Friday Free for All: Wagging the Fishwrap

The Return of MEAT?

I guess we made the LA Times and cub reporter Maeve Reston look somewhat out of touch for neglecting to mention the candidacy of Los Angeles broadcaster and former US Attorney Kevin James for Mayor in their piece about Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner's plan to jump into the race.

The Times later quietly revised their story to include James.  Pathetic.  Some however see the Times failure to note the candidacy of James as more than malfeasance.  Former candidate Walter Moore commenting on Mayor Sam said, "This isn't an oversight. This is an agenda."  Essentially agreeing with Moore - from the other side of the political spectrum - was blogger Mulholland Terrace who claims that Reston sees James as a threat to Beutner who is likely to become the Times' and Downtown set's favored candidate.

Not good for Beutner, who no one likes anyway, that some of the focus was shifted to James when it should have been all Beutner. Also not good for Wendy Greuel, who was enjoyed the support of Mayor Villaraigosa that his own personal lackey has entered the campaign.

Also mentioned in the Times story was that veteran consultant Ace Smith is joining Team Austin; could that mean that Michael "MEAT" Trujillo might find his way back to run the Beutner campaign? Probably not, Mike is damaged goods after his Jules Winnfield like political bullet in the head memo. But stranger things have happened.

Mid-Day Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Scene for Tuesday: DA Steve Cooley being investigated by Callifornia FPPC

"Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley addressing the media"

Is San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris Campaign Consultant Ace Smith "going the Parke Skelton route", when it come to filing frivolous complaints with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), against their respective challengers for state office?

Witness when Parke Skelton's previous client Assemblyman Mike Gatto's supporters filed a FPPC complaint against challenger Sunder Ramani, the mere appearance of financial malfeasance, was enough to garner attention from willing allies within the newsprint community and in the bloggersphere. This regardless of the truth behind the accusation of the complaint.

Now Ace Smith is borrowing the FPPC tactic from his consulting soul mate Parke as the San Francisco Chronicle's Megan Lagosi reports,

As the vote counting in the attorney general race continues -- as well as bickering among the campaigns -- we have some real news to report: The state's campaign finance watchdog confirmed today that it has launched an investigation into Steve Cooley's gift-taking in recent years -- a practice detailed in The Chronicle.Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=77108#ixzz15TjUkmnL

Tactic looks familiar here?

Meanwhile, back here in Los Angeles County, both sides are "calling out the goons", in the LA Weekly's words, to observe the vote counting at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's Office in Norwalk.

As of 12:30PM, the California Secretary of State Office shows Harris leading by 30,997 votes.

Read more »

KRLA's Kevin James confronts "Team Weiss/ Villar" and what about those "suits" with Ace ??

Kudos to KRLA's Kevin James for one of the best hour of local political talk radio in recent times.

The on-going dissertation in connecting the players that constitutes "Team Weiss/ Villar, is telling, and scary regarding the possible ramifications within the local political scene.

Some background.

Yesterday, Kevin James, Councilman Dennis Zine, former City Attorney candidate David Berger, and others, held a City Hall South Lawn press conference to demand an investigation on Jack Weiss'es campaign fundraising.

In attendance, is none other than "Team Weiss/ Villar's henchman Ace Smith. In the photo taken by Berger, one can see Ace standing in front of Kevin James as he addresses the assemble media and onlookers.

Later, Berger captures Smith and the "suits" engage in dialog with some of the media, which is reported in the Metropolitian News.

It is the identity of one of the "suits" that causes pause, one "Steven G. Madison".

Who is Steven G. Madison ?? This may enlighten you.....

George Torres, a feisty entrepreneur who built a multimillion-dollar grocery store chain by catering to some of Los Angeles' poorest communities, was convicted of racketeering, solicitation of murder, bribery and other crimes Monday by a federal court jury.

Torres, who faces potential life imprisonment as a result of the verdict, showed no emotion when it was read. Friends and family, however, burst into tears and embraced one another outside the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson.

