November 10, 2006

AVWatch: Villaraigosa first former MEChA leader to make big leagues

Duke Helfand of the Los Angeles Times offers a hagiography of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in "Mayor to reap spoils of election victories".

He has a vision "of an eco-friendly metropolis with less traffic, more affordable housing, new trees and perhaps a subway to the sea." And, Aztlan! Except, that's not mentioned.

It acknowledges one of the reasons AV might have avoided endorsing Phil Angelides until late:

Meanwhile, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's victory on the same ballot means that California's top job will be vacant in four years, clearing a path for Villaraigosa if he elects to go that route.

We're informed that he's a "comer", in the sense of being a "Latino version of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, an African American." And, while no details are provided on what they discussed, it mentions Tony's dinner in Washington DC with Felipe Calderon.

Then, after his various other miraculous activities are described, he says - "with a grin" that he's "very, very close to both [Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid]". Then, it looks like someone is looking for a job:

"He's like one of the star minor league players that you're expecting to be an all-star," said Chris Lehane, a Democratic consultant who served as former Vice President Al Gore's press secretary. "Once you make that jump, you have to hit major league pitching, but the expectation is that he will."

Once Tony hits the big leagues - if he ever does - he's going to be outside the sphere of influence of the Los Angeles Times and "reporters" like Duke Helfand. One of the 110MPH sliders Tony's going to get is the fact that he's a former campus radical and former leader of the racial separatist group MEChA. And, while he has somewhat renounced that group, that renunciation is belied by his continual radical statements and actions.

Posted to Los_Angeles at November 10, 2006 11:27 AM

Comments

Did you hear Villaraigosa on KABC the night of the election? Kevin James, Mr. KABC and Richard Riordan were in-studio and had Villaraigosa on the phone. Kevin James caught him by surprise with a question about his connections to Mexico and his support for Special Order 40. Villaraigosa thought he'd be getting the kid gloves treatment and was only going to be speaking to Riordan. He gave the usual meandering non-answer and then suddenly HUNG UP! They called him right back tried to get him back on the phone, but his aides told them no since he was pissed off about what happened.

Kevin James is great, if you haven't heard him. He does the overnight show and they stream each show at kabc.com.

Posted by: stacy at November 10, 2006 12:22 PM

For the "Hispanic values" file:
http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/006732.html
(...)
I used to rent a house from a former LAUSD teacher. She once told me that, at the school where she had taught, all incoming female Anglo teachers were warned about reprimanding or in any way speaking in a commanding tone to misbehaving male Mestizo students, especially in the presence of their peer group of other Mestizo males.
When reprimanded by a woman, their instinct for face-saving—a paramount impulse above almost all others in their primitive culture—is so strong, and overwhelms whatever weak civilizing inhibitions they may have absorbed from Anglos, that the female teachers were informed that they were literally endangering their own safety if they should offend one of them.

I fully expect that, given the increasing normalization (indeed, glorification) of such “Hispanic values,” we will soon hear attorneys offering this as a valid courtroom defense in cases of murder, assault, etc, committed by Indo-Hispanics. It will be known as the “Wounded Macho Pride” defense, or something similar.
(...)

Posted by: perroazul del norte at November 10, 2006 05:56 PM