Tension Builds Between L.A. Mayor, Angelides

LA Times ^ | June 17, 2006 | Michael Finnegan

[ncountylee]

Tension between Antonio Villaraigosa and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Angelides surfaced Friday as the Los Angeles mayor declined to say whether he backed his own party's candidate to unseat Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The rift between two of California's top Democrats became clear just after they appeared with Magic Johnson to celebrate the opening of a Starbucks on Crenshaw Boulevard.

Minutes after Villaraigosa's tepid remarks on his candidacy, Angelides refused to take a stand on Villaraigosa's plan to take over the Los Angeles public schools.

The dual snubs were part of a broad conflict between the two Democrats.

Villaraigosa is torn between party loyalty and the potential rewards offered by his new alliance with the Republican governor. He plans to campaign with Schwarzenegger for bond measures on the November ballot that could offer Los Angeles billions of dollars for schools, housing and traffic relief. And the governor would decide where much of that bounty went.

There is also a matter of personal ambition: Villaraigosa is widely seen as a top Democratic candidate for governor in 2010 — provided that Angelides loses.

For Angelides, support from Villaraigosa, a major political star, is crucial, especially in Southern California. But the mayor's top priority is his school takeover plan. And it should come as no surprise that Angelides is distancing himself from that: The effort's No. 1 opponent, the California Teachers Assn., has spent more than $1 million promoting Angelides for governor.

With that backdrop, the mayor was less than enthusiastic when asked outside Starbucks whether he supported his party's nominee for governor.

[calcowgirl]

The trick is to support Arnold publically, to help McClintock, but secretly vote against Arnold.

Who is promoting that?

What's the trick to getting Arnold to Govern like a Republican?

[FairOpinion]

Your analysis is so delusional, it doesn't even merit a response, since you apparently are unable to understand CA politics or even common sense, trying to convince people that a huge Republican loss and a major Dem win is actually desirable.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Indeed, we did. ;-) The sycophant bots need a diagram.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Jiminy, you're a fast reader... barely 2 minutes since it was posted. In fact, so fast that you didn't read it. Not one word of it. But I didn't post it specifically to you (since you're clearly incapable of comprehending coherent and historical and factual analysis beyond mindless sound-bites and responding with hysterical Eleanor Clift-ish shreaks of indignity and rhetorical drive-by fecal matter flingings).

I posted it to the intelligent FReepers on here actually interested in learning about the performances nationally of RINO Governors and the history and elections of California Governors in the past century.

I might remind you, if your fetal brain can wrap itself around this, that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Of course, to you and yours, ignorance is the very epitome of bliss. Not to the grown-ups here.

I expect your prattling, infantile response to consist of snot like your previous answers, so don't waste your time and JimRob's bandwith by a reply.

[nickcarraway]

Villaraigosa has no chance. Willie Brown would be the Democrat to beat, if he decided to get in the race. The only other Democrat powerhouse would be Diane Feinstein, if she decided to go in that direction.

[nickcarraway]

Unless Schwarzenegger supports Villaraigosa in 2010. I'm not sure that would help him much anyway.

[nickcarraway]

I think your argument is bogus. Schwarzenegger will either support McClintock ro some degree, or not. It will have nothing to do with whether conservatives vote for him or not. If 100% of conservative voters come out for Schwarzenegger, it will have no impact on whether he support McClintock or not. There is zero indictation of that.

This is California, he will get reelected. I guarantee it.

[AuH2ORepublican]

My own preference would be for both Arnold and McClintock to win in November, and have Arnold resign in January 2010 to commence his Senate campaign against Boxer. McClintock would thus have 6 months under his belt as Governor before the 2010 GOP primary, making it very difficult for a RINO to defeat him, and would have been Governor for 11 months before the general election. Arnold is smart enough to know that he needs McClintock on the ballot in 2010 in order to beat Boxer, and I think he wants to continue in politics given the fact that he'll be too old to make action films anymore.

[Torie]

Ditto.