ... toward Venezuela since the coming to power of President Hugo Chavez in 1999.

lasolidarity.org/ConfReport.html

June 25, 2007 8:42 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Latino Congress Meets in Los Angeles to Tackle Immigration Reform ... None other than Hugo Chavez…. Other notables on the thank you list include CITGO (Chavez wanted to give twice) The Heinz Family Foundation, General Motors,


morningcoffee.wordpress.com/

June 25, 2007 8:45 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Sojourners Believe Jesus Cared More About Earth Than Heaven

June 25, 2007 8:55 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Zuma,
Go to Mayor Conference!

Carry a sign

"GO TO mayorsam.blogspot.com BLOG"

June 25, 2007 8:59 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

HUGO MESS WILL COST HILLARY THE PRESIDENCY.

Chavez — a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro — told soldiers the Washington was trying to weaken and divide Venezuelan society, including the armed forces, without resorting to combat.



"It's not just armed warfare," said Chavez, a former army officer who is leading what he calls the "Bolivarian Revolution," a socialist movement named after 19th-century independence hero Simon Bolivar. "I'm also referring to psychological warfare, media warfare, political warfare, economic warfare."


Under Chavez, Venezuela has recently purchased some $3 billion worth of arms from Russia, including 53 military helicopters, 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles, 24 SU-30 Sukhoi fighter jets.


Last week, Chavez said he is considering arms purchases, including submarines and a missile-equipped air defense system, as he prepares for a tour of Russia, Belarus and Iran.


"We are strengthening Venezuela's military power precisely to avoid imperial aggressions and assure peace, not to attack anybody," he said Sunday.

June 25, 2007 9:01 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

"Cherries on Antonio's Blackberry"


How's that for a title to a tell all book, Corina?

June 25, 2007 9:01 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Last September, in an address to the United Nations General Assembly, Chavez referred to President Bush as "the devil," accusing the U.S. of being a hegemonic world power seeking global domination.

"The American empire is doing all it can to consolidate its system of domination. And we cannot allow them to do that. We cannot allow world dictatorship to be consolidated," Chavez warned.

Air Force Maj. Juan Diaz Castillo, formerly a pilot for the Venezuelan leader, warned U.S. officials of what he calls Chavez's dismissal of the constitution and his ties to terrorism in collaboration with Castro.

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56352

June 25, 2007 9:04 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

9:01 TEASER!

STOP THE PRESS! CHERRIES?

June 25, 2007 9:05 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

DEFENITION-popping the cherry
"when a male penetrates a virgin female too fast, and rips or tears the heymen, the skin at the opening of the vagina. Causing the vagina to bleed slightly. also slang for loosing your virginity."

June 25, 2007 9:07 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

The end of Villar and Raigosa . . . They're not exactly K-Fed and Britney Spears, but the impending divorce of L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and his soon-to-be-ex-wife, Corina, is making big news.

In the Valley, Democratic and Hispanic politicos are clucking away about it, mostly because Villaraigosa has strong ties here, since he was elected mayor in 2005. Villaraigosa regularly flies into Phoenix - or conference calls when he's superbusy - to raise money for his fellow Dems.

Corina filed for the divorce citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for ending their marriage of 20 years. The couple has an 18-year-old son, Antonio Jr.; the mayor has two adult daughters from previous relationships.

When the pair tied the knot in 1987, they combined their last names - his Villar, and hers, Raigosa. The mayor plans on keeping the Villaraigosa name.

This is the second time Corina has filed for divorce from Antonio. She first filed for divorce in the mid- 1990s, after it was revealed that her husband had had an affair.

June 25, 2007 9:09 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

JEALOUS, JEALOUS, JEALOUS.

You are all a bunch of jealous losers enjoying a little schadenfreud.

Have your fun, losers.

June 25, 2007 9:29 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

He sends his kids to private, parochial schools because he wants them to have a good "religious" education. Because he wants them to understand the values and principles of faith and fidelity. And at the same time he is out there breaking his marriage vows.

Some "family man", huh?

June 25, 2007 9:37 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

9:29 Example: Hahn lost, Villaraigosa Won

" Le malheur des uns fait le bonheur des autres"

(same shit sherlock)

June 25, 2007 9:44 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Mayor Villar-raigosa,

"สมน้ำหน้า"

The End.

