Can you feel it?! Hello?

Not long ago, Antonio Villaraigosa was on Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s team. But the Los Angeles mayor is a nimble politician. When her rival Sen. Barack Obama prevailed, Clinton had barely conceded before Villaraigosa went on CNN to talk about Obama.

As testament to his newfound loyalty, Villaraigosa flew across the country on a red-eye to introduce the Democratic nominee Tuesday at a convention in Washington.

“You can feel the electricity in the room today,” he said, although the room was quiet. “Come on, let’s go,” he tried, encouraging a slightly delayed cheer from the League of United Latin American Citizens.

“On the plane across from L.A., I could feel that electricity,” he said.

Even if Obama wasn’t his first choice, it seems Villaraigosa will work as hard for him as he did for Clinton. He has already campaigned for the Illinois senator several times this month.

“It’s great to be here, because in so many ways the movement for change led by Sen. Obama is a historical campaign,” Villaraigosa said.

“This,” he said later, “is the most important election of our lifetime.”

When Obama took the stage, he described Villaraigosa as “one of the most dynamic” politicians in the country. “Please give it up for the mayor of Los Angeles,” he said. “He took a red-eye to be here, and it’s a great sign of his dedication.”

-- Louise Roug