Late Morning Brief on the Los Angeles Political Machine's "Call Greuel's" new Blind Political Ambition

 Oh My God!! The former City Controller and Failure Mayoral Candidate Wendy "Failure Mayor Villar and Boss D'Arcy Rizzo's Greuel", wants to replace retiring Congressman Henry Waxman in Washington D.C. 

Add Carpetbagger to the Political Resume of former City Controller Wendy "Boss D'Arcy Rizzo's Greuel" as she prepares to move into the 33rd Congressional District, to establish domicile, in the campaign to replace retiring Congressman Henry Waxman.

She's back!!
Just when you thought the former Los Angeles Political Machine's favorite "Call Greuel of Choice" had gone off to live a post, losing-campaign afterlife as "Private Citizen/ Political Consultant" John Shallman's latest client debtor, a West LA Political Earthquake ( the "not-surprising" retirement of Congressman Henry Waxman), shakes the blond mane-covering cranium of the former San Fernando Valley-residing City Controller, into another blind act of political ambition, south of the Santa Monica Mountains.

DWP/IBEW's Boss D'Arcy Rizzo's "Call Greuel", wasted no time yesterday in seeking a new political rebirth by announcing her intention to run for the 33rd Congressional District Seat being vacated by Congressman Waxman at the end of the current term, predicated by moving into the district to establish domicile (** with Joint DWP/ IBEW Joint Safety Training Non-Profit, whoops, "Working Californians cash-laden Carpetbag" in hand? Just joking ......).

Greuel's announcement, will be the first of many prominent West LA Collectivist Dependentcrats ( and maybe a moderate RINO, or two), who will join this campaign battle royale, with speculation including the likes of Besty Butler, State Senator Ted Lieu ( ** just announced his intentions to run this afternoon), Assemblyman Richard Bloom, retiring LA County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky among others who want to succeed Congressman Waxman.

The irony here is what Congressman Waxman fail to do for the local and national economy via his Collectivist Dependentcrat-partisan actions, he will accomplish for his Congressional District by retiring and unleashing a short term, mother lode of economic opportunity for the local political consulting class, old & new media, connected non-profits and assorted businesses.

Surely the likes of "Parque" Skelton, "Ace" Smith, "Darth Harvey" Englander, "The Private Citizen/ Political Consultant", Rick Taylor, Bill Carrick, "Young Brian", the 'Two Eric's" (** included our alleged blog boss via the conspiracy-thinking Gatto Truthers, Eric Hacopian) and even "MEAT", are already mining for consulting contracts. ** BTW, there even might be enough consulting shekels left over to pay the likes of Rolando "The Big O" Cuevas to get out the dozen or less Latino votes ( keeping you in my thoughts Big O, but I digress).

Not to be left out, is the sure journalistic/blogging windfall for the likes of noted West LA commentators including the "Westside White Guy" ( aka Kevin Roderick) "Westside White Guy Emeritus" ( aka Bill Boyarsky), the Jewish Journal ( on second thought, all three are one in the same), (West) Los Angeles Magazine and of course, the West LA Propaganda Organ of Record, the "Old Gray Collectivist Hag on Spring Street" ( aka LA Times), who will see major ads buys from the candidates, in addition to posting numerous missives on the campaign proceedings ahead.

There is no doubt that the race to replace the West LA Political Icon will be a political event that dwarfs the recent 30th Congressional District faceoff between the Berman-Waxman Machine co-namesake Howard Berman and the Sherman-Gatto Machine ( please chuckle at the political humor moment) Patriarch, Congressman Brad Sherman, in expenditures and campaign drama ( with many "Black and Blue Moments" to come).

Thus, for us bloggin observers east of the 405, especially those in CD 14 awaiting the 2015 Councilman Jose Huizar re-election battle, the upcoming 33th Congressional Campaign theatrics, should provide us here on the Eastside, a worthy, political warm up act.

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



Morning Brief on a retiring West LA "Nostril" Political Machine for Thursday

Longtime West LA Congressman Henry "The Nostril" Waxman will not run for re-election, bring the end to the legendary "Berman-Waxman Political Machine Era". 

 Will the "Nostril" of the West LA Collectivist Dependentcrat Political Machine become the portal for the proposed Sepulveda Pass Tunnels in retirement?

** Blogger's Note: Local longtime political observers and national commentators are musing over the "surprise" (?, naught) retirement announcement of uber-partisan West LA Collectivist Dependentcrat Congressman Henry Waxman. The retirement of the "Nostril" of the formerly dominant Political Machine of West LA (and beyond), may be a barometer on the forbidding chances of the Collectivist Dependentcrats to win back the House and retain its majority in the Senate (unless the Establishment Republicans snatch defeat from victory again). But in hindsight, the surprise here should be naught. With the Berman half of the machine going down to defeat to the Valley Sherman-Gatto Machine last year, Waxman was becoming a political relic, further diluted by the political fact that his Collectivists Dependentcrats comrades will not regain control of Congress in 2014 ( thanks to Obamacare). Thus, now is the time for the last half of the "Berman-Waxman Machine" to march off into a "Black and Blue, West LA Political Sunset"---Scott Johnson in CD 14.   