The verdict represents a major victory for federal authorities who charged Torres last year with running a criminal enterprise, or so-called shadow organization, to ensure the success of his Numero Uno market chain.

Guess who was Torres's attorney ??

Steven G. Madison, Torres' lead attorney, said he planned to argue that, despite the verdict, the government had not met its burden of proof and that the prosecution was tainted by the alleged misconduct of a Los Angeles Police Department detective involved in the case. A hearing was set for June 1. Excerpted from the LA Times.

Perks your interest ?? Here are some of Madison's past, and possible current case loads, as highlighted by Kevin James.

*Represented several witnesses in a political corruption investigation of a sitting Los Angeles City Councilman.
*Represented a City Councilmember in a criminal environmental investigation arising out of waste water spill during an El Niño storm; government determined the Councilmember was only a witness, not a subject or target.

Now time for questions and thoughts.

Who is the "sitting" City Councilmember under investigation ?

What Councilmember was the "witness" of the waste water spill ?

Did Numero Uno's Goerge Torres really have the acumen to select Madison as his attorney, or was he "advise" by someone within his vast network of "political associates" ?

Was that appearance of Smith and Madison at the press conference, an attempted "act of intimidation" ?

....and in ending, what connection may this have to the following question, as excerpted from the LA Weekly story by Jeffery Anderson.

Still, the question remains, how many other public officials were influenced by Torres’ money?

How many other L.A.P.D. officers got close enough to Torres to arouse suspicion? The indictment states that an L.A. City Councilman appeared to be waiting in the wings to receive bag money from Torres, via Carmona and Luk.
Who could that have been? Is that person still in office?

Your thoughts.......

**** Link to the Los Angeles Times story regarding Villar's prestige being tested in the City Attorney.

WalterMooreSays.com, has some pertinent observations at his new website.

2005 meet 2009 in the political world of "Ace"

If one cups his ears in the direction of the local political past around 2005, most would surely hear the echos of the "Big O" imploring us to re-elect "Mr. Persona" to another four dull years overseeing Spring Street from some boring third floor office.

Others will surely remember the columns of disinformation originating from the "GRAYING COUGAR IN HEAT FOR VILLAR ON SPRING STREET" who would know no journalistic boundary or fact checks in accepting Ace/Parke's (with Mike driving the car) dirty missives about James Hahn as gospel, as they flung themselves on the new political flavor of the moment, one Antonio Villaraigosa.

Indeed for some fleeting moment in 2005, many including myself did buy into the Ace/Parke (with Mike behind the wheel), created facade that the former hill-sliding homie from "Northern Boyle Heights" would unite us in his dreams of a better "CIUDAD DE LOS ANGELES".

Now four years later, Ace minus Parke (with Mike nearby in the car), are resorting to the same political comic book of kid-like antics (the Rat), in Villar's quest to seat the "westside political guy", Jack Weiss as City Attorney.

But what Ace did not count on when he undertook this latest effort for the Villar Machine, is a city populance who has grown wary of backing any person or initiative from the 11/100% Mayor.

The defeat of Prop B highlighted the brewing backlash at City Hall. Mix in the likes of IBEW, Nahai, Latham & Watkins, Home Depot, Billboards, Density, Jackie Autry, and marches for law breakers, City Hall has become a "superfund site of toxic political waste".

But with Ace and his cronies fixated on their efforts to demonize Carmen Trutanich as a rat, lets take a moment to highlight the some rats that Ace and Villar know well and how they have benefited during the "Reign of Villar".

The names are familiar and the numbers speak volumes.......

Ace, remember Steve Sugerman??

