Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Thursday

"I’m the mayor. I knew. I’m the mayor, and I knew. Let me be clear about something — I’m the mayor and I knew," via The City Maven

LA's press corps and bloggin community awaits an open and transparent reply from Mayor Villar regarding his knowledge of AEG's plans to sell its LA LIVE complex.

Hey Tony!

As many in City Hall and within the new/old media community, openly question your motives regarding your decision not to divulge the now public attempts by AEG to sell its LA LIVE City State holdings, would you care if I offer this bit of advise? Come clean on how a profitable AEG sale of the LA LIVE City State,.bids well for the future of one Antonio "Tony" Ramon Villar.

Longtime observers of your various political incarnations will agree that enabling favors for your political friends, commonly result in material gain for yourself.

Whether it was Cadiz's Keith Brackpool who gave you a consulting gig at the end of your days as Assembly Speaker, former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt who made you his box seat buddy, or AEG who granted you free tickets that led to ethics fines, you have always found ways to benefit off your enabling pursuits, that reaps riches for your exclusive friends.

Thus, it would come as no surprise that your reluctance to out AEG intentions, will surely have some future benefit for you beyond July 1, 2013, just how is up to you to ethically disclose now.

** The new look Wendy but still "The Valley Greuel" at the Hollywood Mayoral Candidate Forum

From left to right, Mayoral Candidates City Councilwoman Jan Perry, former KRLA Talk Show Host Kevin James and new look City Controller Wendy "The Valley Greuel" (What is the "Private Citizen/ Political Consultant" John Shallman rate for "extreme candidate makeovers"?) Photo by Phil Jennerjahn.

The former signature mane of "The Valley Greuel".

** Republican Congressional Candidate Phil Jennerjahn was in the audience last night at the Hollywood Mayoral Candidate Forum. Jennerjahn takes the time to pen a missive on last nights proceedings and it is surprising which candidate nibble away at his inner cheesy heart.

** Hollywood Blogger John Walsh has this take on a awkward moment for Mayoral Candidate Eric Garcetti, when an attempted joke regarding the mom of debate moderator Traci Savage, went sideways.

MS. TRACI SAVAGE DURING HER OPENING REMARKS PROUDLY INTRODUCED HER MOTHER JUDY SAVAGE SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE,MENTIONING THAT JUDY RAN A SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN’S TALENT AGENCY FOR MANY YEARS LOCATED NEAR THE SITE OF TONIGHT’S DEBATE ON VINE STREET.SHORTLY THEREAFTER ,WHEN COUNCILMAN GARCETTI’S TURN TO FIRST ADDRESS THE DEBATE AUDIENCE ARRIVED, THE L.A. CITY COUNCILMAN AND CURRENT MAYORAL CANDIDATE QUICKLY WANDERED OFF TOPIC TO INFORM THE PUBLIC AND THE ASSEMBLED MEDIA THAT TRACI SAVAGE’S MOTHER HAD ACTUALLY BEEN HIS TALENT AGENT FOR A TIME DURING ERIC’S CHILD ACTING DAYS.THEN ERIC ADDED IN A POOR ATTEMPT AT SUPPOSED HUMOR THAT TRACI SAVAGE’S MOTHER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR NEVER GETTING HIM A JOB , CAUSING HER PROUD DAUGHTER TO FLINCH NOTICEABLY AT THE PODIUM ON STAGE DUE TO THIS INSENSITIVE REMARK.

May we dare say that Garcetti has not master the art of stand up comedy?

** If you are in the mood for "spontaneous political theater" this evening, then Ron Kaye has just the right event for you.

Don’t miss this chance to be part of an historic moment tonight when constituents and challengers pop the question to Assemblyman Bob “2JobBob” Blumenfield:Which job, Bob, State Assembly or City Council?Be on hand for the festivities at Canoga Park’s ArtRageous Art Walk where Blumenfield — Assembly Budget chairman and architect of the last four disastrous California budgets — is holding what he calls “Sidewalk Office” hours to turn a community cultural event into a political theater for himself.2JobBob plans to meet and greet constituents from 6 to 8 p.m. at 7248 Owensmouth Ave., the mid-point of the event on Sherman Way between Topanga and Canoga. 

Something tells me that "2JobBob" may practice the art form of dodging tonight.

Your thoughts ..............
Scott Johnson in CD 14    

Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Tuesday

HAHA!! This CD 2/7 illegal resident (allegedly) wants to make your book card a legal ID.

Audacity!! ........ but all too predictable for the City Clowncil Central Committee.

