Things have changed in the last few months, with Zine and Trutanich throwing their rightwing Republican weight around and being the darlings of the rightwing radio hacks and media like James and Jon and Ken and McIntyre, all of whom openly hate Chf. Bratton and say so. They think he's some sort of liberal loon for not overturning SO40, one of their rallying cries, and claim he coddles illegal gangmembers "for the gangbanger mayor." Zine is openly going after Antonio now that they managed to win the election over Weiss thanks to a small, rightwing skewing turnout, using all this free media.

With them and Trutanich mentor/handler Republican Steve Cooley openly waging war against the Mayor AND Bratton, enlisting their likeminded Republican friend Police Union head Paul Weber in the battle, which they see as take-no-prisoners, "good vs. evil," really creepy, fundamentalist mindset and rhetoric. Baca is on board and also chose to attack Weiss for an allegedly "negative" campaign when all anyone has to do is look at Trutanich's own nasty mailers and website, listen to podcasts of Trutanich/ his campaign manager John Thomas/ Zine/ Wacko English Mad-Dogg-Obsessed with Destroying Weiss David Berger, even Cooley, on James and to a lesser degree McIntyre (who supports their views but doesn't actively encourage nastiness as much as James, he's more an "enabler") and see that this hit on Weiss was clearly a partisan Republican slam probably at the urging of the Cooley-Zine-Weber (and other rightwing ex-CIA etc. people, some of whom are now on the Trutanich all-old-boy's network Exec team) Republican machine.

While you mention that Wesson wants to make it possible for the hugely successful Chief to serve a third term, you neglect to mention that the head of the LAPD's own rank-and-file Weber openly opposes that and wants to make the Chief's position an elected one so they can get someone else who they can "intimidate and control" in the words of one Westside blogger/former LAT reporter.

In other words, to get someone like Zine to replace Chf. Bratton - by throwing behind him the kind of money they did Trutanich, almost a $million bucks. A move even the LAT which has done its best to obstruct Antonio called "cynical and corrupt." Right now Zine is lobbying for that job and is making Bratton's life publicly miserable in his attempts to get attention for himself and as wingman for Trutanich. Who went into Council last week claiming that since it allegedly cost $2.5 million to deploy cops for the memorial (a figure in dispute), "since there were only 2500 people there without tickets, that means it cost $10,000 per person, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it."

Never mind mentioning that the new Controller had already written letters to appropriate officials determined to do everything Trutanich was saying, nothing like grandstanding. Even though Trutanich later told his buddy James on his show that night that the LAPD did an excellent job in preventing the problems and deterring mobs who could have cost untold more, he'd gotten his soundbite, and rightwing Kool-Aid drinkers are calling it "the best 2 minutes in public comment history."

Meanwhile the Democrats aren't doing anything to help the situation -- Rosendahl joined Parks and Smith to make a majority on the Budget Committee to vote AGAINST using the tripled trash fee hikes toward hiring 1000 cops as Bratton, the Mayor and Weiss promised the public and have fought for. Perry has her own beefs with him, some of the liberals think he's too tough on their communities, etc. Even though the Times poll confirmed that over 70% of the public in EVERY community commend Bratton for dramatically improving the image of LAPD since the days of Gates and African-American Parks.

Sure Trutanich must be making overtures to Bratton using his years of criminal defense attorney ability to spin and turn into a chameleon depending on who he's talking to. But he's also demanding to CREATE a 200-man police force within the City Attorney's office answerable only to him, complete with "cars and everything...to police the police," akin to what his buddy D A Cooley has. At a time when the LAPD has been told to freeze hiring AFTER getting Bratton to promise the public that the trash fee hikes and the "phone tax" will go for cops. And I'd bet Bratton doesn't like being used, lied to and dissed and publicly yanked around like has been going on. (Trutanich's excuse, that HIS personal internal force would replace the external Consent Decree and those costs, is bogus since thanks to Bratton's hard work over years to fix Parks' mess, even with a hardline Judge Frees it's about to be lifted anyway. As soon as Weber's PPL makes one needed concession.)

Now, this is just my opinion, my personal observation. But if we lose the best Police Chief in history and which we're likely to get, ALL these clowns including the Democrats who've rolled over for the rightwing Republican machine are to thank.

Bratton is just doing the L A thing, upgrading to a bigger house. No need to read more into it just because it's a slow market. But I'm feeling the other poster, not real proud of my Democratic party right now. Maybe they're too damn polite and just don't pay attention to what the rightwing says and does until it's too late. I tried listening to a couple of those James shows and can't believe people don't see through that garbage, can't imagine what it's like listening to those shows for hours a day and making it your whole source of opinion and validation. But people do and if the Democrats keep ignoring them because they're too idiotic and wingnut to stomach, we'll all keep paying the price.

