Afternoon Briefs on Politics, Money, Spin and Innuendos.

"Paul Krekorian can breathe easier when you see this photo"

Politics always first:

Excuse the momentary diversion from our local "three ring political circus" at 200 Spring Street, to give these brief summaries on yesterday's events. The two regional fishwraps that comprise local print coverage, the Westside's "Old Gray Westside Hag on Spring Street" and the Valley's own "Moldy Green Sheet" give their respective takes on yesterday's outcomes. Newsbusters blog takes the Times to task for this headline that surely was crafted for their base readership.

In Sacramento, Governor Arnold "Kennedy Republican" Schwartzenegger has a decision to make on replacing Lt. Governor John Garamendi, this after Garamendi's win in the vacant Tenth Congressional District Special Election. Speculation is rampant that none other than "Huggy Boy" and former democratic State Speaker Bob Hertzberg, is being strongly consider for the now vacant Lt. Governor position. Governor candidate Meg Whitman's spending is causing consternation for some and another GOP businesswomen, former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Carly Fiorina has formally announce her run for the U.S. Senate this morning at a news conference in Garden Grove. Here is hoping that the "reign of Senator Barbara Boxer" ends in 2010.

Following the money:

MTA money will not be thankfully heading to Italian light rail car manufacturer AnsaldoBreda, who cars have weight, price and political connection issues. Former Richard Roirdan Deputy Mayor Alfred Villalobos has found the "$53,000,000 dollar pot of pension funds at the end of the CalPERs rainbow", learn how his middle-man dealings are casting light on "Pensiongate 09". OurLA.org picks up on the $9,000,000 payoff to the Councilman Jose Huizar's campaign contributor who owned Elephant Hill in El Sereno.

Then there is the former "Official State Wine Taster" and when he was not imbibing the "finer ghetto birds of the world", State Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez. Former Nunez "spincrafter" Steve "Moo Boy" Maviglio remains loyal to his former boss with this post at Majority Report regarding the FPPC's decision that Nunez's spending excesses were not illegal. But the Los Angeles Times, while agreeing with the FPPC's decision , rains on Nunez' "day of vindication" with this damning editorial

Spinning the selection of the new LAPD Chief:

Here is the spin regarding the selection of Deputy Chief Charlie Beck. From the "Old Gray Westside Hag on Spring Street. Tim Rutten, the editorial board, and the newsroom staff, on the other side of the "mystical wall of separation", penned their respective missives/opinions on the selection of Beck.

Tim Rutten's fellow progressive Celeste Fremon at Witness LA, has great admiration for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's choice for LA's top cop.

Then spinning the Valley's perspective on Mayor Villaraigosa's selection, the Daily News "hails the selection of Deputy Chief Charlie Beck.

NEWLY nominated LAPD Chief Charlie Beck was reportedly former Chief William Bratton's hand-picked successor. One can only assume he was chosen because Bratton felt Beck was the man best able to continue the transformation of the department.

Amazing how some stumble into the truth on occasions........

....and we end with political innuendos and their "local" consenquences:

Former Assemblyman Michael Duvall of Yorba Linda will not face any federal charges after an FBI investigation into his comments, made over an open microphone, that he had a sexual relationship with a woman who was believed to be a Sempra Energy lobbyist, officials announced Monday, as the LA Times reports.

It seems that Duvall's recorded comments, which can consider as "explicted jock talk" , were only talk. Agreeing with that accessment, Sempra Energy has reinstated lobbyist Heidi Barsuglia, pictured above with Assembly Ethics Committee Co-Chair/CD 2 City Council Candidate Paul Krekorian, she issue this statement.

"This experience has been a professional and personal nightmare. I did nothing whatsoever illegal or unethical with former Assemblyman Duvall or anyone else."

Krekorian, as Capital Alert reported on October 5, 2009, continue with his investigation of Duvall, despite a decision by Assembly Speaker Karen Bass to pull the plug.

Assemblyman Paul Krekorian, D-Burbank, said Friday that he wants to be "crystal clear" about the committee's legal authority before he throws in the towel on probing Duvall's behavior.

Bass quickly ordered the ethics committee to investigate Duvall when the matter surfaced last month (September), but she dropped the idea Friday after state attorneys concluded that Duvall's resignation ended the Assembly's jurisdiction. Bass said the ethics committee should focus now on "additional safeguards" to ensure that future contacts between lawmakers and lobbyists "remain totally aboveboard."

Krekorian does not dispute that the Assembly lacks authority to punish a member after resignation. But the ethics committee may want to probe Duvall's behavior, nonetheless, as it devises the safeguards sought by Bass, he said.

"As far as I'm concerned, part of that exploration (of safeguards) will also involve what the limits of our legal authority are to investigate this particular incident," Krekorian said Friday.

Bass has set no deadline for receiving recommendations for new safeguards, Krekorian said.

Assemblyman Bill Emmerson, a Redlands Republican who chairs the committee with Krekorian, characterized the Duvall incident as a "human tragedy" but said he sees no reason to continue pushing for an Assembly investigation.

For Sempra Lobbyist Heidi Barsuglia, it can be said that she was victimize twice in this sad saga. First, by a foul mouth purveyor of sexist, jock talk. Then second, by an overzealous partisan crusader who's sole intent was to maximize the political benefits that could be harvested from this sad affair.

This blogger sole reason for highlighting the above story is as follow, in light of Krekorian's evasive behavior that ran counter to the nervous demeaner exhibited by Chris Essel, during KRLA's Kevin James CD 2 Special Election Debate last Friday. It is paramount that CD 2 Candidate Krekorian's past behavior in his current position as an assemblyman, be noted so that voters can make an inform decision regarding the future of CD 2 and the City of Los Angeles.

** In the spirit of objectivity, let me post this from those leftie progressives at the Calitics Blog.Did Chris Essel's campaign circumvent campaign finance laws in Council District 2? This should provide some "clickety clicks" of comments.

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