Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Tuesday

LA Weekly's Gene Maddaus gets the inside details on the Wendy "The Villar Greuel" Campaign Staff Reorganization. 

"Don't try to squeeze out the Shallman".

There is no better way to start off a morning of local bloggin dialog than with some inside political chisme, especially when it has to do with our favorite "Private Citizen/ Political Consultant" John Shallman.

LA Weekly's Gene Maddaus converses with unnamed ex and current members of the Villar Greuel Campaign to provided us with this missive, outlining the internal power struggle between the "Private Citizen/ Campaign Consult" and the "Rose (Kapolczynski) Gal", with the last name that this blogger's "spoll check" recoils from.

As we know now, Shallman came out on top in this internal power theatrics, but its still interesting to note the contrasting campaign styles of the two principles involved, as Maddaus report.

Greuel's two top aides clashed over differences of style and strategy. Greuel was unable to take the lead in fixing the conflict.
John Shallman, Greuel's top consultant, wanted to do things his way -- punch early, often and hard. Rose Kapolczynski, Greuel's campaign manager, tried to rein him in. Greuel had avoided taking sides until she finished four points behind Councilman Eric Garcetti, which prompted a shake-up.
Greuel ended up with Shallman. However, it was Kapolczynski who made the call -- Greuel did not fire her. Insiders say Kapolczynski did not wish to engage in a turf fight, but also did not want to stick around as her responsibilities were handed to Shallman. She stepped down as campaign manager on March 23, taking a title as senior adviser to avoid negative press attention.

But its these paragraphs below that should provide fodder on the root reasons for the power struggle.

Kapolczynski is smart and experienced, but not as aggressive as Shallman. Though Shallman was the lead consultant, Kapolczynski had control of the budget and hired all the staff. She worked mostly out of campaign headquarters, while Shallman visited only a couple times a week.
But as the senior consultant, he had a tendency to grab for control. Campaign workers loyal to Kapolczynski came to resent some of Shallman's interventions. When staffers would complain to Greuel, she would say he had misinterpreted her. From their point of view, either she couldn't rein Shallman in, or she actually agreed with him and did not want to admit it. Either way, it was disconcerting.
Shallman was used to having his own way, while Kapolczynski was more comfortable with collaboration.
"Most campaigns I've worked in, from presidential on down, have had a team approach to developing strategy," Kapolczynski said. "Getting input from the pollster, media consultant and other campaign leaders on major strategic questions usually leads to better decision-making." 

For Shallman, its all about controlling the campaign money period. Thus, now watch this campaign expenses zoom skyward.

** Leave it to the "Old Gray Collectivist Hag on Spring Street" to announced the latest "Politico Waste, Fraud and Abuser" supporter of the Villar Greuel, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, by placing it to the right and above the fold on the front page, in today's print edition. But we must give credit to the Villar Greuel Campaign for its choice of song as part of its choreographed presentation of Waters Endorsement.

On the City Hall steps behind Waters and Greuel, several dozen supporters chanted lyrics from Helen Reddy's 1970s hit, "I Am Woman": "I am woman, hear me roar, in numbers too big to ignore." 

Nice to see the "Villar Greuel Campaign" replicate our song of choice from Friday musings.

** Lastly, the Gil Cedillo for CD 1 Campaign will have its Runoff Kickoff/ New Campaign Office Grand Opening this Saturday.

50% plus one vote, is all that Gil needs to become Councilman Cedillo.

Your thoughts ..............

Scott Johnson in Cd 14