Candidates court Villaraigosa
It began as most serious political courtships do, over dinner at a fashionable restaurant in D.C.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's staff made the call. Would Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa be willing to dine with her to discuss her presidential campaign?
Clearly, she was after his endorsement for her presidential bid: He is, after all, one of the country's top Latino leaders and an influential Democrat in the bluest of big blue states. But there's something else about Villaraigosa: He's one of the few Los Angeles politicians who has been able to capture, and hold, Hollywood's attention.
The entertainment industry's serious politicos rarely bother to hobnob with local officials. It's too small-scale for them. But that was before they met Villaraigosa, who has become a celebrity in a town that glitters with them. He brings a star's wattage to any conversation — whether it's with a studio executive or a presidential candidate. And much to everyone's surprise, Clinton has had an unexpectedly rough time with the entertainment industry, where moguls such as David Geffen have criticized and questioned her candidacy. It makes forging an alliance with Villaraigosa doubly important.
Intrigued, the mayor agreed to meet the senator for dinner at a D.C. Italian restaurant on a cool evening in January. They talked. They laughed. They hugged goodbye. Clinton was "warm" and "engaging," Villaraigosa said. (She all but offered him a place on the ticket, his pals joked.)
Nearly two months later, Clinton is still trying to get Villaraigosa's endorsement — she even came to town to do a public event with him recently, showering him with praise. The senator will have to wait a while longer. Every Democrat with presidential aspirations is vying for Villaraigosa's support. He's met with some of them, he's taken all their calls.
He likes John Edwards. ("He's a good man," Villaraigosa said.) He's trying to work Sen. Barack Obama into his schedule. ("I've talked to him on the phone and I saw him in Washington briefly," the mayor said. "We haven't had an opportunity to really sit down and talk.")
Eventually, Villaraigosa says, he hopes to have face time with all the Democratic contenders. He is taking it all very seriously, like a private Iowa caucus at the Getty House.
"It's the Villaraigosa Primary," said Chad Griffin, a Hollywood political consultant and former Clinton White House staffer. "There are a lot of people interested in who the mayor is going to support."
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