Things That Make You Go Hmmm: Brad Smith Drops Out

Street Hassle reports that Brad Smith has dropped out of the race for the CD12 Council Seat being vacated by Greig Smith. (No relation)

The heir apparent under the Smith-Villaraigosa machine is Mitchell Englander, currently Chief of Staff for Smith. As you may remember, Smith was the Chief of Staff for the Clowncilman before that, Hal "Napkin Joke" Bernson.

Apparently it's an oligarchy in CD12.

I became aware of Smith puling a Sarah Palin via SOME GUY, who DM'd yesterday on Facebook.

My first response was "What did you guys offer him?" SOME GUY didn't like that.

Now I am not at all accusing anyone of anything shady (though in this town it's usually a safe bet) but when the leading challenger with the most money after the heir apparent drops out, it makes you go "Hmmm."

We've seen a number of occasions where a past opponent in a race drops out and then gets something. Lawyers call "quid pro quo" and no, my friends, that is not a character in Nickelodeon's SpongeBob Squarepants.

There is no evidence to suggest the more evil Englander scion offered B Smith anything nor that if he did, Smith accepted. But it's still legal, even in a post-Gattoaclytpic world, to wonder out loud.

I simply find Englander to not be genuine and one who's entire career has been about climbing a ladder of political offices, opportunistically like Mike Gatto, Bob Blumenthal, Lloyd Levine, Cindy Montanez and even to some degree, Tamar Galatzan.

And before you riff on that "Higby must hate young politicians," don't bother. There are a number of younger candidates who have sought public office as a way to do service. Stuart Waldman, Monica Rodriguez and Caprice Young, or even back in the day, a young Joel Wachs, to name a few, come to mind.

However unless Kelly Lord and a whole bunch of SLAP Happy Clean Sweepers get to work fast, get some money and make magic happen (and have the fortitude for when Michael Trujilo calls you racist), the Dark Lord will be your Clowncilman out there in CD12.

Otherwise stay tuned for more of the same.

Mid-Day Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Scene for Thursday

"The Old Gray Hag on Spring Street"

Count me as one of the remaining few east of the Los Angeles River, who's daily ritual begins with a morning walk to the corner store to purchase my kitty box liner of choice, the ever-thinning "Old Gray Hag", errrr, Los Angeles Times.

Seeking to maintain a "journalistic balance" of old print news, counter by new media with bloggin up to date content, I scan through the vertical columns of newsprint to find the Old Gray Hag's take on Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti "flip-flop antics" yesterday at City Hall. The same waffling that Ron Kaye gave the "TSA treatment to" yesterday in feeling out the details.

Needless to say that my search ended with a middle-finger length of four paragraphs on Page AA4 of the LA Extra section. (The middle-finger is what many thousands of ex. readers have shone the Old Gray Hag in recent years, but I digress) But my ever-shortening scan through today's edition did yield a front page missive on the supposed voting exploits of the Tea Party supporters of Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol, (Does anybody remember the voting exploits of ACORN?) who made it to the finals of "Dancing with the Stars". In addition, a LA Times-USC Poll reports that new California Governor Bitter Jerry, may find Californians none too receptive in wanting to raise taxes. Thus, my morning education on current events is complete as the Johnny Cat pours over the newsprint.

Now back to the internet ...............

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LA Politics and Donuts for a Saturday

The Clean Sweep campaign gets its first candidates' forum off the ground this afternoon.  Among the candidates confirmed are not only Phil Jennerjahn and Stephen Box in CD4 (worth the price of admission alone) but the only incumbent with the cahones to show up, Bernard Parks, and his Betty Pleasant appointed opponent, Foreskin Hogan Family or something like that, a previous campaign ethics violator.  Despite that nearly most of the candidates who are showing up are koo-koo for cocoa puffs Clean Sweep did make a very good move in snagging local reporters Michael Linder and John Schwada as moderators.

A funny thing happened on Mitch Englander's way to get anointed as the next Clowncilman from CD12. Ali Wolter reports that popular community activist Kelly Lord has filed to run.  Now Lord will have to convince us he's going to raise money, build an organization and not just run a vanity campaign but it appears that voters tired of the status quo and the special interests may have an alternative in Lord.

Jose Huizar wants the City to run all elections almost entirely by mail. Tell me how that isn't an invitation to fraud.

Any of you carpetbaggers who want to move to a new district to run for City Clowncil next year better move there and get completely moved in by October 9th.  Otherwise Steve Cooley will come and slap a felony charge on you.

Phil Jennerjahn spends the night with Meg Whitman.

Last year I got an invite to the blogger prom. This year no one from Mayor Sam did though I'm certain we have a larger readership than most of the blogs invited. However when I recently referred to "The Midnight Swin" as a place where "hedonistic, narcissistic, brain dead young people engage in self-aggrandizing stupid events." I think the blogger who wrote about that event blackballed me.  She runs the Blogger Prom.  Kind of a head cheerleader for the nearly thirtysomething set.

Good Lord!!!! Kelly Lord Declares in CD-12, Goes Up Against Lobbyist Good Old Boy Mitch Englander and Puts City Hall on Notice.

After months of rumor-milling and pressure from local community groups, independent small businessman and neighborhood activist Kelly Lord has officially filed to run in CD-12 against City Hall-anointed, special interest darling Mitch Englander.

Kelly Lord has deep roots in the community and promises to be the citizen-councilman this district and others need so desperately.

Englander (pictured left and yes, nephew-protege of that other lobbyist Englander) has spent the last twelve months wining and dining his way through City Hall’s phone directory and has amassed a list of endorsements that reads like a postmortem of the crises currently plaguing LA.

Don’t be distracted by an otherwise redundant field of candidates. Lord and Englander are the main attractions here and given Englander’s track record, mud-slinging is sure to start soon. Hopefully CD-12 voters will take a cue from CD-2 and not allow themselves to be bought by glossy mailers and phony endorsements from the usual suspects.

Sources say KRLA 870’s Kevin James will talk about Lord’s filing in depth tonight on his show at midnight.