Q2 2007
Sugerman Communications Group
Autry National Center Los Angeles, CA 90027
Autry National Center Improvement Project
$10,000.00

Q3 2007
Sugerman Communications Group
Autry National Center Los Angeles, CA 90027
Autry National Center Improvement Project
$18,061.80

Q3 2007
Sugerman Communications Group
Playa Vista Los Angeles, CA 90094
Village CEQA Lawsuit
$0.00

Q4 2007
Sugerman Communications Group
Autry National Center Los Angeles, CA 90027
Autry National Center Improvement Project
$18,000.00

Q4 2007
Sugerman Communications Group
Playa Vista Los Angeles, CA 90094
City Audit Review, Village CEQA Lawsuit
$30,000.00

Q1 2008
Sugerman Communications Group
Autry National Center Los Angeles, CA 90027
Autry National Center Improvement Project
$25,531.82

Q1 2008
Sugerman Communications Group
Playa Vista PLAYA VISTA, CA 90094
City Audit Review, Village CEQA Lawsuit
$27,744.35

Q2 2008
Sugerman Communications Group
Autry National Center Los Angeles, CA 90027
Autry National Center Improvement Project
$15,827.19

Q2 2008
Sugerman Communications Group
Playa Vista PLAYA VISTA, CA 90094
Village Supplemental EIR
$17,040.14

Q3 2008
Sugerman Communications Group
Autry National Center Los Angeles, CA 90027
Autry National Center Improvement Project
$17,000.00

Q3 2008
Sugerman Communications Group
Playa Vista PLAYA VISTA, CA 90094
Village Supplemental EIR
$16,250.00

Q4 2008
Sugerman Communications Group
Autry National Center Los Angeles, CA 90027
Autry National Center Improvement Project
$26,000.00

Q4 2008
Sugerman Communications Group
Playa Vista PLAYA VISTA, CA 90094
Village Supplemental EIR
$17,500.00

Q1 2009
Sugerman Communications Group
Autry National Center Los Angeles, CA 90027
Autry National Center Improvement Project
$15,000.00

Q1 2009
Sugerman Communications Group
Playa Vista PLAYA VISTA, CA 90094
Village Supplemental EIR
$9,000.00

Total Payments Received from Clients :
$262,955.30 (this total since 2007)

.....and someone close to Villar, Richard Alatorre.

Q1 2009
Richard Alatorre
Advanced Development & Investment Inc Los Angeles, CA 90042
Housing Development
$30,000.00

Q1 2009
Richard Alatorre
Mike Roos & Company on behalf of Bell Cab Hawthorne, CA 90250
To maintain & improve relationship with the City.
$5,000.00

Q1 2009
Richard Alatorre
Mike Roos & Company on behalf of URS Construction Santa Ana, CA 92705
on matters relating to the awards of contracts for URS Construction's services.
$2,500.00

Q1 2009
Richard Alatorre
Mike Roos & Company on behalf of Transwestern Beverly Hills, CA 90210
To clarify the definition of residential hotels and its impact on the Cecil Hotel.
$15,000.00

Q1 2009
Richard Alatorre
Mike Roos and Company on behalf of Competitorgroup San Diego, CA 92121
To try to interest the city to issue a request for proposals for a triathlon for the City of Los Angeles.
$5,000.00

Q1 2009
Richard Alatorre
Mike Roos on behalf of Binn and Partners, LLC d/b/a/ XpresSpa New York, NY 10155
To get concession at LAX when requests for proposals are issued.
$0.00

Q1 2009
Richard Alatorre
Mike Roos & Company on behalf of Motion Picture Officers Association, Inc. Los Angeles, CA 90036
To enable the retired police officers to work as a security and traffic control for motion picture and commercial productions outside of the studio.
$2,500.00

Q1 2009
Richard Alatorre
Mike Roos & Company on behalf of SSP America, Inc. Lansdowne, VA 20176
To obtain food and beverage concessions contract between LAWA and SSP.
$7,500.00

Q1 2009
Richard Alatorre
California Cartage Company Long Beach, CA 90807
to continue the company's tenancy at Los Angeles Harbor.
$12,000.00

Q1 2009
Richard Alatorre
I Love L.A. Gardena, CA 90249
To help acquire concessions contract
$15,000.00

Q1 2009
Richard Alatorre
Creative Environments, Inc. Los Angeles, CA 90031
Entitlements with the City.
$10,000.00

Total Payments Received from Clients :
$473,250.00 (This total since 2007)

The names and numbers above, along with their effect on the current ethical environment at City Hall are cause enough to elect someone who would control the special interest rats that scamper through the third and fourth floor on a daily basis.

