Hahn’s Campaign Tactics Trouble Young Democrats

Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn’s drive to win more endorsements ruffled feathers last week as his supporters flooded a local political group’s endorsement meeting to stop Hahn’s rivals.

The executive board of the Los Angeles County Young Democrats recommended earlier this month that the group endorse both former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg and Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa.

But Thursday, board members estimated that at least 30 mayoral staff members and other Hahn supporters came to the group’s general meeting and took advantage of the bylaws, which allow anyone to join on the spot.

The Hahn supporters -- one of whom drove a city vehicle to the event and may have violated city laws prohibiting the use of city assets for political purposes -- succeeded in blocking adoption of the board’s recommendation.

The Young Democrats issued no endorsement.

Among those who joined the group, according to sources, were Hahn deputy chief of staff Nathalie Rayes, Hahn day-to-day campaign manager Julie Wong and Hahn public works commissioner Yolanda Fuentes, whom the mayor appointed last month.

“People were just exercising their democratic rights,” said Hahn campaign advisor Kam Kuwata.

Days before the endorsement meeting, Hahn had declined to attend a mayoral debate organized by the group.

Several leaders of the Young Democrats, who meet regularly to discuss politics and public policy, said they were troubled by the mayor’s efforts.

“I’m saddened and disappointed,” said Ruben Gonzales, a deputy city controller who also is the group’s director of community services.

“The letter of the rules wasn’t broken last night, but the spirit certainly was.... I feel like the democratic process was hijacked.”

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One Peddler Gives Another High Marks for His Moxie

Lazaro Telles, a street vendor who hawks roses at the corner of Sepulveda and Wilshire boulevards, was joined for rush hour by another peddler Wednesday.

Typically, such an intrusion would inspire a sharp exchange, if not the use of a long-stem as a prickly weapon, Telles acknowledged.

But Telles didn’t mind the intruder because he was not horning in on the same market. “He’s doing OK,” Telles said, complimenting him. “He’s getting to a lot of cars.”

Mayoral candidate Bob Hertzberg, in one of the more novel stunts of the campaign season, waded into the rush-hour crush, pitching his “Commuters’ Bill of Rights” through the slits of partly opened windows.

Telles admired how doggedly Hertzberg pressed on, even when motorists, without so much as looking up, dismissed the tap on their windows.

“Yeah, you get used to that,” Telles advised.

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Police Union President Rants Against ‘Bitter Bernie’ Parks

The feud between Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard C. Parks and the Police Protective League was rekindled by a stinging attack on the former police chief by the union’s president in this month’s edition of the Thin Blue Line, the union’s newspaper.

The police union has endorsed Hahn, but the message from league President Bob Baker offers scant mention of why Hahn deserves another term.

Instead, it’s a rant against Parks, who Baker calls “Bitter Bernie.”

“We cannot afford to have Bernard Parks elected as our mayor,” Baker wrote, citing his opposition to a schedule implemented by Hahn that lets officers work three days a week, 12 hours a day.

Baker speculates that Parks’ candidacy has more to do with Hahn’s decision not to support Parks for a second term as police chief than any desire to be mayor.

“The only reason can be that this is Parks’ opportunity and stage in which to get revenge on the person who dismissed him and the one that is now upstaging him,” Baker wrote.

Parks dismissed the screed.

“They have had no concern about the community they serve,” he said. “Eighty-five percent of their employees live outside the city, so they have very little concern as a union about the needs of the public.”

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Schwarzenegger Is Rebuked Over ‘Three Stooges’ Remark

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger faced new charges of name-calling from political opponents last week after he reportedly referred to a trio of top Democrats in the state as “The Three Stooges.”

The governor, who delighted his fans and angered his legislative opponents last year by belittling them as “girlie men,” brought out the reference to Larry, Moe and Curly in a meeting with the Sacramento Bee editorial board, the newspaper reported.

Schwarzenegger attached the unflattering label to Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer, state Treasurer Phil Angelides and state Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, who have been touring the state criticizing his budget. “The reason the governor is resorting to name-calling is because he cannot defend breaking his promises to ‘tear up the state’s credit card’ and protect voter-approved funding for education,” retorted Angelides, who is eyeing a run for governor.

O’Connell seized on the incident to offer a valuable lesson: “That kind of name-calling is not setting a good example for our children.”

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Ackerman Leaves No Doubt About His Views on Spitzer

State Senate Republican leader Dick Ackerman of Fullerton cut to the quick recently when he sent a letter to lobbyists about the 2006 campaign of Assemblyman Todd Spitzer. The Yorba Linda Republican plans to run for Orange County district attorney against incumbent Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas.

Ackerman wanted to inform lobbyists -- potential campaign donors all -- that Rackauckas is the choice of most of the Orange County GOP establishment and a few Democrats, including Rep. Loretta Sanchez of Anaheim and state Sen. Joe Dunn of Santa Ana.

Not that Spitzer really needs any more money from lobbyists: He’s sitting on a pile collected in Sacramento -- nearly $1 million. Rackauckas, meanwhile, still hasn’t paid off a campaign debt from his 2002 race.

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Points Taken

* The campaigns of two leading L.A. mayoral contenders were on spin control last week after the Los Angeles County Democratic Party deadlocked on an endorsement. How else to explain the mirror headlines on releases from Mayor Hahn and Councilman Villaraigosa. The Hahn spin: “Blocks Villaraigosa from County Dem Endorsement.” The Villaraigosa spin: “Villaraigosa Blocks Democratic Party Endorsement of Hahn.”

* Mayor Hahn, seeking to pick up Latino votes in his reelection, recently touted the endorsements of Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-Norwalk), state Sen. Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblyman Rudy Bermudez (D-Norwalk).

* City Councilman Martin Ludlow and wife Kimberly Blake-Ludlow have announced the birth of a son, Martin Gregory Ludlow II. Like his father, the child was named for Martin Luther King Jr. and he arrived, auspiciously, on Jan. 15, the birthday of the civil rights leader.

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You Can Quote Me

“There is no easy way out of Los Angeles.”

-- L.A. County Superior Court Judge Mary Thornton House, on whether attorneys in a city lawsuit against PR firm Fleishman-Hillard would have an easier time commuting to Ventura or Orange counties after she ruled that the case should be moved out of L.A.

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Contributors this week were Times staff writers Zeke Minaya, Noam N. Levey and Jean Pasco.