Whoops. The North County Times has implicated our mayor in a scandal!

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a national co-chair of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential campaign, banked at least $1,500 in political donations from an indicted Chicago businessman whose past connections to Barack Obama have been used by Clinton to criticize her rival’s judgment and ethics.

Shaping up to be a fun election year… eh, kids?

UPDATE 4:29pm: The Daily News is reporting that Villaraigosa got $10,500 from an indicted Obama contributor. Which is it? How much of it was spent shopping in Sherman Oaks? Spill it, Tony. the media blogger wants to know.

This is the fourth Metroblogging dispatch from the CNN Debate at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Keep an eye on the front page or our politics category for updates, or check out my Flickr page for more photos throughout the day.

For the kids, and suckers for dog photos, here’s the canine who I need to sniff my camera each and every single time I leave and come back into the press room. I’d be annoyed, but Chase is cordial, and always lets me pass. Even though, for some reason, he lingers on my camera a little too long each time. Does it smell like bacon?

For obvious reasons, I couldn’t get a photo of him sniffing my stuff. So below are a couple of him checking out other’s bags. At right, Chase and his human, Donna.

This is the third Metroblogging dispatch from the CNN Debate at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Keep an eye on the front page or our politics category for updates, or check out my Flickr page for more photos throughout the day.

Please note: To answer a reader’s question, yes there will be a live viewing party for the public in the courtyard of Hollywood & Highland. Come on down and be part of this historic event!

After I took this photo, the man behind the mask told me he was working for tips. Draw you own conclusions.

Below are some more pics of Clinton supporters, and some other selects.

(Left) CNN’s Richard Quest having his bags checked by bomb sniffing dog (off camera). (Right) Snoopy for Hillary!
Continue reading Found: Hillary Clinton supporters →

This is the second Metroblogging dispatch from the CNN Debate at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Keep an eye on the front page or our politics category for updates, or check out my Flickr page for more photos throughout the day.

As previously mentioned, Barack Obama supporters are swarming around Hollywood & Highland in anticipation of their 2pm rally. Here’s a quick collection of pics from some of the early birds…

(Left) This man is wearing a tie under that t-shirt. (Right) I really hope this guy didn’t have to bring this sign by bus.

(Left) The D.Lush smoothie kids. (Right) Regular ‘ol “can do” kids.
Continue reading The Kodak Theatre is Obama Central →

This is the first Metroblogging dispatch from the CNN Debate at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Keep an eye on the front page or our politics category for updates, or check out my Flickr page for more photos throughout the day.

The streets around the Kodak are closed off, but pedestrian traffic is strong… mostly Obama supporters. As much as I’ve tried and asked, nobody seems to know where the Hillary supporters are… one rumor is that a couple have been spotted on Franklin.

Anyone wanting to take a peek at the action can visit CNN’s Election Express – a mobile marketing tour that has spent the last week in the Los Angeles area, including the 3rd Street Promenade, a Simi Valley Mall, and, of course, the Reagan Library. After today it makes one more private stop – a high school in Ontario – but today will be the last chance for locals to check it out.

The highlight of the Election Express appears to be a button maker, which is ironic considering the amount of technology attached to the bus. The bus also features a mock electronic voting machine that polls you on different issues, than makes a custom graphic symbolizing your choices. After answering some questions about the war in Iraq, it labeled me an “Elehawk”. Anyone can also leave a political message or whatever other scribble they want on their “graffiti board,” which already by 11am had some passionate screeds and, of course, a regular ‘ol tag. As I was leaving one girl was writing an endorsement for Kucinich.

After the jump, more pics from the Election Express.
Continue reading CNN’s Election Express →