Thus lets hope the voters help to "pop the rat facade" of Ace and send a message about the need to rid City Hall of needless political rats starting with Jack Weiss.

Ace Smith Screws the Pooch

Jack Weiss' campaign is once again not being very honest. According to The Times:

Los Angeles city attorney candidate Jack Weiss’ campaign placed its own flattering headline Tuesday over a Los Angeles Times story posted on the campaign website, making it appear that the paper had declared Weiss the winner of the debate.

Weiss said the headline was a summary based on other news reports and blog postings.

Question for you Ace - and please no phone calls from you know who - what bloggers said Jack Weiss won the debate? Huh? I'm hearing crickets

"Jack Ass Clown Award" for January and Febuary, 2009 **With a special dishonorable mention**

As one may discern from the heading above, we have a historic announcement today on these cyber pages at Mayor Sam.

It is time to bless one Jack Weiss as the first multiple winner of the "Ass Clown Award" for dubious achievements and misdoings as a Councilperson/Candidate for City Attorney.

With no apologies to Ace Smith, how can one lower himself to cast false espersions about being supported by Republicans (maybe it was the Kennedy Republican, who knows), with bought for slate mailers ?

One can surmise with the purchase of space on these supposed Republican slate mailers, that desperation time has officially started at the Jack Weiss for City Attorney Campaign. But when one has shallow principles and lesser depth of achievements as a Councilperson, then one can't be surprise that Ace would have to resort to these dubious tactics on behalf of his client.

**Special Dishonorable Mention**

This goes to a fellow Councilman of Weiss who shares duties on the PLUM Committee and also takes cash from Attorney Benny Resnik.

Yes that would be the one and only "COUNCILMAN LAST SEEN TAKING CONTRIBUTIONS AS JOSE HUIZAR".

Watchers of going ons in CD 14 will not be surprise that while the "COUNCILMAN TRYING TO BE GREEN AS JOSE HUIZAR" was taking up the cause of Elephant Hill, he was also taking up the cause of filling his campaign coffers from Benny Resnik who had filed suit on behalf of the property owner.

Now with Resnik winning the case, the tax payers are going to take the hit for upwards of $8,000,000 and CD 14 will lose another valuable chunk of open space.

Par for the course in CD 14.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Friday

Explosive charges from Zuma Dogg that longtime political operative Ace Smith is allegedly "posting FAKE posts on other blogs in an attempt to rowl some people up against one of the other City Attorney candidates."  Smith, who has helmed campaigns for Antonio Villaraigosa and many others heads up the effort to get City Council Member Jack Weiss elected City Attorney. Zuma also alludes to accusations against Weiss that he allegedly may have deeper than previously reported involvment in controversial billboard permits.

Speaking of billboards, the anti-sign nuts are all up in arms that the City and property owners want to have a certain number of super-sized, media related billboards in the entertainment district of Hollywood.  If laws were not followed and permits issued improperly that's one thing.  But I don't see an issue with giant entertainment related billboards on Hollywood or Sunset Boulevards similar to Times Square, Tokyo, European cities, etc.

Councilman Tom LeBong, fresh from making maps, still thinks he owns Griffith Park.  Cyclists are up in arms that he has banned them from riding in existing bike lanes in the park for the DWP's annual "Festival of Lights."  By the way, the festival is great, but why the hell is the DWP paying for it? Let private industry do it.