 Washington D.C partisan politics will not be the same without the signature sneer of the shorter half of the once-formidable "Berman-Waxman Machine".   

Will the voters of retiring Congressman Henry Waxman's congressional district want to embrace "the pick" of its longtime representative to replace him in Congress?

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

Scott Johnson in CD 14

Los Angeles Politics Hotsheet for Friday

Martinez, Huizar: Photo by LA Downtown News

The LA Weekly profiles CD 14 candidate Rudy Martinez - who is scaring some of LA's power brokers - and we learn a few interesting things.  Martinez is pissing off diva incumbent Jose Huizar.  Huizar campaign manager - fresh off the Janice Hahn and Measure B victories - Mike Trujillo doesn't know Martinez is Latino.  And apparently Huizar doesn't tip waitresses.  Should be fun!

Read more »

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Tuesday

A big day for one of the projects on our list of faultlines for the Coming City Superstorm happens Tuesday in the Los Angeles City Council Chambers. Councilman Greig Smith will seek to put an end to work by the City of Los Angeles on the environmental impact report for the controversial Las Lomas development. Smith will battle Councilman Richard Alarcon who is seeking to bring the project under the control of the City of Los Angeles despite objections from the County and the City of Santa Clarita.

Mayor V wants to raise your trash fees and he supports raising your electricity and water rates too. If you want to protest the trash tax, KFI's John and Ken are encouraging you to mail your trash to Tony Villar.

Our friend Jon Regardie at the LA Downtown News has a great piece - the Tony Villar re-election announcement press conference that wasn't. But we can dream right?

Rick Orlov is right that it won't go anywhere but a group of "progressive" Democrats held an event to issue a "no-endorsement" for Democrats Henry Waxman and Howard Berman. I guess Waxman and Berman are not liberal enough for this group. (Okay I'll stop laughing.)

And finally Mayor Villaraigosa won an award from a Filipino group and told attendees gathered "Filipinos are not invisible to me." By the way the event was held at the Autry National Center, another faultline on our list of The Coming City Superstorm.

Is The Mayor Serious on Public Transit?

Allen Mittelstaedt writing at CityBeat de-constructs Mayor V's press conference (the one where he accused the LA Times' Steve Hymon of raining on his parade) about extending the Purple Line Subway to Santa Monica.

Mittelstaedt takes Villaraigosa to task for not staging the photo op at least at the terminus of the Purple Line at Wilshire and Western, for not working simultaneously with Zev Yarovslasky to end his subway funding ban (while getting Henry Waxman to remove his construction ban) and for not collaborating with the leaders of other cities on the line's route, such as former Santa Monica Mayor Denny Zane (no relation to Dennis Zine).

What was Allen thinking? That the Mayor actually had a plan and wasn't looking to get his picture taken?

Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Friday: One Sentence Edition

Young-Gi Kim is one nominee so far for sexiest City Hall staffer in the Sammie Awards - is she single?

The Coliseum Commission just can't stop hatin' on USC.

Bitter Bernie says the Minnesota Vikings are coming to LA.

Reyes wants bike paths but no one is using them.

An old, crabby white guy is upset that someone has the money to build the home of their dreams.

After 20 years blowhard Congressman Henry Waxman gets out of the way of a subway.

We have lots of hot air in City government so wind power might work.

The City has no money and wants to raise taxes but they can boost salaries.

Antonio Villaraigosa your shot at love has ended.

In the meantime, Tila Tequila picked the boy over the girl.

The City of LA thinks poor people are too stupid to make proper food choices.

Is Eric Garcetti dating Britney Spears?

Ed Edelman is actually still alive.

Republicans are going for Barack Obama in Nevada.

LAUSD facilities should be available to the public - after all we paid for them.

Some in the Santa Clarita Valley want to be their own City - take a lesson from the Valley do it!

Former Laura Chick aide Ruben Gonzalez has become a partner in Harvey Englander's powerful lobbying firm.

Dick Riordan is opening a version of The Pantry in Pacific Palisades.

Ominbus bill includes clearing path for Subway to Sea

There is likely to be a small victory for the Mayor's office, and a larger one for commuters in the City of Los Angeles, when the current omnibus spending bill clears Congress. The bill includes repealing of the prohibition that Waxman sponsored in 1986 that prevented the Red Line spur (now known as the Purple Line) from extending to the Westside. Sign On San Diego has the details.

The federal prohibition was originally pushed in 1986 by Democratic Representative Henry Waxman of Los Angeles. Waxman said at that time he feared construction could cause explosions of naturally occurring methane gas, something that had happened the year before. New research has convinced him and others that it can be done safely.

Right. Anyway, the Bill has cleared the House.

Get LA Moving Again

Residents on the Eastside are looking forward to the completion of the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension, effectively connecting communities such as Boyle Heights and East LA to the rest of the city.

In the meantime folks on the Westside crammed on buses might just want to rue the name of Congressman Henry Waxman who twenty years ago banned funding for the Red Line extension to the Westside.

However funding approved today by the California Transportation Commission helps to move closer to reality extending the Expo Line from its planned Culver City terminus to Santa Monica.

And Zach Behrens is one of the few guys who is actually brave enough to say what a joke the Orange Line is.