Where's Antonio? In DC, helping the Obama campaign

He was once the co-chair for Hillary Clinton's presidential run, but since she suspended her campaign on June 7, Antonio Villaraigosa is a free agent again. Our own Phil Willon tells us what LA's mayor is up to now:

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will introduce presumptive Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama when he speaks to Latino community and political leaders gathering in Washington this afternoon. Obama, who is aggressively seeking support from the Latino voters who flocked to Clinton during the primary, will be a featured speaker at the national convention of the League of Latin American Citizens, better known as LULAC.

Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain and Clinton also are scheduled to address the convention. Villaraigosa, who took the red-eye to the nation’s capital Monday night, will warm up the crowd with a five-minute introduction of the Illinois senator. It’s the second time this week that the Obama campaign has asked Villaraigosa, who as mayor of Los Angeles is one of the most prominent Latino politicians in the nation, to pitch in.

When McCain recently aired a Spanish-language radio ad criticizing Obama for just discovering the importance of Latino voters, Villaraigosa fired back with a statement praising Obama as a champion of Latinos and the issues most important to them.

It'll be a Villaraigosa and Obama reunion, actually. Here they are back in 2006 during a rally at USC for Phil Angelides, who was then running for governor. What's so funny? Obama's crack about the many ways his name gets misspelled and misspoken.

--Veronique de Turenne

Photo credit: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Andy]

There is one reason I did not support Clinton, Villaraigosa. This mayor has done little for Los Angeles and should not be re-elected. I was a supporter for Clinton but retracted myself when she chose Villaraigosa as a spoke person from the Latino community. It is not about race, but who can deliver for our city. Give us a good mayor, I do not care where he/she comes from. Obama needs to think carefully if he wants Villaraigosa on his team. I might just go republican. Signed, a Latino in LA.

[Jake]

Maybe Tony's hoping that Obama will push legislation making it legal to sell bootlegged dvds, cds, cigarettes, unlicensed food, and green cards near MacArthur Park - which incidentally - the New York Times did a story about in 1990! Of course this would only apply if you're of the same ethnic heritage as the current mayor in office - everybody else would still would have to go to jail.

[Grace]

I love the way just the mention of his name can rattle some people, Bill Clinton re-born.

They envy the distinction I have won;
let them therefore, envy my toils,
my honesty, and the methods by which I gained it.

Sallust

[Sandy]

O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on.
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "Othello", Act 3 scene 3

[John]

He is always the narcissistic, con-artist. Never a real mayor. He cannot even pass the bar exam or stop lying about infidelity.

[Mark]

Tony out of the city again? Using our hard earned tax money again to further his own political career on the backs of Angelenos? When will we all wake up and impeach this self-serving fraud. Is this teh best we can do as a city? Is the only support he garners because he is a "latino politician" and we as a politically correct city appease our guilt by electing him?

If you look at all of these trips people they are not to benefit us..they are to benefit him...and at our expense too. Enough is enough..impeach him.

[M A Andrews]

It makes no difference weather tony villar is in town or not, the
outlaw/sanctuary city of L.A. is still a mess and bankrupt
to boot.
Walter Moore for Mayor :Take Back the City