Tim Rutten writing in the LA Times does an excellent analysis of the political shadiness behind the Mayor's solar initiative.  It's yet another way for City unions to grab more taxpayer money and political power while at the same time giving the Mayor something to run.  Though most voters will react emotionally and think that solar power sounds like a wonderful deal it's unlikely they will comprehend that this measure will raise electric rates let alone the fraud behind it.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

The San Francisco Sentinel has a pretty lame puff piece on Mayor Villaraigosa. The Sentinel says the Mayor is sitting pretty with no opposition, plenty of cash and a City Hall in sync with his agenda.  In a second term, the Sentinel says, the Mayor can accomplish more of his goals.  Perhaps he will work for the people 22% of the time.  A piece in the Contra Costa Times, Villaraigosa campaign manager Ace Smith lays out the Mayor's re-election strategy.

Forty three Democratic members of the State Legislature filed a brief Monday urging that the State Supreme Court invalidate Proposition 8 which banned same-sex marriage in California.  No Republican members of the Senate or Assembly joined on board but Governor Schwarzenegger expressed support for the effort.  Though State Attorney General Jerry Brown would be obligated to defend Proposition 8 in court, supporters of the measure say they would seek to have their attorneys intervene to oppose and represent their interests in the case.

A number of LA's top chefs joined to compete in the 22nd annual "Great Chefs of LA: Go Green, Go Organic" at CBS Studios Sunday to benefit the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California.  Among the celebrities on hand were comedian George Lopez and Los Angeles City Council Member Dennis Zine.

Eric Garcetti has led the City Council in designating the site of a historic gay bar in Silverlake as a cultural landmark.  The Black Cat was the site of a horrific incident early on New Years Day 1967 when gay celebrants were savagely beaten by LAPD officers for the crime of kissing.  The bar today is now known as Le Barcito however it is still said to serve a gay clientele.

What happens when your dad gets elected President of the United States? You get asked to appear on the hottest kids TV series on today, The Disney Channel's Hannah Montana.  Billy Ray Cyrus, series co-star and father of star Miley Cyrus said the show has asked Sasha and Malia Obama to visit and appear in an episode. No word on if the Obama family has accepted the offer.

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

Villaraigosa political operative Ace Smith (who I was once accused of being by the way) is taking over the campaign to gain passage of the half percent Westside transit tax scam favored by the Mayor. We'll say it over and over again, you can't build enough trains to solve the problems in LA let alone the Westside and this is a massive pork laden boondoggle. As most of the County is opposed to this measure they'll pay for and won't benefit from, Smith will have his work cut out for him. And he's further sunk should Governor Schwarzenegger place his one own one percent sales tax on the ballot.

Workers at Los Angeles' animal shelters packed Tuesday's City Council meeting to demand the firing of Department of Animal Services General Manager Ed Boks. Among other issues, the employees said the City's shelters are overcrowded and that animals do not receive proper food or medical attention. City Councilman Dennis Zine said he would schedule a hearing on the issue in his Personnel Committee. In the meantime, there is one example of how the private sector could do a far better job of running animal shelters than the City.

Los Angeles-based publisher Rich Perelman is leading the battle Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks' plan to criminalize smoking in Los Angeles. Perelman says "If Councilman Parks has his way, (LAPD) officers will be able to cite you, or even arrest you, for using a legal product: tobacco." Perelman has created a website dedicated for his effort, www.WeAreNotCriminals.com.

It took being embarrassed when he went on a junket to Israel, but Mayor Villaraigosa has finally done something about illegal dumping in South Los Angeles. A new task force will identify areas for clean-up, but first they had to get a $500,000 grant from the state to do what they should have been doing all along.

Local Republicans are invited to step up and make the difference for the McCain-Palin campaign. The LA County GOP is sponsoring "Super Sarah Saturday" at a location near you.

LA Weekly: Returning to "Weekly of Record" standards

In the recent past, this blogger has taken the LA Weekly and Editor Jill Stewart to task for losing the likes of investigated reporters Jeffery Anderson and David Zahniser to other mastheads and some would say, less discerning copy editing.