June 25, 2007 9:46 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

The funniest things I've ever seen Antonio do is go and get holy communion in the Cathedral with all the cameras knowing he was cheating on the poor wife. This guy is scary. He doesn't fool anyone, his numbers are in lo 20% no respects him but many fear which is a big difference cause he threatens like a low life thug just like he did in ELA. Antonio is a very little man so he would have his big buddies do his dirty work and still do today. Sad sad sad excuse for a man.

June 25, 2007 9:49 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

"He doesn't fool anyone, his numbers are in lo 20%"

WHERE DID YA GET THESE #'S

June 25, 2007 10:14 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Hey Mayor Sam Trujillo must have changed his tactics by posting Anti-Clinton stuff on here to distract from Tony. Hope his boss Hillary doesn't find out!

June 25, 2007 10:50 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

At least Villar chooses women that are beyond the "Happy Meal" stage, unlike the Mayor of Pico.

June 25, 2007 11:36 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Numero Uno Grocery Chain store owner George Torres Ramos has business ties in Florida.

Steven Torres Ramos

June 25, 2007 11:47 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Mexico Holding 11 Iraqis With Fake Papers

Eleven Iraqis carrying false passports and heading to California were arrested at Monterrey's airport, immigration officials said Monday.

Nine men, a woman and a two-year-old girl traveled from Madrid, Spain, to Monterrey, where they were detained Saturday, an immigration official said on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly about the arrests.


http://tammybruce.com/

June 25, 2007 12:06 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Scores of illegal immigrants, including a man wanted for murder and a convicted child molester, were arrested in Southern California raids this week, U.S. authorities said on Friday.

The sweeps in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, were part of an operation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement targeting "criminal aliens" -- defined as people in the country illegally who have also committed other crimes.

Of the 175 people arrested, 27 are criminal aliens and another 26 are "immigration fugitives" who had ignored deportation orders by a judge. The raids were part of larger crackdown on immigration fugitives, which this year has resulted in the first ever decline in their number, to 632,189, according to an agency spokeswoman.

The U.S. Senate is still struggling with a massive immigration overhaul, backed by President George W. Bush, that would legalize millions of illegals despite furious opposition from conservatives.

http://tammybruce.com/

June 25, 2007 12:07 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

The Mayor with Past and present Board of Public Works Commissioners, from l to r: David Sickler, Steve Carmona, Cynthia Ruiz, Mayor Villaraigosa

www.lacity.org/photogallery/750_photo10946.htm

June 25, 2007 12:13 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Testimony at Beltran’s trial established that Verdugo and La Puente Councilman John Solis accompanied Beltran to the Huntington Hotel on his wild night to retrieve Beltran’s belongings, and Beltran later went home with Verdugo to sleep off the humiliating ordeal. Police documents and testimony of a security guard at the hotel further established that Verdugo and Solis gave hotel residents the impression they were the police and could bring down the heat if they did not recover Beltran’s possessions.

How does the 740 Club figure in? It is operated by Verdugo, who has a checkered past as a night-club owner and a history of brushes with the law. Solis acts as the club’s caretaker when Verdugo isn’t around. Beltran used to work for Verdugo at a previous, failed nightclub venture, according to public documents on file in Whittier. Beltran and Solis are not the only local officials who appear to be more than casual patrons of the 740 Club, a multistory mega-club that boasts go-go dancers, Vegas-style laser light shows, fog machines, private balcony booths and “ultra VIP sky boxes” — but which also has been plagued by disturbing and violent incidents in recent months.

According to LAPD Captain Andrew Smith, 740 Club caters to gang members and has been a source of violence and public drunkenness, even allowing a 2005 fund-raiser to pay for the funeral of a slain member of the Mongols biker gang. Smith said, “I personally have met with the owners at least four times in the last year and a half and it continues to be a nuisance.”

Among the current and former local officials associated with the club is Steven Carmona, a former Los Angeles public-works and central-area planning commissioner, and now the director of the National Electrical Contractors Association/International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 11. Carmona is listed as the 740 Club’s representative on Department of Building and Safety inspection documents, obtained by the L.A. Weekly, and says, “I’m friends with Ralph. It’s a great venue but a tough business.”

