Villaraigosa to Aid Obama?

Those of you who worried about longtime Villaraigosa foot solider Mike Trujillo having to visit the Canoga Park office of the Employment Development Department following the withdrawl of Mrs. Bill Clinton from the Presidential sweepstakes likely need not worry. Tony Castro reports that insiders within presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama's campaign planning on sending the Villaraigosa machine in search of Latino votes in Texas, Colorado and Michigan. Pack your bags Mike.

Latino Leaders Endorse Obama

In a stunning blow to Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton - and her surrogate in Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa - the Mexican American Political Association has endorsed Senator Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for President.

On the heels of the endorsement of the Illinois Senator by labor leader Maria Elena Durazo Clinton's prospects of gaining significant support amongst California's Latinos appears to be fading.

Motivating the decision has been the campaign tactics of the Clintons in South Carolina and elsewhere that some have criticized as being race baiting.

MAPA's National President Nativo Lopez issued the following statement:

“Something nasty in the national campaigns reared its head over the past two weeks, which motivated us to consider another endorsement for a presidential candidate of the Democratic Party primary elections. We have observed with utter disgust the use of racially divisive and polarizing tactics employed by the Clintons, both Hillary and Bill, against Senator Barack Obama, not the first presidential candidate of African American origin. This is something that we would have expected from Republican candidates, but instead it surfaced from the bowels of the center-right institutional currents of the Democratic Party. The tactics are absolutely deplorable and clearly demonstrate what the Clintons think of all people of color."

Lopez' full statement can be viewed here.

Losing support of both the African American and Latino communities in Los Angeles could have a chilling effect on Clinton's prospects in California. It would have a greater impact and reflect poorly on politicians in the state such as Mayor Villaraigosa, Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Nunez and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom who've been working hard on behalf of the Clintons.

Los Angeles Politics

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Sam's American Hotsheet for Monday

So much for "We Report You Decide" at Fox News. Maverick Republican Presidential Candidate Ron Paul has been bounced from their on-air debates as well as third party candidates. An activist group, rockthedebates.org is pressing to get pledges from the Democratic and Republican candidates to debate Libertarians, Greens and other third party candidates. So far Paul and Mike Huckabee have signed on; Barack Obama, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney are opposed. What are they afraid of?

latinopoliticsblog.com questions the strategic wisdom of the Hillary Clinton campaign having Mayor Villaraigosa tag along in New Hampshire. More importantly - the blog drives home - why isn't the Mayor at home solving problems instead of playing Presidential politics out of state?