But in the recent weeks, the "Weekly of Record" is striving to live up to the moniker bestowed.

This week Jill Stewart has two posts on the "Rocky vs. The Chick" and "Ace dumping Villar for Brown" that are must reads.

In this week's edition, Max Taves takes a cynic's view to MTA's $40 Billion Dollar Tax Proposal and David Ferrell has the latest on the proposal by the Great-grandson of Col. Griffith to bestow historical status on Griffith Park.

***By Max Taves, "Villaraigosa: Faking an Economic Miracle"***

Jill Stewart: "Villaraigosa abandon by Ace Smith??"

A shock early in the morning to read that the "Moe, Larry, and Curly" of "Team Villar" may be breaking up, that being Ace, Parke and Mike.

Jill stewart had this post yesterday at the LA Weekly's "LA Daily Blog".

Has Antonio Villaraigosa fallen so far back in the 2010 race for California governor that his former consultant and negative research hound Ace Smith, who dug dirt on Villaraigosa's mayoral rivals, is migrating over to help Attorney General Jerry Brown become governor?

The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting today that Ace Smith joined a "Jerry Brown for Governor" Facebook page, and that Smith responded to the Chron that his joining doesn't mean anything -- he signs up for lots of stuff.

But what a slap it was at Villaraigosa, as was the furtive Malibu meeting last week between top California Democratic hatchet man Garry South and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Relentlessly persistent and increasingly noticed blogger Zuma Dogg got that scoop -- and the video to prove it.

And what would this post be without an "Act of Spin"??

Well, for one thing, Jerry Brown's declared for Gov and Antonio hasn't and is insisting he likes his current job -- so maybe Ace is doing what any other indie contractor always does, hedging his bets to be sure of some sort of job. But did you HAVE to pat that obnocious dogg on the head like that? A pimple that turns into a giant boil is increasingly noticed, too. Too bad it's on our taxpayer dime on public television intended to give viewers access to City Council, not free PR for gadgnats and "Candidates for Mayor" like he claims to be. (In which case, he needs to comply with Ethics rules and those which apply for candidates for office since free PR is a pro bono public gift to his "campaign.") Even a persistent nuisance eventually stumbles on a "story" if he's looking to stick his nose everywhere -- in this case, he had no idea it was Newsom when he went upto him to tell him to move his giant SUV out of a firelane. Now, THAT tells me a lot about Newsom -- coming to this city for an allegedly "secret" meeting with a well-known operative, and parking in the firelane in a high-fire danger area! What an arrogant creepozoid! Hope he ends up in jail for actively aiding and abetting murderers, drug dealers and other illegal felons by flying them to their home countries with escort, with the expressed intent to avoiding ICE, and/or giving them housing in OTHER SoCal cities without bothering to tell local officials!
Posted on August 12, 2008 11:37 AM by zoloft 2010

This, in only the eighth month of 2008!!!

National "BLUE MUD BOWL" continues in Indiana and North Carolina

The national version of the "BLUE MUD BOWL" continues on the ground in Indiana and North Carolina.

Leave it to Matt Drudge to find this picture of a parade float in Europe. On the subject of getting bit on the rear, Republicans are turning out in masses to vote Democrat. Pundits are giving grudging credit to Rush Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos", a brilliant ploy to get Republicans to vote Democrat to extend this "BLUE MUD BOWL" to the Democratic Convention in Denver.

But no update on the national version of the "BLUE MUD BOWL" would not be complete without an update on the efforts of Ace Smith and Mike "Drivin MEAT" Trujillo. The "OLD GRAY HAG ON SPRING STREET" had a feature on Ace in Saturday's fishwrap that "WWG" opined on yesterday. "Drivin MEAT" Trujillo is leading the field operations in North Carolina, lining up the buses, vans, and new identities of voters, just like home.

****Limbaugh refers to Mayor Villaraigosa as a "SHOESHINE BOY"****
Statement on Limbaugh's comments expected from Mayor's office. This may require an exclusive thread.