In addition, the 740 Club has emerged as a venue for political gatherings sponsored by Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar, whose 14th council district includes the rundown stretch of Broadway where limousines line up in the urine-drenched alley that gives way to the velvet rope, red-carpet entrance and bastion of gangsta-style nightlife.

June 25, 2007 12:14 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Yet it’s not all fun and games at the 740 Club. Alarming incidents confirmed by local officials suggest that it is a dicey place to dance the night away. According to the LAPD, one woman was found lying unconscious there earlier this month with her pants and underpants pulled down. Authorities found evidence she had had sex, and police are investigating the incident as a possible sexual assault. Last August, a man identified as Roman Alvarado was stabbed in the 740 Club parking lot, allegedly by a member of the White Fence gang, after a fight broke out inside the club, and died from his stab wounds two weeks later.

Police also are investigating an incident in which an off-duty Long Beach cop's personal car was stolen from the 740 Club parking lot, along with his badge. The car was later recovered, but the badge is still missing. Verdugo could not be reached for comment about the troubles at his club.

All of this raises questions such as, why are government officials involved with such a joint? And what goes on at the hot and heavy 740 Club that has attracted aspiring politicos like Beltran and Solis, or former commissioners turned labor honchos like Carmona?

Then there is Huizar, identified as a “True Blue” sponsor on an invitation by the Metropolitan Democratic Club last July to its one-year anniversary party at the 740 Club, hosted by Verdugo and Carmona. Beltran and lawyer-lobbyist Francisco Leal, the city attorney in Maywood and Huntington Park, are listed as “Blue” sponsors.

Huizar also hosted a private fund-raiser there, and later took his wife to the club. However, he said he recently learned that the City Attorney’s Office is considering a nuisance-abatement action, telling the Weekly, “It doesn’t fit my vision for that part of Broadway.”

With Verdugo at its center, it is a strange confluence of politics and nightlife, this trendy club featuring major rap and R&B acts such as R. Kelly, Missy Elliott, Usher and Snoop Dogg, which at times hosts private political events such as the after-party last fall for the National Latino Congreso.

In a recent interview with the Weekly, Beltran said he frequents the 740 Club “about once every other month,” and that his wild night last June was “an isolated incident.” Yet it was enough to prompt Verdugo and Solis to accompany him back to the hotel, where his two friends offered money to residents in exchange for the return of Beltran’s possessions.

June 25, 2007 12:15 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Pressured out of Whittier, Verdugo opened the 740 Club in downtown Los Angeles in 2005, and is now president of the Entertainment Group Inc., which holds the liquor license. According to Carmona, the Fire Department “wants separate corridors from the mezzanine and the main floor, in case of emergency,” and the club has yet to receive final permit approval. Rather, it operates under a renewable temporary certificate of occupancy.

Even so, the club attracts political events. And last August, after the club hosted its grand opening, Verdugo, the Entertainment Group and a club employee named Alfredo Galvez each contributed $500 to Los Angeles City Councilman Huizar — on the same day.

http://www.laweekly.com/news/news/politics-meets-street/16103/?page=2


At June 14, 2007 7:29 PM, Anonymous said...
01/20/07, Steve Carmona (Executive Director, LA NECA/I BEW Local 11) Pico Rivera, CA 90660, Monica Rodriguez Council Member - CD7 ...
ethics.lacity.org/efs/public_search_results.cfm?idd=5&more=1&requesttimeout=1000&SCHEDULE=A%2

June 25, 2007 12:15 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Here is some info for the Antonio Kool-Aid drinkers:

1) Antonio got a girl pregnant while in high school. She was in love with him. Sad part is she was a virgin and Antonio vanished after he found out.

When she took him to court he had four guys all say they had sex with her knowing she was a virgin. What kind of dad is that?

Any questions, ask Paula Petrotta, formerly with City of LA CCYF. She will tell you. It was her best friend. She said Antonio ruined her friends life.

2) Corina knows all about his women. She used to cry all the time and would tell people not to let people knew she knew about it. She enjoyed the perks and was willing to put up with it. She did not like it but she did it for her own good. She plays the victim but she is a willing participant in the charade called "Villaraigosa"

3) When Antonio was speaker he did not come home for moths at a time without speaking to his kids or even Corina. She was busy calling everyone else in Sacramento trying to get a hold of him. check his cell records, those who know him know this is the phone he always used to call home. There will be months at a time where no calls were made home. He did not answer when they called him either. What kind of dad is this?

