Eric Garcetti to campaign for Obama -- in Nevada

Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti is mobilizing a caravan of campaign volunteers for the Nov. 4 election -- but not for L.A.'s anti-gang tax, or even the county sales tax hike to pay for a new subway. Instead, Garcetti is hoping to send as many as 100 volunteers to Las Vegas next month to help the presidential campaign of Barack Obama.

"While registering and contacting voters here in California is a great way to be active, the reality is that California is not a contested state," Garcetti wrote in a letter to his supporters. "Nevada, on the other hand, is a major battleground and the Obama/Biden campaign needs willing volunteers to travel to help walk precincts and work with voters in that swing state."

Garcetti and his team hope to reserve a block of hotel rooms on Oct. 10, 11 and 12 and arrange the transportation for the volunteers.

Like Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Garcetti has spent considerable time out of town for this year's campaign. Both men traveled to Nevada and Iowa during the primary season, when Villaraigosa was still supporting the presidential bid of Hillary Rodham Clinton. Both men also attended last month's Democratic National Convention in Denver.

-- David Zahniser

Photo: Garcetti at Echo Park in 2006. Credit: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times