Newsletter: Essential Politics: When saying they are ready to rumble is actually accurate

I’m Christina Bellantoni, the Essential Politics host taking you into debate day.

As clichés go, wondering if the gloves will come off seems a fairly fitting one for the meeting of nine presidential candidates Tuesday in Las Vegas.

As Melanie Mason reports in a preview piece, this has been a "particularly volatile campaign stretch" since the last forum in early November.

There will be eight people attempting to siphon support from front-runner Donald Trump, and the most compelling dynamic could be Trump’s interactions with the newly emboldened Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

The Dec. 2 attacks in San Bernardino put a renewed importance on foreign policy, something that offers New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie a chance to build on recent momentum he has notched in New Hampshire. A former U.S. attorney, Christie has been touting his prosecutorial experience as best positioning him to confront terrorism.

But the evening is sure to include a strong focus on Trump’s call to prohibit immigration to the United States by Muslims "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." Moderators might press Trump on that particular point, since his supporters have accused the media of bias for not quoting from Trump’s initial press release in full.

Mark Z. Barabak has the five things to watch, from who might disappear to who will go on the attack.

CNN’s main debate, starting at 6 p.m. Pacific, will include Trump, Cruz, Christie, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, retired surgeon Ben Carson, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.

We’ll be tracking it all on Trail Guide and via @latimespolitics. Join us!

For a little extra fun, our fresh debate bingo card will be live by the time festivities get started Tuesday evening. Essential Politics subscribers will be emailed a reminder, so sign up now if you’re not already getting this email sent to your inbox each day.

CRUZ IN THE O.C.

After the debate, Cruz is headed to Newport Beach for a fundraiser that already has raised more than $100,000, Seema Mehta has learned.

The event will be held Wednesday at the home of Reza and Katy Jahangiri, according to an invitation obtained by The Times that lists more than 32 co-hosts. The top billing on the invite goes to Cruz’s California finance chairman Dan Palmer, Orange County Finance Chairman Michael McClellan and event chairs Dave Bartels, Lee Lowrey and Ben Pugh.

Palmer is the son-in-law of Donald Bren, chairman of development company Irvine Co. and influential in state Republican politics. California’s primary is June 7.

BECERRA MEETS WITH MUSLIM GROUP

Rep. Xavier Becerra attended a roundtable talk at the Highland Park headquarters of the Muslim Public Affairs Council Monday aimed at addressing Islamophobia. The meeting came just after two mosques in the Los Angeles area were defaced over the weekend.

A number of local faith and community groups, including the group Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress, which represents Japanese Americans, joined MPAC’s president Salam Al-Marayati.

During the hour-long conversation, Becerra brainstormed with the group about ways to introduce people to the lives of their fellow Americans who happen to practice the Islamic faith. Becerra encouraged groups to meet with television news directors to ensure fair and more nuanced coverage. For his part, he said he would help get a Muslim religious leader to deliver a prayer on the House floor and familiarize more members of Congress with Islam.

"The more people, their culture and their faith are familiar to you, the harder it is for you to demonize them," Becerra told The Times’ Javier Panzar after the meeting.

Many Muslim American leaders have heavily criticized a bill passed by the House last month that would tighten restrictions on Syrian refugees coming to the U.S. Becerra voted against the measure, but 47 Democrats, including eight from California, voted to pass the bill, which is still pending legislation.

"We have to know how to meet that sense of stress and concern with good solutions," Becerra said. "We clearly have work to do."

Also Monday, Rep. Loretta Sanchez was home in California explaining herself amid a backlash over comments she made that up to 20% of Muslims wanted to go after the Western way of life "in any way possible."

Cathleen Decker reports that the Santa Ana Democrat and U.S. Senate hopeful told a Buena Park gathering during which she accepted a Senate campaign endorsement from the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters that she is not among the politicians who are trying to attack Muslims.

Sanchez insisted her comments were describing Muslims internationally and that "most" American Muslims are "committed to peace and democracy."

"I’ve never attacked Muslims," she said. "I have been at the forefront of supporting them."

WATER WASTER FIX ON THE BALLOT?

Some eight months ago, a state appeals court turned off the spigot for any water district that sought to charge its customers based on their usage. Those pricey bills may have changed the habits of some water wasters, but the justices said so-called "tiered rates" are illegal under a 1996 ballot initiative.

So how do you change the law? File another ballot initiative, which is just what a trio of local government and water officials did on Monday. If it gets on the November 2016 ballot, the proposed initiative would specifically allow water agencies to charge more to encourage conservation. And if Gov. Jerry Brown is really looking for a ballot battle to join next year, this one might be it.

TODAY’S ESSENTIALS

-- Patrick McGreevy covered Rep. Mike Thompson’s hearing at the state Capitol as chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force as the Democrat attempts to get more support for gun-control legislation.

-- Scuffles broke out at a Donald Trump rally in Las Vegas, Kurtis Lee and Michael Finnegan report. Video of the event showed punches and kicks exchanged between demonstrators and those in attendance at the rally.

-- Shortly after the Port of Los Angeles agreed to require air quality improvements at one of its busiest terminals seven years ago, top port officials privately began rolling back pollution-cutting measures they promised, government records obtained by The Times show.

-- Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) and Nevada’s Dina Titus are holding a toy drive on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to gather items for Washington-area foster children and disadvantaged youth.

-- L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti went to the Star Wars premiere in Hollywood Monday night. Don’t miss our comprehensive coverage.

LOGISTICS

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