Saturday morning open thread

The Times has a feature on Campaign Strategist Ace Smith this morning, but missing is any mention of a certain bloggin driver, go figure.

Mayor Tony V. and a certain award winner held a "PHOTO OP LOVE IN" to tout the LAPD efforts during the May Day marches

"BIG SUNDAY" events all around the city. One will take time to plant a tree today with the official "IF YOU WILL" from Lisa Sarno.

After all there are over 900,000 trees needing a piece of ground in and around the city.

Will $4,000,000 dollars of Union dues and COPE money buy Mark Ridley-Thomas a seat on the Board of Supervisors?

$50,000,000, then $60,000,000, now try $120,000,000 for the cost of the Grand Avenue Civic Park according to the Downtown News.

And flashing back to the "GOOD O' DAYS", what a beautiful weekend it would be to sit at Lincoln Park with "D.Q.", paper bagging, swaying and doing the "ALARCON" with the chulitas to the sounds of Santana, Tierra, War, Los Lobos, Tower of Power, then ending the day with a rumble between Hazard and Clover........

Happy Cinco de Mayo Weekend!!

By the way, we found this little nugget of information in the Downtown Garment and Citizen.

Publish Date : 05/02/2008
STRANGE BEDFELLOWS AT SIERRA CLUB?: Word on the street says the LA Chapter felt more than a little pressure from the enviro group’s state HQ to endorse John Perez for the 46th District seat in the Assembly...Seems the LA chapter initially voted against endorsing any candidate for the Dems’ primary in June…Well-placed sources say the local’s political committee pushed for a second try at the behest of higher-ups and then strong-armed a nod for Perez, who happens to be a cousin of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa…Word has it that more than a few local members left the April 27 meeting grumbling about “machine politics.”

Political Commentariat on the '08 Presidential Election

I wonder if Guitar Center has reported a spike in drumstick purchases? Carla Marinucci is reporting that some of California's top political operatives--Ace Smith, Dan Newman, Craig Schirmer--have headed out to North Carolina to "go mano a mano in a contest for 115 crucial delegates."

Over the last weekned, the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) concluded their their annual Pollie Awards and Conference in Santa Monica. Below are a couple of videos on "The Presidential Election" closing session with local members of the Political Commentariat (a term of endearment). I'll see about posting some Republican musings as well.

• Election Commentary by Bill Carrick
• Election Commentary by Mark Mellman

Enjoy ...

Mike, Ace, and Antonio resorting to "Push Polling"??

This from the "Top of the Ticket" Blog at the "OLD GREY HAG ON SPRING STREET"

Ed Coghlan was just starting to prepare his dinner in the northern San Fernando Valley the other night when the phone rang. The caller was very friendly. He identified himself as a pollster who wanted to ask registered independents like Coghlan a few questions about the presidential race and all the candidates for Super Tuesday's California primary.

Ed, who's a former news director for a local TV station, was curious. He said, "Sure, go ahead."But a few minutes into the conversation Ed says he noticed a strange pattern developing to the questions. First of all, the "pollster" was only asking about four candidates, three Democrats -- Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards, who was still in the race at the time -- and one Republican -- John McCain.

Also, every question about Clinton was curiously positive, Coghlan recalls. The caller said things like, if you knew that Sen. Clinton believed the country had a serious home mortgage problem and had made proposals to....freeze mortgage rates and save families from foreclosure, would you be more likely or less likely to vote for her?Ed said, of course, more likely.

Every question about the other candidates was negative. If Ed knew, for instance, that as a state senator Obama had voted "present" 43 times instead of taking a yes or no stand "for what he believed," would Ed be more or less likely to vote for him?"

That's when I caught on," said Coghlan. He realized then that he was being push-polled. That malicious political virus that is designed not to elicit answers but to spread positive information about one candidate and negative information about all others under the guise of an honest poll had arrived in Southern California within days of the important election.