4) Antonio does love his son very much. So much he got him into Princeton with the help of Jose Huizar. Without Huizar, Antonio Jr. was headed for Cal State LA. It is documented that his son has had a history of learning difficulties. The reason why Antonio went with Jose for council because it was all part of his plan to get his son into Princeton and show the world Villaraigosa are smart. We know daddy has no intelectual bone in his body and just like George H. helped George W. get into Yale, daddy AV helped his son into Princeton. George W. = Antonio Jr.

5)Corina is going to live in the Getty House on the tax payers dime. Yes, a non-profit runs it but the Mayor controls it. an investigation should start to see if any city money goes into the Getty House foundation. If it does, she needs to be gone. Even a hint of impropriety should prevent AV from letting her stay there. I though you were better than Hahn, Mr. Villaraigosa?

6) The only reason why Antonio married Corina was because she refused him the first and second time. Corinas mom hates AV and did not want them to get married. It was Antonio's ego that set out to get married to Corina because he wanted to show her mom he had more power over her than she did. He was right. Jury is out, Antonio never loved Corina, she was simply a desire fulfilled by an ego-maniac. Equally shameful, Corina has known about his infedelity for at least ten years and turned her check for the government perks. Her reward is to live at the Getty house without AV.

Much more info to come if there are still people who say he is even an avergae husband, dad or friend.

June 25, 2007 12:16 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Just to clear a few things up here:

For those repeatedly asking who the rumored "other woman" is - read past entires on this and you will see her name spelled out. The initials are MS.

I say rumored because there is yet any proof that has seen the light but insiders at NBC know it's true.

I wouldn't exactly say she is a "well-known" reporter slash occasional anchor but she has been at Telemundo for about a decade now. Originally came from Phoenix.

She is well known though, in her inner circle and in the hallways of NBC for her affairs with married men. A Persian doctor comes to mind, a former co-anchor who's engagement she broke up and XB, another politico.

As for the pregnancy rumor, I don't think it's true.

It probably started when someone NOT in the loop noticed that Telemundo's main anchor LN is on maternity leave and they confused her with being the other woman.

LN is a respectable woman who is happily married and is not involved in any way, shape or form with anyone besides her husband of many years. Period.

MS, well that's another story and I would suggest focusing on her.

NBC has a moral clause which they strictly enforced when they found one of their married reporters was having an affair with a producer there. They fired the reporter, the producer and another poor schmuck who knew about the affair but hadn't reported it to management. Why they are sitting on this is beyond me.

An Insider.

June 25, 2007 12:20 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

12:15pm, Was "Small Town Delgadillo's" law firm used in the Verdugo nightclub case in Whittier?

June 25, 2007 12:29 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

The strip club king, R J Diamond was one of the attorneys in Whittier.

June 25, 2007 12:33 PM  

Blogger Walter Moore said:

I'll say this for him: Princeton was a good choice.

June 25, 2007 1:07 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

How's the Women that Mr V is messing with?

June 25, 2007 1:34 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Does anyone know for sure if the Mayor had a vasectomy or not? Did anyone look down there? He could have been lying to his aides just so no one would ever believe a rumor about him knocking someone up.

June 25, 2007 3:58 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Damn Mexico throws people out but we treat the illegals here in La as damn kings and yet they demand full rights and are arrogant as hell. Glad they caught this asshole.

....Douglas Burrows died in an early afternoon 1993 hit-and-run crash as he was driving through downtown Los Angeles. An 18-wheeled truck hit his passenger car, trapping Douglas inside as flames engulfed the car. Witnesses saw the truck driver run away and detectives identified him three days later, getting a felony warrant for vehicular manslaughter. Det. Mapson received a call from the task force on June 19 of this year. Two LAPD detectives were at the border and they expected to have Pereira (Suspect)in custody within a day.
Then finally an arrest happened the next day when Mexican authorities expelled Pereira from Mexico as an "undesirable person" as he had no legal standing in Mexico.

Man Arrested at Border for 1993 Hit-and-Run...Los Angeles police today announced the arrest of Rogelio Pereira, 55. Pereira had been wanted since 1993 in the hit-and-run death of freelance photographer Douglas Burrows, who was 29 years old when he died.
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June 25, 2007 5:00 PM  

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