Poor Jack Weiss wants to be City Attorney so bad he’s blindly done the mayor’s bidding for four years and groveled before developers to raise campaign cash.
Trouble is he wants the job alright, he just doesn’t want the work that goes with it.
It’s clear to everyone in City Hall that Weiss would do whatever the mayor tells him to do if he wins the May 19 runoff against Carmen “Nuch” Trutanich. That alone ought to disqualify him from holding an independent office, let alone the high position of City Attorney where he’s supposed to be the “people’s lawyer” and a protector of the public interest.
Under the guidance of political hatchet man Ace Smith, Weiss’ campaign consists of little more than attacks on Trutanich — who is backed by District Attorney Steve Cooley and Sheriff Lee Baca, numerous law enforcement and community groups, and all the local newspapers — for being a lawyer in private practice after years as a courtroom prosecutor.
Wherever he campaigns, Weiss needs to bring along a paid claque to neutralize the boos and jeers he gets.
Wednesday night’s debate with Trutanich before the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association was typical. The audience wanted to hear what the candidates stood for and what they will do to make the city better as City Attorney but all Weiss could talk about was who Trutanich represented in his private practice.
A friend of mine reported: “I was amazed at the focus of the audience. They were mesmerized. No
one moved. They just sat there soaking in the obvious hatred between
the two and weren’t fooled one bit by any of Weiss’ ploys… Weiss was booed at least four times when he kept
returning to the subject of Nuch’s client list and “association” with
the gun industry. Further, Nuch was the one who wanted the debate to
go where it needed to — to discuss the issues of concern as opposed to
personal attacks. So he took every opportunity to
make certain people knew where he stood and what Jack did.
He was masterful.”
Others said the same thing. It’s similar to what I heard at the LA Neighborhood Council
Coalition debate two weeks ago. I’ll be at next week’s debate sponsored by the LA League of Conservation Voters and see if Weiss can get off of his cheap and dishonest personal attacks on Trutanich and onto the issues.
But don’t take my word for it. Watch the videos made by Pete Vukovich yourself.
Oh please, talk about the pot calling the kettle black. It’s Trutanich who keeps trying to deflect his own refusal to disclose who he works for by harping on “what’s wrong with Jack Weiss,” who has been out in the public arena serving the public interest with transparency. Transparency that Trutanich refuses by hiding behind attorney-client privilege in a condescending way: we’re not fooled even if some of those in the audience were.
Like Trutanich says, when you’re not proud of your own record you try to turn it on your opponent: that’s ALL Trutanich has done from the start of his campaign. Nasty, childish and false lies and smears — with the aid of the small group of people who failed in the recall and have aided and abetted Trutanich from the start in a “revenge” campaign — Trutanich’s talking points and even quotes have come straight from them. As you know since they’re among your core of supportes/ readers and SLAP. This is sheer phony opportunism on Trutanich’s part, since he couldn’t care less about the westside’s traffic problems and is quoted in the publication of USC saying as much in so many words, that his intent is to wrest more power from the westside/Hollywood to the South Bay. You’ve even quoted this bunch plenty in so many words right here on this blog.
Meanwhile, Weiss never mentioned Trutanich in his ads, whether tv or mailers, or his website. Until now, when enough of Trutanich’s posturing. All Trutanich’s “campaign” consists of is, refusing to say what he’s done for the last 23 years because it’s so unpalatable, and lying when he does discuss it (e.g., claiming to be an environmental lawyer when he’s not only represented the most egregious toxic polluters but literally written the book on “how to get away with violating environmental laws,” or maybe getting a slap on the wrist).
He lies about Weiss’s record on DNA rape evidence kits, when the national leaders on the issue from Human Rights Watch to NOW testified many times including a couple weeks ago on his behalf — while Trutanich hasn’t lifted a finger on this issue, and was the “go to guy” for rapists and thugs of any kind, as long as they had the money.
Blaming Weiss for not solving the problem years ago with the snap of a finger, as you like to do on this blog, shows ignorance of the process of how things work in government: it’s NOT anything like running a small law firm where partners make unilateral decisions. Getting 14 Council Colleagues, the Mayor (the current not being in office when Weiss was first elected), and the LAPD itself where detectives have traditionally run their own cases and like police depts. around the country are only waking up to the full potential of DNA on board has taken consistent effort, with step by step planning and persistence — to where Weiss’s efforts are hailed by recent State Atty General Bill Lockyer as leading California.
ON down the line for every issue — not a thing in the interest of public safety since 23 years ago when he abandoned the DA’s office to make money any way he can. It’s all “I’d have done a much better job IF I’d lifted a finger to bother but I didn’t, and why should I, when I just woke up one day and said I want to be City Attorney to get job training to run for DA when my buddy Cooley retires in 012, and so I’ll just attack and deflect as I go and hope no one notices that I’m the pot calling the kettle back.” Clearly, Ron, your “audience” and the bitter “revenge agenda” bunch — who didn’t get their way because Weiss has been focused on what’s best for the city as a whole and had the guts to stand up for that — have fed into his plan. You people are satisfied with someone just standing there and attacking Weiss, and would be whatever Trutanich does. But the rest of us see through this opportunistic demagogue’s game plan.
