The Latest in the Battle of Stuart and Lloyd

CalPeek is befuddled by the apparent backstabbing of longtime loyal Chief of Staff Stuart Waldman by Assemblyman Lloyd "The Bachelor" Levine, patron saint of the Nanny State.

You may remember that the skids were greased for Stuart to take the 40th AD seat from the termed out Levine. That is until blind ambition led Levine to sell out Waldman to get support from Congressman Howard Berman and a client for his political consultant dad Larry Levine from Berman protege Bob Blumenfeld, also a candidate for the 40th AD Democratic nomination.

CalPeek says it was simply "hardball politics" that led Levine to dump Waldman despite recognition that Stuart was widely considered a good Chief of Staff. The newsletter speculates that Waldman's backstabbing was the result not only of Lloyd's blind ambition but the fact that Waldman opted not to hire the Assemblyman's father but instead longtime Bob Hertzberg advisor John Shallman as his campaign consultant.

In a field where loyalty is often valued CalPeek says insiders take the view that many Democratic insiders who supported both candidates will bolt from Levine's camp.

And finally the newsletter reports that when both Levine and Waldman were present at an event for the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, Levine spotted Waldman and bolted for the door.