VILLARAIGOSA CONFIRMS HE'S ENDORSING HILLARY.Byline: RICK ORLOV Staff Writer Ending months of speculation, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio (Tony) Ramon Villar, Jr. on January 23, 1953) is the mayor of Los Angeles, California. He is the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since Cristobal Aguilar in 1872. is throwing his political might behind New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Sen. Hillary Clinton in her 2008 bid for the presidency. The endorsement, expected to be made formal this afternoon, confirms a growing crescendo cres·cen·do n. pl. cres·cen·dos or cres·cen·di 1. Abbr. cr. Music a. A gradual increase, especially in the volume or intensity of sound in a passage. b. of rumors that had swirled since Villaraigosa was spotted dining with Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, earlier this month in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . As one of the nation's highest-profile Latino leaders, Villaraigosa had been courted by all the major candidates, including Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. "I made the decision some time ago after talking with her and several of the other candidates," Villaraigosa said Tuesday at a meeting with reporters outside City Hall. "(I) just believe she is the most qualified to lead the nation back to greatness and prominence." Villaraigosa, who served as national co-chairman of the presidential campaign of Democratic Sen. John Kerry  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. , said no formal role
has been laid out for him in a potential Hillary Clinton administration Noun 1. Clinton administration - the executive under President Clintonexecutive - persons who administer the law -- and he is not seeking one. "I don't make my endorsements based on that," Villaraigosa said. "I am mayor of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , and I am making this based on who I think will be the best candidate for the city and for the nation. "I know her and I know most of the candidates in the field. As I have said, this is the deepest and most qualified group of candidates I have ever seen. It was not an easy choice in that sense. But I think she is the one who is the most qualified." The endorsement is the latest tie between Villaraigosa and the Clintons. One of Villaraigosa's most-trusted political aides, Michael Trujillo, is going to work for Hillary Clinton as field director of her California campaign. Villaraigosa also recently attended an enviromental symposium in New York hosted by the former president. Hillary Clinton and Villaraigosa are scheduled to make the official announcement today at the University of California, Los Angeles UCLA comprises the College of Letters and Science (the primary undergraduate college), seven professional schools, and five professional Health Science schools. Since 2001, UCLA has enrolled over 33,000 total students, and that number is steadily rising. , when she appears at Krieger Center preschool. But word leaked out earlier in New York City. Villaraigosa is considered a major figure in national Democratic politics and a rising star in his own right. He was a featured speaker at the last Democratic National Convention. In 2006 he offered the Democrats' Spanish-language response on national television to President George W. Bush's State of the Union address “State of the Union” redirects here. For other uses, see State of the Union (disambiguation). The State of the Union is an annual address in which the President of the United States reports on the status of the country, normally to a joint session of Congress (the , and he did the same this year on national radio. Villaraigosa said Hillary Clinton made no promises of future political consideration in exchange for his endorsement, but the mayor has made no secret of his desire for a higher office -- possibly California's governorship. Declaring early for Clinton will help him gain her supporters' backing in the state. "This is a shrewd move on his part, and it's bold of him to do so at this time," said Democratic consultant Rick Taylor Rick Taylor(リック・テイラー Rikku Teirā) is a fictional character, acting as the protagonist of the Splatterhouse series of video games by Namco. . "It's important to come out early. And even though she has stumbled somewhat in the beginning, her campaign seems to be on more solid footing these days." Taylor said Villaraigosa's support for Clinton is virtually certain to mean he will gain in political arenas in the future. As word of the endorsement spread Tuesday, it also raised speculation that Villaraigosa could be considered a possible running mate running mate n. 1. The candidate or nominee for the lesser of two closely associated political offices. 2. A companion. 3. A horse used to set the pace in a race for another horse. to Clinton or serve in a Clinton Cabinet. But Villaraigosa immediately rejected running-mate consideration. "I did not do this for that and have no intention of being considered for vice president," Villaraigosa said. rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com (213) 978-0390 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa greet supporters in Los Angeles earlier this year. Clinton has won his endorsement. Chris Carlson/Associated Press |
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