"The Southern Sanctuary City State" along the coast of  "Greece on the Pacific" voted to explore the idea via the CD 2/7 Indicted Clowncilman Richard AlarCON, to convert library cards into a legal form of ID.

If this comes to fruition, those among us who are residing in this country illegally would be able to use their library cards to open bank accounts, but rest assure that library cards will not double as driver licenses.

But just wondering if someday, your City of LA library card, could be use by someone who wants register for flight school and embark on a one way flight to a certain Library Tower? Enough said. 

** The "Weekly of Record" via the "Snarky One", explores whether Mayor Antonio Ramon Villar (minus Raigosa out of respect to Corina) has embellish allegations regarding his father. Simple response is yes. Plus, do you hear "Tony" telling stories how is mom was a state employee at Cal Trans? That fact did not fit into the Parke Skelton crafted narrative that "Tony" regurgitates as truth. 

** The duo political personas that is "Assembly Candidate/CD 3 City Council Candidate Bob Blumenfeld", really hit a ethical sore spot with CD 3 Resident/Blogger Ron Kaye. The verbal bites from Kaye's latest missive are bound to ignite speculation from some whether Kaye is exploring his own CD 3 Candidacy. 

** Hollywood Blogger John Walsh had these comments regarding the Obama Campaign oversight of Mayor Antonio Villar's DNC Chairperson "performance".

BARACK ASSIGNED ” A MINDER” TO SHADOW ANTONIO WHEREVER HE WENT IN CHARLOTTE TO AVOID ANTONIO CAUSING EMBARRASSMENT TO HIS ADMINISTRATION OR THE PARTY.BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD VOTE, ANTONIO LOOKS AROUND , SEARCHING FOR HIS MINDER. SHE THEN APPEARS : THE MIDDLE-AGED MYSTERY LADY. YOU HEAR HER TELL ANTONIO TO “DO WHAT THEY’RE GONNA DO.” IN OTHER WORDS, STAY THE COURSE AND READ OFF THE TELEPROMPTER. SHE STANDS NEXT TO ANTONIO UNTIL HE DOES WHAT THE MINDER TELLS HIM TO DO. AND THEN THE MINDER LEAVES THE STAGE.OUR WEBSITE IS TRYING TO ASCERTAIN THE IDENTITY OF THE MINDER.INCIDENTALLY, THAT DAZED LOOK ON HIS FACE ALL THROUGHOUT THIS CRINGE-WORTHY CONVENTION EPISODE IS THE EXACT SAME LOOK HE HAD ON HIS FACE THE TIME I WOKE HIM UP BY RAISING MY VOICE DURING PUBLIC COMMENT AFTER HE HAD NODDED OFF AT AN MTA BOARD MEETING!   

How many local "minders" are on city payroll?

Your thoughts ..............
Scott Johnson in CD 14

Berman Gathers Up Support Over Sherman

Peter Musarlian of Globalist Films covers a recent event for Congressman Howard Berman - who is locked in a weird race as of the result of re-districting and California's new open primary against fellow Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman.

There's an awful lot of Democrats in this video and one of the kings of the blowhards, Zev Yaroslavsky, but it sure seems like if you have to choose between Berman or Sherman, Berman is the way to go.

Corruption in AD 40 Race? Charges filed Against Blumenfeld and Healey

We all know how shady local politics are but Assembly candidates Laurette Healey and Bob Blumenfeld are quickly becoming the poster children for alleged shady dealings.

First off, we've become aware of a complaint filed with the State Labor Commissioner by a person employed by the campaign to secure Laurette Healey the Democratic nomination for the 40th Assembly District seat being vacated by Lloyd Levine. The individual claims that they were to be paid $3500 a month for their services. Three weeks into the engagement the campaign worker was asked to sign a contract. They asked if they could time to have a lawyer review it. When the worker told the Healey campaign there were elements of the contract they could not agree to; the campaign allegedly refused to pay the individual for work performed prior to the request by the campaign for a contract. To see the complaint filed against Healey, click here.

The other bad little kid in the AD 40 Democratic race is Bob Blumenfeld. A third candidate in the race, former AD 40 Chief of Staff Stuart Waldman, has filed charges with the Fair Political Practices Commission alleging that Blumenfeld's employer, Congressman Howard Berman and Blumenfeld's father, political operative Michael Blumenfeld created an independent expenditure committee - the Santa Monica based "Valley Democrats for Change" - as method to launder contributions from Berman and the elder Blumenfeld to the candidate's account. If this allegation is correct, Berman and Blumenfeld would be in violation of campaign laws which limit the amount an individual can contribute to a campaign. According to the complaint released by the Waldman Campaign, Berman and Blumenfeld reached this limit last year. Additionally, the law prohibits independent expenditure committees from working in concert with the candidate; Waldman's complaint details and alleges involvement and coordination from Berman and his staff in the Blumenfeld campaign.