Bratton is just doing the L A thing, upgrading to a bigger house. No need to read more into it just because it's a slow market. But I'm feeling the other poster, not real proud of my Democratic party right now. Maybe they're too damn polite and just don't pay attention to what the rightwing says and does until it's too late. I tried listening to a couple of those James shows and can't believe people don't see through that garbage, can't imagine what it's like listening to those shows for hours a day and making it your whole source of opinion and validation. But people do and if the Democrats keep ignoring them because they're too idiotic and wingnut to stomach, we'll all keep paying the price.

"Just a Thought" is a (probably paid) propagandist who's been posting similar comments at a number of LA blogs recently. As if people in LA are disgusted with city leaders because local radio hosts convinced them to be. Yeah, right. AFAIK the hosts mentioned have been on the air here for many years. What's happened is that we've ended up with a bunch of regrettable losers running the city, and people are taking notice.

Good riddance to one more liberal and his order 40, deport those illegals and save money already. Flush all the Democrats into the toilet where they belong everyone knows they're all corrupt and if you have to play dirty to do it that's fine with me. Let them sit there drinking their lattes and white wine and whine.

"Just a thought" Your analysis of the routing of Jackass Weiss as being entirely attributable to "a small, rightwing skewing turnout" is pathetically false. The same "small" group didn't remove a single other Democrat incumbent.

Weiss lost by a huge margin - 12.5%, and he lost because of his failed record as a councilmember who did not represent his constituents. The "small" group that you complain of could not have kicked Weiss out unless the vast majority of voters agreed with what the LA Times said; Weiss is unfit for public office.

Well "Jack" Trutanich's own campaign manager disagrees, and says so all the time as he and Trutanich regularly thank James. I'm not giving him nearly as much "credit" as they do themselves, however -- and he's just one of several radio screamers, just the most vitriolic and persistent -- as I noted, there's a far broader, more insidious Republican old boy's network involved.

Hey "Just a thought," you might want to Google "Jack Weiss Downfall" to see just how bad Weiss would have been.

By the way Jack, what "other Democratic incumbents" had a serious challenge? You talking about the token opposition in the council districts from nobodies with no money and certainly not the Republican old boy's club? Even the Mayor had 1/10th of the $3 million Trutanich got including matching funds and the rightwing PPL's Weber. Who doesn't represent any of the street cops I've met, by the way, most of whom didn't even hear about the "vote" until after the fact, and the officers' union voted the other way.

And as I also noted Weber/PPL makes clear their intent to replace Bratton (who the talk show buffoons call "Ratton") with one of their (meaning Weber's clique's) own. Your "argument" here is the one Dennis Zine always uses, and is obviously ridiculous. As for your video, that's just evidence of your level of "humor" and the level of "proof" you people use.

Just a Thought and Jack, you are both wrong. First of all the topic is Chief Bratton, not Jack Weiss. Frankly, if this rumor of Bratton becoming head of Scotland Yard is true, I would be very surprised. I would think that Bratton's US citizenship would prevent such a position being possible. It is far more likely that Bratton will be lured to some other US city, perhaps one with a more robust budget and a more progressive philosophy.

The issue then is what happens if Bratton leaves? Weiss is poised to become Deputy Mayor at LAX, charged with Homeland Security. Given Weiss's close ties to the mayor, it would seem possible that Weiss could serve at LAX for a year, and then become Chief of LAPD.

Now there's a thought...

The (one overlooked) central and crucial underlying issue is the extent to which the old boyz Republican network working with all 3 talk radio shows which give them unlimited airtime and support, plus a very active network of blogs, works in concert while everyone's been distracted/ wayled by the notion that there is some "Democratic Machine" which steamrolls its way into office. The opposite seems true: and the former is poised to (as pertains to the issue of who's chief) if not oust Bratton, which they couldn't very well make an overt agenda, to discourage him getting the third term Wesson wants and to push for making it an elected office so they can do for the job of chief what they did for Trutanich: put in an old boyz network candidate, with Zine reportedly eyeing the job, something borne out by his actions and behavior.

Since you mention the LAX job, the same talk shows AND Trutanich campaign manager etc. have explicitly stated on James' show and elsewhere that they will mobilize their talk show audience to bombard City council and the mayor's office with objections if Weiss is offered that job or ANY other. The full nature of their comments and "logic" for that is beyond bizarre and specious, sheerly partisan.

I have no doubt they would direct their concerted efforts at anyone they don't support, and IF the chief leaves will put that same "dedication" into choosing his successor and sabbotaging anyone not of their persuasion. And their efforts are significantly enhanced by the media and public being oblivious to what's going on, being solely focused on and distracted by some "Democratic machine."

David, you speculate that Bratton might be lured to some city with a "more progressive philosophy." Now that's something to think about, L A having become more conservative, whereas we've always been considered the left coast not just geographically?
Is that true or just that the right is much more united, while the liberals are fractious and maybe take things for granted?