Hizzoner Is Taking Heat Over This Spicy TamaleKnown for his tireless efforts to make a difference in the lives of others, Villaraigosa's frenetic pace always had folks whispering, "When does this guy see his family, or even sleep for that matter?"
Unfortunately, the latest L.A. scandal involving his admitted 18 month affair with a news reporter answers a lot of questions.
And folks -- especially women and Latinas in particular -- are not happy.
Efforts to refocus attention on city business were completely derailed as the media's insatiable appetite for more salacious details took center stage.
"I made a mistake," Villaraigosa said, after being asked if disclosures about the affair had damaged his credibility. He stated that Mirthala Salinas is not pregnant and that he would not disclose whether they were still involved with each other.
When also asked about potentially another woman, the mayor emphatically denied that such a woman existed. Nevertheless, Sabrina Kay, a 40 something Asian woman who is quite a mover and a shaker on the local scene, is the person who's name is being bantered around.
Of course it doesn't help that Villaraigosa appointed Kay to one of the city's numerous commissions. For her part, however, Ms. Kay has released a statement maintaining that there is no relationship, nor has there ever been one.
Salinas is another story. A 35-year-old reporter for Telemundo's local affiliate, KVEA, she once covered the mayor as a political reporter for the Spanish-language station.
"I'm not perfect. I've always said that when you do something that undermines your support in some way or causes people to lose faith in you in some way, you've just got to get back and accept your responsibility and do your job, " the mayor is quoted as saying.
Villaraigosa, 54, disappeared after confirming his relationship with Salinas on July 3. He had no public appearances on the Fourth of July and skipped the official opening of New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's Los Angeles headquarters even though he is a national co-chairman of her presidential campaign.
Although her beat included local politics, Salinas was removed from the assignment about 11 months ago. The station has now placed Salinas on paid leave while it investigates whether her relationship with Villaraigosa breached journalistic ethics.
Having been previously linked to other powerful Latino politicians, including California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, many are speculating that she is on the verge of being fired. The mayor maintains that Salinas has done nothing wrong, and expects her to be vindicated.
Meanwhile Villaraigosa's wife, Corina, has filed for divorce. The couple have a 14-year-old daughter and an 18-year-old son. The mayor also has two adult daughters from previous relationships.
We here at Three Brothers know Antonio personally. He has a good heart and has truly found his life's purpose by serving in various political positions over the years. It's disheartening to see him having to go through all this crap, even if it is self-imposed.
While we will continue to support him, we can't deny the stories about how Latinos feel hurt and embarrassed by the soap opera playing out are disconcerting.
Some are even declaring that they will not vote for Antonio in any future elections.
Between all the bad press Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and Sheriff Lee Baca received over Paris Hilton, some Hispanics are lumping all these brown politicians into one category: one that doesn't bode well for their political survival.