Political Earthquake Hits Los Angeles - Trutanich Defeats Weiss

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Source: Daily News

Political novice ahead of veteran councilman in city attorney contest. Attorney Carmen Trutanich took the lead in early returns over Councilman Jack Weiss in the race for city attorney, following one of this year's most hard-fought and bitter city campaigns.

"We had an earthquake today," Trutanich told supporters at the Sheraton Universal. "Maybe it's a sign that we are going to shake things up."

Trutanich also has pledged to bring independence and change to the City Attorney's Office by trying to reduce the number and expense of outside attorneys - now running $40 million a year - improve training and resources for the attorneys and reduce payouts.

Trutanich was supported by Cooley, Sheriff Lee Baca and Councilman Dennis Zine. Weiss had the backing of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Police Chief William Bratton and the support of organized labor in his campaign.

Read more: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_12407455?source=rv

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An outsider runs against the Democratic establishment, Democratic Party funding, organized labor support - and wins - a real wake-up call if you ask me.

(Note: The article was literally 'untitled' as of posting so took some license from the text of the article to create one - will update if article gets a title later this evening.)

[FrenchieCat]

1. Interesting.

The LA Times Endorsed Trutanich

Carmen Trutanich for city attorney
We backed him in the March vote, and we're still behind him in the runoff.

Trutanich has represented alleged polluters, and that's a good thing: The city of Los Angeles is one of the nation's biggest polluters, and taxpayers need someone who knows his way through the regulatory process to ensure that cleanups can move forward while penalties remain manageable. But he also was a groundbreaking environmental prosecutor, building up experience and know-how that would serve the city well in its aspirations to become cleaner and greener.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-attorney4-2009may04,0,1290249.story

Looks like Trutanich campaigned hard!




February 15, 2009

Mr. Carmen Trutanich
Candidate, Los Angeles City Attorney
Trutanich Campaign Headquarters
13743 Ventura Blvd. Suite 360
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

Via E-Mail: [e-mail]
Via Fax: [phone]

Dear Mr. Trutanich:

On behalf of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party (LACDP), we demand that you and your campaign immediately cease running your current television advertisement with its racially insensitive content and apologize to the people of Los Angeles and the Latino community immediately.

Your campaign ad that is running on local television is offensive, insensitive, and racist. We are appalled and outraged that in seeking to be Los Angeles’s top prosecutor you would employ the worst racial stereotypes. Your exploitation of young Latinos to portray the gang problem in Los Angeles is an insult to Latinos in Los Angeles and across California.

In particular, your use of juxtaposed images of the young Latinos with the words, “hard core gangs,” “robbery,” “assault,” and “murder,” creates the impression that these are attributes of all young Latinos and that only Latinos engage in this type of behavior. Your ad is extremely disrespectful to the hardworking men and women of L.A.’s Latino community, the vast majority of whom are proud Angelenos who work hard, play by the rules and who are productive, active members of our community.

The Los Angeles County Democratic Party demands that you cease running this offensive television advertisement immediately and issue an apology to L.A.’s Latino community forthwith.

On behalf of the Officers and Members of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party,

Clark Lee
Political Director
Los Angeles County Democratic Party
http://www.lacdp.org/press/21509-public-letter-los-angeles-city-attorney-campaign-ads-of-carmen-trutanich/

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3. Clark Lee - guess his letter went unheeded by the voters

No offense to your posting it, but this letter is a joke. I suppose the video should instead have showed exactly one caucasian, one black, one hispanic, one asian, one blind, one disabled, one girl, one American Indian, one muslim and one older person in order to make it fair. (I'm sure I'm leaving a few out - how terrible of me.) The Democratic Party in Los Angeles better wake up and smell this morning's coffee good and hard. The 'establishment' is losing ground and the new folks who want to bring new life to the party are making their mark. Old games don't work anymore and outspending their opponent didn't either.

[JI7]

2. Trutanich had the support of all media plus endorsement from police

Weiss was very unpopular.

also i think in hard times people look to tough on crime types. it's not uncommon for people in LA to support non Dems like Steve Cooley for DA.

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4. updated title to article

tried and was too late to fix the main post but they finally fixed the Daily News site - title: 'Trutanich wins close city attorney race'