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Cheap Shot: Hahn Proves His Mettle - Again
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1891 Reads
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 Hey! Do you care that mayoral candidate Antonio Villaraigosa almost got convicted of assault for a brawl in a restaurant 28 years ago?
Well you should! Mayor James "Kenneth" Hahn, that pillar of morality and font of rock-solid character hinted so the other day, (ably and duly abetted by the Times and Daily News reporting) right in the middle of a a very important debate about this city's future!
Aw, what's the use. If anybody was watching the La Opinion-sponsored debate Saturday they would've gained no more than front-row seats at another snark-fest just like just like the last one a week earlier ...
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They beat up on each other's records for a bit, then Hahn made a veiled reference to a little bust Villaraigosa endured at age 24: The mayor slipped into the debate a veiled reference to a 1977 fight, suggesting that because Villaraigosa had benefited from due process, he should not label Hahn's administration as corrupt before any criminal charges have been filed.
Villaraigosa was charged with misdemeanor assault following the brawl, which police reports suggest broke out after a drunken couple began yelling profanities at mariachi musicians at a mid-Wilshire restaurant where Villaraigosa was dining with his mother and sister before his 24th birthday.
Villaraigosa's trial ended in a mistrial after jurors deadlocked 11 to 1 for acquittal, according to Villaraigosa's attorney.
Hahn did not describe the incident during the debate, but in response to questions afterward, he said, "I think we all know the situation. He was charged with a crime."
He declined to detail the charges, telling reporters, "It's easy to find this information out." In short, if gutless smears were boxing points, Hahn probably would have "won" the "debate" in a TKO.
To put a finer point on it, news reports make it sound as though nothing substantial was debated beyond the bandying about of the usual soundbites. And, to his credit, Villaraigosa's had enough, Rick Orlov reports in the Daily News: Villaraigosa repeated his vow not to participate in any additional debates with Hahn before the election.
"All these are is mudslinging," Villaraigosa said. "I'm not a little boy anymore. I plan to talk directly to voters." If you haven't yet settled on a horse for the May 17 election - or made up your mind to completely ignore the race - did Hahn's schoolyard ambush leave you persuaded that he's fit to run Los Angeles for the next four years?
It certainly made me forget - at least for the time it took to compose this post - about all the other problems in this city, such as poverty, racial violence in the schools, illiteracy, an insane cost of living and the fact that people keep shooting each other at random.
Maybe we should thank the mayor for that important piece of information about his opponent, for helping us put all this important information into perspective. Why, I feel better already, knowing that he's right on top of the things that matter most to ... aw, what's the use.
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| Posted by: mack_reed on Sunday, April 24, 2005 - 11:15 PM
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