Treat Me Like An Object...ive Journalism?

Here's LA mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (apparently relishing his role model role for the boys nearby) being interviewed by Telemundo anchor Mirthala Salinas, who covers the mayoral beat and, we now know, frequently gets under the covers with Tony the Stud when the interview's over.

"I have a relationship with Ms. Salinas, and I take full responsibility for my actions," the Mayor is quoted in the LAT.

He's always taking personal responsibility. He took personal responsibility for his separation from his wife, then for the divorce action she filed against him. Presumably he also took personal responsibility for his two adult out-of-wedlock daughters as well.

What's clear is that the man doesn't know how to take personal responsibility. His responsibility is to keep his tool in his pants because he's a married man, but it's obvious that he is personally very irresponsible in that regard.

As for the news anchor, she explained it this way:

"I first got to know the mayor at a professional level, where we went on to become friends. The current relationship grew out of our existing friendship."

How nice. How unprofessional. Telemundo is the #1 Spanish-language TV news outlet in LA and, coincidentally, the #1 news outlet in LA. Its Hispanic listeners are Villaraigosa's base, key to his success as a politician -- and he's assured biased-positive coverage by shagging Salinas.

Yeah, yeah, they told Telemundo a year ago about the relationship, so the station moved her off the beat. But by keeping the affair a secret, Telemundo management showed it was complicit in protecting Villaraigosa from scandal. That's hardly objective or professional.

Friends who follow LA politics more closely than I do (OC is a universe away from LA) tell me that Senor Mayor's Latino accent has been growing heavier over the last few months ... is he feeling a need to try to reconnect with his Roman Catholic, Mexican base?

In 2004, Hugh Hewitt was pulling for Villaraigosa's election and was thrilled when Tony planted his studly bod in City Hall. Why? Because Hugh saw as inevitable Villaraigosa's quest for the governorship, and saw him as the best possible route for a GOP governor for California -- a real Republican, not Arnold.

Villaraigosa may have botched the Grand Plan with these shenanigans. She looks cute, Tony. Hope she's worth the mess you've made of your life and all the pain you've caused because of her.