Thread: Kerry Backs Villaraigosa (for LA Mayor)

http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover.shtml

Kerry Backs Villaraigosa
Sunday, May 1, 2005 8:29 a.m. EDT

Repaying a political ally from his failed presidential bid, U.S. Sen. John Kerry on Saturday endorsed mayoral candidate Antonio Villaraigosa in the race to lead the nation's second-largest city.

The 2004 Democratic presidential nominee said Villaraigosa had worked to put more police officers on the streets and provide health care for more residents.

"I'm not here against anybody," Kerry told hundreds of Villaraigosa supporters at Los Angeles Valley College. "I'm here for somebody who has a set of hopes and dreams."

Villaraigosa, a city councilman and one of Kerry's national campaign co-chairs last year, "will be a mayor for all the people of Los Angeles," the senator said.

Villaraigosa, who is challenging Mayor James Hahn in a May 17 runoff election, alluded in his remarks to fundraising questions that have dogged his campaign in recent days, saying politics was "too much about charges and countercharges ... too much about derision and not enough about vision."

Villaraigosa depicted Hahn as a leader of "limited horizons" and said, "If you accept mediocrity, you better be prepared to live with it. I won't accept mediocrity."

Villaraigosa announced this week he was returning $47,000 in donations from at least 20 workers of two-Florida based companies with possible interests in gaining concession contracts at Los Angeles International Airport.

The county district attorney said Friday he was launching a preliminary investigation of the donations, following reports that several of the workers appeared confused when asked about their $1,000 checks.

It is not illegal for multiple employees from a company to donate to a campaign; it is illegal, however, for anyone to reimburse employees for their contributions.

"The key thing for all of us is it appears that from these news reports, people didn't seem to know they had made a contribution to somebody running for mayor, or didn't know when they'd made it," said Hahn, who has long faced ethics questions and investigations regarding so-called pay-to-play contributions in his administration.

"The fact that an investigation has begun is going to help get these questions answered," Hahn, also a Democrat, said Saturday.

Kerry, a Massachusetts senator, is one of several high-profile Villaraigosa supporters. The councilman has also been endorsed by basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Rep. Maxine Waters, a Democratic icon in the city's black community.

© 2005 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

And this surprises any of us because??????????????????

Just another John-age!!!!

Kerry, and the Democratic National Committe had a forum going that I joined. They were trying hard to suggest the illegal immigrants should be amnestied, and brought forward as citizens. Kerry gave a speech in front of La Raza, and my attitude changed significantly. I began hammering the idea in that Democratic Party Forum. I think I put a million links in there and back there.. I had cable. And boy were there a lot of people fighting that idea of open borders and amnesty. I believe the only thing we acomplished was enabling the democratic party to limit the amnesty. But even that is not clear.

I have always been a moderate Republican. I cannot support increased immigration in our circumstances. I no longer even consider the democratic party when I vote, but I would like another choice now. The Republican Party seems to have been seized by thugs and theives demanding cheap labor and that has to change. The American Constitutional Party is out there... I wonder too.

What could expect from Hanoi kerry but something like this. He turned on his brother vets so it's not hard for him to turn on his fellow Americans.

The worst part is this time Kerry in going to be on the winning team.This guy is going to win.Given his competition it's almost a win by default.

And boy were there a lot of people fighting that idea of open borders and amnesty. I believe the only thing we acomplished was enabling the democratic party to limit the amnesty.

The Democrats have the opportunity of a generation with the illegal immigration/border security issue. Unfortunately, they don't seem smart enough to take it. It explains why they keep losing elections.

Unfortunately, they don't seem smart enough to take it. It explains why they keep losing elections.

That's not the only reason, my friend!

After the Arnold debacle,all the Dems need is some barely qualified and they'll take back Ca.

I, too, have always been a moderate Republican and I was so pleased when they finally made it a majority...but as the months went on my expression of soon became followed by which then went to and now I'm at .

We rarely have anything like a viable candidate running for the presidency, which is the office that draws so much attention. If there is someone who just might be a reasonable choice then he is unable to get the financial backing to continue. Probably not crooked enough.

Yes, the constitutional party is out there...do we have the numbers and the noise yet in order to bring attention to them?

I'd go that way if I thought there was a grassroots effort going.

RR

Unless Tom Tancredo is running in the Republican Party, which is highly unlikely.

I refuse to vote the lesser of two evils again.

I will definitely vote 3rd party, it could not get much worse.

I will still vote for Republicans as my Reps.

I have come to like gridlock very much, when nothing gets done we are better off.