Mayor, Old Rival Confer at Deli

Battling to overtake City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa in the May 17 mayoral runoff, Mayor James K. Hahn on Monday pressed his campaign to woo former rivals, dining with Bob Hertzberg at a Studio City deli.

Hahn edged out Hertzberg, a former Assembly speaker, for second place in the March 8 mayoral election after a bitter campaign. Hertzberg had repeatedly accused Hahn of incompetence, while the mayor had accused him of selling out Californians for the benefit of companies such as Enron during the state’s energy crisis.

The two men last met at Canter’s delicatessen on Fairfax Avenue two days before the election, when Hertzberg showed up with a kitchen sink -- an effort to dramatize his contention that Hahn had thrown everything at him but the kitchen sink.

On Monday, Hertzberg and Hahn were all smiles --if sinkless -- after they met at Art’s Delicatessen on Ventura Boulevard. Hertzberg said Hahn, who is seeking endorsements from defeated challengers, requested the meeting.

But both were coy when asked about a potential endorsement, saying they had talked primarily about issues facing Los Angeles -- such as improving public schools and fighting traffic -- and a little about the fare.

“I wanted to share with him the new pickles and the corned beef sandwiches. Let me tell you, they’re very good today,” Hertzberg said, deflecting questions about whether he would back the mayor. Hertzberg, a Sherman Oaks attorney, said he planned to meet with Villaraigosa soon.

Besides Hertzberg, Hahn and Villaraigosa have been courting Councilman Bernard C. Parks and state Sen. Richard Alarcon (D-Sun Valley), who also failed to make the runoff.

Alarcon, who finished fifth March 8, said he had back-to-back meetings last week with Villaraigosa and Hahn at Jerry’s Famous Deli in Studio City and plans to make an endorsement announcement “within a week.”

A Parks spokesman said the former police chief from South Los Angeles has met once with Villaraigosa and plans to do so again soon.

Hahn said two weeks ago that he didn’t expect to receive an endorsement from Parks, whose departure as chief he engineered.

But Bernard Parks Jr., who serves as his father’s communications director, said the Hahn campaign called Monday afternoon to set up a meeting.

“We’re maintaining an open process,” the younger Parks said.