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Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Telemundo Suspends Mirthala Salinas
Graphic Courtesy of ERS News
Telemundo on their nationally televised newscast tonight announced the results of their three week ethics investigation regarding Mirthala Salinas and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The disciplinary action for Salinas will be a two month unpaid leave.At the end of 2006, KVEA management and the station’s political reporter mutually agreed that she should be reassigned to a beat that would not involve reporting on the Mayor of Los Angeles or city politics,” Telemundo network president Don Browne wrote in a statement released Thursday afternoon. “This decision, consistent with our guidelines, was made on the basis of a friendship that had developed between the reporter and the mayor. In April 2007, she was given the role of temporary news anchor and read lead-ins and other materials involving stories on the mayor and politics. This decision conflicted with our guidelines and with management’s prior decision.
“Her reading of copy during newscasts on June 8 and June 11 regarding the mayor’s separation from his wife was a flagrant violation of these guidelines. The failure to respond appropriately in the following weeks further compounded these errors.”
The complete statement of Don Browne, Telemundo President is here.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa tells reporters, “I have a relationship with Ms. (Mirthala) Salinas, and I take full responsibility for my actions.†Salinas is an evening anchor for Telemundo, Channel 52.
Two other Telemundo employees will also be disciplined:- Telemundo 52 President and General Manager Manuel Abud has been reassigned from his position.
- President of the Telemundo Television Stations Division, Ebra Morales, was reprimanded.
Well, the result is pretty much how Flap called it, now isn’t it?
Ok, Flap said a paid leave and/or settlement. So, they slapped Mirthala’s hand a little harder.
And, besides, she can now hang out with the Mayor at Getty House while his divorce proceeds through the courts.
Mirthala keeps her job and dignity, while Mayor Villar is placated that his girl friend is not summarily fired and humiliated.
Sounds like a win-win for the Mayor and Mirthala.
NBC Universal, the parent company of Tlemundo, also keeps on the good side of the Mayor whom they need for their massive Universal City development project.
A win for NBC.
A WIN-WIN-WIN.
Flap continues to believe there will be a Los Angeles County Grand Jury investigation over this entire scandal.
Stay tuned…….
Update #1
Eric Longabardi is going to report on ERSnews.com that the investigation covered the time from late 2005 to July 5. That’s all. It didn’t cover Salinas and Fabian Nunez. It didn’t cover Salinas and Alex Padilla. It didn’t cover Salinas and other powerful men, including those at Telemundo.
Telemundo has a book of standards and practices. Salinas clearly violated the conflict of interest provision.
The Poynter Institute was used unpaid to advise on the case and therefore won’t comment about it.
As for the comment about this damaging Telemundo credibility, who says Telemundo has credibility in the first place?
Agreed Luke, but NBC had to keep the Mayor and his planning department happy.
Corina will exact her pound of flesh and make life miserable for Villar. In fact, the divorce is the beginning of the end of his political career.
Los Angeles Pols are lining up to take a shot at Vilaraigosa.
Update #2
Check out the commenting at the Los Angeles Times and over at Mayor Sam’s.
Update #3
Mirthala is not doing so well in the LA Times poll:
Telemundo 52 reporter Mirthala Salinas, top left in red, at a news conference by Villaraigosa outside Gov. Schwarzenegger’s office in Sacramento on June 20, 2006, when the mayor was stumping for a bill that would give him more control over the L.A. Unified School District.
Previous:
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: The Source
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Still Waiting for Telemundo
The Miguel Contreras Learning Complex Pool Flap
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Pay to Play at LAUSD
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Villaraigosa Tries Again to Shift Focus
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: NBC Telemundo Expected to Announce Results This Week
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Corina Villaraigosa Speaks About Commitment
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Telemundo Ethics Probe of Mirthala Salinas Completed
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Mayor Heckled at Transportation Meeting
Technorati Tags: Antonio Villaraigosa, Mirthala Salinas, TelemundoUnivision
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Micheal Ramirez on Barack OBOMBA
Hillary Clinton: Barack be careful about that nuclear weapon talk.
Barack Obama is NOT ready for prime time. He looks like an inexperienced fool who is unpresidential.
Put a Fork in Obomba – HE’S DONE.
Previous:
Michael Ramirez on the Iraq War Surge
Michael Ramirez on Harry Reid and His Iraq War Folly
Michael Ramirez on Bill Clinton, Pardons, Hypocrisy and Scooter Libby
Michael Ramirez on John Edwards and the UK Terrorist Bombings
Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Michael Ramirez
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Mitt Romney Watch: Buying Iowa Straw Poll Votes
Patrick Ruffini over a Hugh Hewitt’s has a copy of some direct mail the Romney campaign is sending Iowa GOP voters.
Flap thought buying votes was illegal?
Sheesh……….
Previous:
Mitt Romney Watch: Poor Mitt’s Dog
Technorati Tags: Mitt Romney
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NEW York Journalism
The New York Times and its Publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. is worried that the Wall Street Journal will out compete the New York Times and bury them circulation-wise and financially.The WSJ would then become the pre-eminent American daily newspaper and the national newspaper of record.
Is Murdoch the NEW W.R. Hearst?
Technorati Tags: New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch, Arthur Sulzberger
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Cindy Sheehan Watch: Best of Friends
Conservative blogger Atlas Shrugs ran into Cindy Sheehan this past weekend. They look like the best of friends.
Previous:
Cindy Sheehan Announces Candidacy Against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Cindy Sheehan Watch: Cindy to Speaker Nancy Pelosi – Impeach Bush or I’m Running Against You
Cindy Sheehan Watch: Thanks for the Memories
Cindy Sheehan Watch: Sheehan Quits Democrat Party Over Iraq War Funding Part Two
Cindy Sheehan Watch: Sheehan Quits Democrat Party Over Iraq War Funding
Technorati Tags: Cindy Sheehan Nancy Pelosi
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Luke Ford Dot Net: A Serial Blogger
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doE0nwA5-zY[/youtube]
Brad Greenberg from the Jewish Journal has the interview.