In a related story, bad news for the man Waldman, Healey and Blumenfeld are seeking to replace. Levine's opponent in the 23rd Senate District Democratic race, Fran Pavley, is running 2-1 ahead of Levine in recent polls.

Blumenfeld's "Stacking the Room" Comes to Head Tonight

40th AD Democratic candidate Bob Blumenfeld got caught with his pants down around his knees trying to "stack the room" (his words) to gain the endorsement from two different Democratic organizations. In both instances the candidate failed and no endorsement was given.

Linda Sutton writing at Calitics captures the next site in the circus tour, the endorsement of the Stonewall Democratic Club. According to Sutton, the father of our favorite backstabbing nanny bachelor (you know who) bought at least 80 memberships (and hence votes) putting them on his credit card just before the deadline hit. The fun starts tonight.

In the meantime, Blumenfeld's opponent Stuart Waldman announced an endorsement that didn't require a credit card, that of Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo.

Blumenfield Suffers Party Defeat

Bad news for Democratic 40th Assembly District candidate Bob Blumenfield who was dealt a significant rebuke by the California Democratic Party during its convention this past weekend. Nearly 60% of Democratic delegates at the state convention overturned Bob Blumenfield’s endorsement recommendation, leaving the state party with a ‘No Recommendation’ position in the 40th Assembly District.

Blumenfield's opponent Stuart Waldman's campaign issued the following statement:

"The endorsement reversal on the convention floor was historic; such a turnaround has only occurred three times in the past decade. The vote was brought to the floor after Waldman’s team of volunteers successfully collected over 460 delegate signatures – far more than the 300 needed – in less than 5 hours. Waldman said, 'This was a rejection of Blumenfield’s back-room deal politics that allowed him to stack the local caucus vote with over 20 brand-new delegates. I am pleased that rank and file Democrats recognized my years of service to the party and voted to keep the California Democratic Party out of this race.' Calitics.com blogger “Robert in Monterey” wrote that the rescinded AD 40 endorsement was evidence of 'a huge divide between the party grassroots and the Sacramento leadership in particular.'"

The Waldman campaign, having received the endorsement of the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley, quickly claimed the support of the Democratic rank and file over Blumenfield and decried the "backroom politics" that failed to engineer an endorsement for the Congressional aide.

Is Laurette Healey Challenged When It Comes To Counting?

We've covered before 40th AD Democratic Assembly Candidate Laurette Healey's reported inability to properly account for campaign expenditures but what happens when you catch a candidate in an outright falsehood?

In an email to supporters, Healey claimed to have received the highest amount of contributions in the race. Yet, as noted below, Secretary of State figures show that distinction belongs to her opponent Bob Blumenfield who raised nearly half as much more than Healey. When it comes to cash on hand though Healey only has about a third the bank account of Blumenfield and a fourth that of other opponent Stuart Waldman.

However, according to state records Healey has spent nearly twice as much as Blumenfield and another $20K more than Waldman.



Maybe that's what she really meant - she spent the most, not earned it. Not the kind of person I want in charge of the state budget.

AD 40 Dem Debate Shows a Lot About The Candidates

Joe Mailander had a great piece covering last Sunday's debate in what could be the only exciting Assembly race in California, that is the contested race for the Democratic nomination for the 40th AD.

Among the front runners are longtime Valley fixture and veteran Assembly staffer Stuart Waldman, newcomer and Congressman Howard Berman protege Bob Blumenfeld and former Republican Lesbian turned current Democrat Lesbian who votes in the wrong Assembly District for Democratic party endorsements Laurette Healey.

There's one other guy in the debate who's running whose name I can't remember and it doesn't really matter, he's not going to win.

In this clip of the debate, we see how Blumenfeld stumbles and bumbles his way through an answer to question; his biggest issue is that somehow it's unethical that Waldman and Healey have both spent their own money on their campaign. Healey, who could probably use some of the same advice Zuma Dogg gave to Hillary Clinton, comes off angry and pompous and is critical of Blumenfeld's and Stuart's "youth." The other guy who doesn't matter says nothing. At the end, only Waldman answers the question and shows a true grasp of the issues in the District based on decades of actually working and living there - and he does so in an affable, confident, calm matter certainly contrasting him with the other three candidates.



While watching Blumenfeld, it occurred to me he reminded me of someone: the neurotic television producer from Murphy Brown, Miles Silverberg, portrayed by actor Grant Shaud.