Council Deadlocks on Activist’s Nomination : City Hall: Panel postpones decision on Xavier Hermosillo for a Fire Commission post until Friday, when supporters promise to deliver enough votes for confirmation.

After a fiery debate, the Los Angeles City Council deadlocked Tuesday on the confirmation of Xavier Hermosillo to the Los Angeles Fire Commission and postponed a decision on the Latino activist until Friday.

With at least two Latino council members supporting Hermosillo and all three black members opposing him, the debate centered on whether the outspoken conservative would polarize the city along racial lines.

Hermosillo, 43, former chairman of the Latino activist group NEWS for America, has emerged as Mayor Richard Riordan’s most controversial staffing choice, and his confirmation hearing poses the first test of the new mayor’s political muscle. A council committee unanimously rejected Hermosillo’s nomination Monday, setting the stage for the showdown before the full council.

Riordan telephoned council members before the meeting to round up support and had three deputy mayors in the chambers during the debate. After no clear majority emerged and the council decided to delay the vote, Hermosillo left the meeting room arm in arm with Deputy Mayor Jadine Neilson and Deputy Mayor William Violante.

Hermosillo needs eight votes to win confirmation and Councilman Richard Alatorre, a supporter, pledged: “We will have eight votes on Friday.” The key votes will rest with Councilman Mike Hernandez, who was absent but is expected to support Hermosillo, and with three council members who say they are undecided--Joel Wachs, Zev Yaroslavsky and John Ferraro.

During an emotional appeal in which he recalled growing up in a housing project, Hermosillo fought back tears and pledged to moderate his comments. “I do not deny that I have been opinionated, outspoken or even controversial,” he told the council. “But I have never been mean-spirited to any group.”

Afterward, a defiant Hermosillo said he had no intention of withdrawing his name to avoid a nasty debate on his nomination.

Hermosillo’s vehement advocacy of Latinos and frequent boast that they are taking over the city has raised the anger of African-Americans and other groups.

Kwame Cooper, president of the Stentorians, an African-American firefighters group, said the organization opposes Hermosillo’s nomination. Hermosillo suggested Monday that the group had dropped its opposition, but Cooper said that was not true.

Hermosillo’s supporters acknowledge that he has made inappropriate comments but they say he has proved himself as a community leader.

“Even though I have disagreed with Mr. Hermosillo, he has a right to make those statements,” Alatorre said. “He is not a racist but he has a point of view.”

Alatorre angrily confronted Councilman Marvin Braude, a major Hermosillo opponent, and said it is the fact that Hermosillo is an outspoken Latino that has prompted much of the criticism.

Braude, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, which voted 3 to 0 against Hermosillo on Monday, countered that Hermosillo’s divisive comments were inappropriate for anyone.

“If Mr. Hermosillo were Jewish, we would vote against him,” Braude said. “If he were Asian we would vote against him. If he were whatever we would vote against him. Why? Because he is not a good representative of the government.”

Councilwoman Rita Walters criticized Hermosillo for using a derogatory term for African-Americans at an awards dinner last year. During a speech, Hermosillo used the term mayates, a Spanish word for a black insect found in Mexico’s cotton crops.

Hermosillo said Tuesday that he was merely repeating a term used by another speaker.

“There is a difference between being outspoken and being divisive,” Walters said. “Martin Luther King was outspoken but he was always inclusive. Mr. Hermosillo has been outspoken and always divisive.”