Only in L.A.
Technorati Tags: Luke Ford
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Latino Activists Play Race Card Over Former California Governor Pete Wilson Statue
Statue of former California Governor and Mayor of San Diego Pete Wilson will be on display on Horton Square, outside the NBC 7/39 Building on Broadway Circle, San Diego.
Immigrant Latino activists, calling Wilson “the founder of the pro-racist movement†for his support of Proposition 187 in 1994, vow to block the placement of a statue of former Governor and Mayor of San Diego on private land in downtown San Diego.
“Pete Wilson, to us and to many, represents the worst of the American spirit,” Enrique Morones, founder of the Border Angels group, told City Council members during a non-agenda public comment session at City Hall.
“You can’t separate what he did as mayor from what he did later in life.â€
Right
And, all of the Californians (a majority Flap adds) who voted Proposition 187 into California law are racist too.
MORON Morones continues:
“I’m not saying he’s the same thing as Adolf Hitler,†Morones told a group of journalists outside the council’s chamber, “but to put up a statue in the heart of a city that was a Mexican city? A third of the city is Latino. There’s many of us, and many who are not Latino, who say ‘no’ to this type of a statue.”
Pete Wilson is against illegal immigration and this is the REAL FLAP.
The statue will be unveiled in a ceremony which Wilson will attend on August 25. Morones has threatened vandalism.
Standard……
Technorati Tags: Pete Wilson, San Diego, Enrique Morones, Border Angels
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Electoral Reform California Initiative Could Split California Presidential Votes
California’s Congressional Districts
A few days ago, Flap wrote that North Carolina appears to be changing their electoral college Presidential selection system just in time for the 2008 election.
And, Flap, wondered about a change in California’s system.
Dave G over at race42008 posts a piece that clarifies the issue in California.
The Electoral Reform California Initiative is already circulating to change California’s apportionment of Presidential electors to the Electoral College.
Here is the California Secretary of States summary and details of the initiative.
Requirements for Presidential Electors. Statute.
Summary Date: 7/2/07 Circulation Deadline: 11/29/07 Signatures Required: 433,971
Proponent: Anthony F. Andrade Jr. (916) 230-2123
Requires political parties to nominate a presidential elector from each congressional district and two additional statewide electors. Requires presidential electors to pledge that they will cast their ballots for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates who receive the plurality of votes in their congressional districts or, in the case of the statewide electors, for the candidates who receive the plurality of votes in the state. Eliminates compensation and reimbursement for travel expenses for presidential electors. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Reduced state expenses of less than $10,000 every four years. (Initiative 07-0016.)The full text of the initiative is here.
So, will this affect the 2008 race for the Presidency in California?
A Republican-backed ballot proposal could split left-leaning California between the Democratic and GOP nominees, tilting the 2008 presidential election in favor of the Republicans.
California awards its cache of 55 electoral votes to the statewide winner in presidential elections _ the largest single prize in the nation. But a prominent Republican lawyer wants to put a proposal on the ballot that would award the statewide winner only two electoral votes.
The rest would be distributed to the winning candidate in each of the state’s congressional districts. In effect, that would create 53 races, each with one electoral vote up for grabs.
California has voted Democratic in the last four presidential elections. But the change _ if it qualifies for one of two primary ballots next year and is approved by voters _ would mean that a Republican would be positioned the following November to snatch 20 or more electoral votes in GOP-leaning districts.
That’s a number equal to winning Ohio.
California Democrats will mightily fight this initiative, should it qualify. The result would be at least 20 electoral votes for whomever is the GOP candidate for President. The lock the Democrats have had on California Electoral votes would be broken and broken forever.
Only Maine and Nebraska allocate electoral votes by congressional district. But, California has a REAL chance to change their system.
The arguments to pass the initiative would be the same arguments GOP Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger used to justify the change of California’s Presidential Primary election from June to February 5, 2008 – increasing California’s national political clout and giving Presidential candidates an incentive to campaign in California. Californians might just accept the initiative.
From a partisan perspective, at the very least, the campaign to defeat the initiative by the Democrats would be a costly election year drain on their resources. At the most, the change could elect a Republican President.
Flap says watch this initiative. It may very well determine who is the next President of the United States.
Previous:
North Carolina Ready to Change Electoral College Presidential Selection Rules for 2008
Technorati Tags: Electoral Reform California, Electoral College, GOP, Democrats
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Antonio Villaraigosa, Arnold Schwarzenegger, California, Los Angeles, Mirthala Salinas, NBC, Telemundo
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: The Source
Kevin Roderick has the poop on who started the FLAP of the Villaraigosa – Salinas affair scandal.
So, who was the source of Luke Ford’s post about the Mayor no longer wearing his wedding ring and not being seen with his wife, Corina, for months?
Why, it was Daily News reporter Tony Castro, who couldn’t get his piece published in the newspaper.
The role of blogs – to boldly publish, where no one has published before.
Previous:
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Still Waiting for Telemundo
The Miguel Contreras Learning Complex Pool Flap
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Pay to Play at LAUSD
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Villaraigosa Tries Again to Shift Focus
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: NBC Telemundo Expected to Announce Results This Week
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Corina Villaraigosa Speaks About Commitment
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Telemundo Ethics Probe of Mirthala Salinas Completed
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Mayor Heckled at Transportation Meeting
Technorati Tags: Antonio Villaraigosa, Mirthala Salinas, TelemundoUnivision
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Day By Day by Chris Muir August 2, 2007