It could become an issue in the closing hours of the campaign. Someone who obviously favors Hillary Clinton is paying an unidentified company to spread this material phone call by phone call among independent voters, who can, according to California party rules, opt to vote in the Democratic but not the Republican primary on Feb. 5, when nearly two dozen states will choose a large chunk of the delegates to the parties' national conventions next summer.

Coghlan said he was offended by such underhanded tactics and knew he was going to get out a warning about this dirty trick, but he said he played along for the full 20-minute "poll." "The guy was very slick, very personable," Coghlan told the Ticket.

"He never fell out of character as a pollster the entire time. He seemed interested in my answers and just kept going through his list of questions as if he was noting my answers. He was very good, very smooth."For instance, the caller inquired, had Ed watched a recent Democratic debate? Ed said yes. And who did Ed think had won the debate? the pollster inquired.Coghlan replied, honestly, that he thought Edwards had won because he was calmer and more reasoned didn't get involved in all the petty arguing and finger-pointing like the other two.

Now, the pollster said, if Ed knew that most people believed John Edwards could not get elected in a general election, would Ed be more or less likely to vote for him?Ed said, oh, well then, less, of course. And the caller appeared to make a note of that."He was not pushy at all," Coghlan said. "And at the end he thanked me for giving him my opinions."

****Phil Singer, the spokesman for the Clinton campaign. was contacted by e-mail last night. He answered that he was there. He was asked if the Clinton campaign was behind the push-poll, knew who was behind it or had any other information on it. That was at 5:27 p.m. Pacific time Saturday. As of this item's posting time, exactly eight hours later, no reply had been received.

MORE DIRTY TRICKS AHEAD??

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

Richard Alarcon is at it again. Apparently he pissed off CM Ed Reyes and other members of the Clowncil for his Johnny Come Lately views on LA River restoration, and the City's $2 billion plan. Yes, he wants more goodies for his district and admitted as such that during his time of seeking different political offices he kind of was out of the loop on the river issue. The $2 billion plan is probably a lot of boondoggle and pork, but folks have been working on this for years. Alarcon has a lot of nerve to make a stink at the last minute.

More after the jump.

Remember Mayor Poopy? He's back. Sort of. Don't get your hopes up, yea, imagine that, missing James Hahn. I guess I was right I would regret endorsing Tony Villar for Mayor. Boi From Troy reports that the former Mayor is speaking up for his handling of things here in LA following 9/11. Apparently, when Mayor Villaraigosa came back from his self imposed MayDay exile south of the boarder, some folks said Kenny's boy went AWOL when Osama hit. Not quite true. But does anyone remember four words we'll never have to hear again: Acting Mayor Alex Padilla?

Ace Smith - Villaraigosa operative and one of a series of people I was accused of being - has signed on to the Hillary Clinton campaign. The San Francisco Chronicle profiles the political mastermind.

Pasadena blogger James McPherson has put on hold his idea to hire offshore writers from India to write about happenings in the Rose City. Blowback has been so intense McPherson needs to regroup. On the other hand, traffic and linkage must have gone through the roof.

Can a Mayoral takeover of a school district such as what Mayor Villaraigosa has proposed work? The education blog Edspresso says its possible, but apparently probably won't work for an attention deficit elected like Tony V.

Things are getting nasty in a Congressional special election. Zelda has called Long Beach Democratic Assemblywoman Laura Richardson "homophobic." Richardson, who is seeking to replace the late Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald who passed away recently, apparently once referred to Zelda as pursuing a "radical gay agenda." Zelda is supporting one of Richardson's major opponents, fellow State Senator Jenny Oropeza.

And finally, this guy is about to beat Mayor V for photo ops. Assemblyman Lloyd "The Bachelor" Levine is going to ride his bike from San Francisco to Sacramento for "Bike to Work" day. Why isn't he starting from Van Nuys? But seriously, biking to work is a very good thing especially when you're not doing it to get elected to replace Zelda.