Oh, and one final funny thing: Trutanich said again and again as he always does that “the last thing I’d want to be is a politician” (another common theme: all public service is inherently bad, feeding into the generic mistrust of government of a certain segment of the public) BUT his own website features an article from some obscure right-wing blogger Nigel Skeets of California Leader, screaming that Trutanich is “California’s Hottest Politician!” (Trutanich has given the guy various “Exclusives” he’s posted on his site as well, including another one from February touting his own poll that he and Berger were 1st and 2nd and Weiss wouldn’t even make the run-off.)
Just vintage Trutanich, a man whose rep has always been regarded as “controversial at best,” “abounding in conflicts of interest,” and amazing nerve in his crazy spins to turn black into white — according to past media reports. (Which include the organs of his alma mater USC, LA Weekly from 05, and others.) Spin away!~
To Anon 8;52 I wish I knew your connection with Jack Weiss, then I would be able to judge your reasoning more accurately. Mr. Kaye is not his only critic.
So what’s this rumor about Weiss and extramarital activities? We keep hearing this one, even pre-election fervor.
Anyone?
As for J.WeissFamilyMember at 8:52, SO SAD FOR YOU. Awwwwww….
First read the April 4 post by “Mildred H” in the LA Times Blog:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/04/city-attorney-candidates-face-off-in-combative-debate.html
Then read the post by “Anonymous” at 8:52 AM in this Blog.
See the pattern? Ace Smith is plagiarizing himself.
Ron’s title “The Poverty of Ideas and Politics of Poor Jack Weiss” seems to be right on the money.
We know that Nuch’s firm represents the NRA and despite lieing about it he has represented gun dealers and those stuck with gun charges. We know he has represented dumpers and polluters including some being sued by the city. We know that he represented union busters….
you can see all that at: http://www.true2009.com
the question is…at this point what is hiding?
I’m just a regular person in west L.A. who reads the local press and blogs. Trust me, Weiss is hated in my neighborhood.
It’s funny, even people who dimly follow politics and couldn’t care less, when you mention Jack Weiss, they make a sneering face – - – the disdain is so ubiquitous that even these people know what reaction is expected.
So, yes, if you got a 10 year boy up there to recite swear words at Jack Weiss, many would vote for that boy.
Having said that, Trutanich seems reasonable and capable so far, which is by far sufficient as a basis to (1) deprive a sleaze politician like Weiss from getting rewarded (good precedent, that); (2) and protect the city from a Mayor Ambition/Weiss blank check.
My 2 cents
Watched the debates on video. Jack Weiss was pathetic.
Let me see if I understand this correctly: The biggest negative thing Weiss can throw at Nuch is that he may have represented someone who belonged to the NRA, a legal group in the US? I am about as anti gun as I gets and frankly if that is the worst someone can say about a candidate, Nuch should be elected King!
Clients aside, did Nuch win his cases?
Did Weiss win his cases when with the DOJ?
Ron-
You do not quite have right… Nancy Pearlman is facing Robert Nakahiro in the run off for Seat 6 on the LACCD Board. I think Tina Park is in a runoff with one of the other incumbents.
We need to fire up the community activists who got the word out about Measure B to get the good word out about Tina Park and Robert Nakahiro.
Robert was raised in East LA. He first attended East Los Angeles Community College before transferring to University of Southern California to get his BA. He is a graduate of Loyola Marymount School of Law.
So Robert is a product of the Los Angeles Community College District. He has a passion for service to the community that has been evident for years. He first burst onto the political scene when he almost forced Ed Reyes into a runoff race for the First Council District seat — as well all know, that is no small task.
Unlike Nancy Pearlman, Robert will not be so tacky as to advertise his personal business in his campaign literature.
While Robert is well-known on the Northeast and East sides of Los Angeles, he is less known in the Valley, South, and West Side. He needs the help or our community actvist network to get out the word that he is the one to vote for over Nancy Pearlman.
Thanks for all the help in getting the word out about Robert Nakahiro for Seat 6 of the LACCD Board of Trustees. He can bring positive changes to our important Los Angeles Community College District.
Is this the best the city has to offer?
These are both lousy, sleazy, and untrustworthy guys.
In case anyone hasn’t realized it, the long off-point pro-Weiss rant at the beginning is a ‘cut and paste’ of several other posts on other blogs whenever Jack Weiss is faced with his record.
The fact that Weiss repeatedly asked a question that is ethically improper speaks volumes about Weiss’s well know lack of ethics. After all, it is Weiss who was fined by the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, not Trutanich.
I do hope Weiss attends the remaining debates, and that he continues to evade questions about his sleazy associations with big developers. I only wish one of the moderators would insist on Weiss answering the question, rather than allowing Weiss to evade. It seems it was the audience that that shut Weiss down in Sherman Oaks, let’s hope the moderators now do the same thing.
Oh, and the question I would like put to Weiss – “Why were you called to testify before a Grand Jury about an $8,000 lap-dance bill?”
Kevin James KRLA 870AM has the transcript of Weiss’s testimony, I wish he’d make it public.
Who is Michael Amerian endorsing?
Thank you for a great post
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