EDITORIAL MR. INSIDER LABONGE SETS HIS SIGHTS ON THE COUNCIL PRESIDENCY.

KNOWING a lot about back-room dealing and greasing the gears of power stand out as prerequisites to gaining prominence in Los Angeles city government.

Just ask Tom LaBonge.

Less than six months in his tenure as a member of the City Council, LaBonge now is being talked up as the man to topple youthful Alex Padilla from the powerful presidency of the City Council.

Padilla has his enemies, who have been looking for an opportunity to overthrow him. Now, with the recent election of Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, they might have one. Greuel, still smarting over Padilla's heavy-handed campaigning for her opponent Tony Cardenas, could wind up casting the deciding vote.

That puts LaBonge in the right place at the right time. No one else on the council, riven as it is by petty rivalries, can muster up the requisite eight votes to knock off Padilla.

But the back rooms are abuzz that maybe LaBonge can.

LaBonge has made his mark quickly with his constituents by paying attention to them and getting involved in addressing their concerns. By studying under his longtime boss, the late Council President John Ferraro, he has acquired the wherewithal to be cast as the council's Mr. Insider.

LaBonge plays down all this presidency talk. ``All I want is for (Padilla) to lead and succeed,'' he says. ``I have no real interest in it. But if the will of the council is to go with someone else, I'm willing to come off the bench to do it.''

Mr. Insider knows better than to wear his ambition on his sleeve, like Padilla has.

But Mr. Insider can't help but maintain those infuriating insider attitudes that alienate all of us outsiders. For example, LaBonge argues that if Hollywood, which he represents on the council, were to secede from Los Angeles, it would forfeit its claim on the landmark sign bearing its name in Griffith Park.

``The Hollywood sign and the environment around Griffith Park belong in Los Angeles,'' LaBonge says. ``Griffith Park, which was given to the people of Los Angeles, which has welcomed people from all over the world, is a park for the people. It's one of our greatest monuments.''

When he talks about ``the people,'' he's really talking about City Hall. The people are out forming secession movements, while the insiders are treating the people's property as though it belonged to them.

It's only fitting that the City Council, a country club for insiders, would once again be headed up by one of its own.

Mr. Insider, Mr. President - what's the difference?