AS IF YOU ASKED
In a weekend column, I mentioned that I sensed tension developing in
the camps of some of the candidates for council who survived the
primary election. Events in the 72 hours since lead me to declare
that our "Election Hostilities Alert" status has now reached level
orange.
In one of the developments, Mayor David Laurell withdrew his
endorsement Saturday for Brian Malone, the primary's fourth-place
finisher. Laurell has said Councilman Dave Golonski, who came out to
endorse Malone just two weeks ago, has also withdrawn his
endorsement. But Golonski told me he hasn't made a decision to do
that. Golonski said he's still weighing changes he might make in his
endorsements in light of the primary results, if any.
Let's acknowledge what the parties are saying publicly on all
this. But we won't waste much time on it, because numerous reliable
sources assure me it's all a bunch of hooey. First, Laurell's public
statement explained, "I have weighed Brian's ideas, opinions,
experience and knowledge of issues and can no longer endorse his
candidacy for a seat on the on the City Council." Presumably as some
sort of face-saving gesture toward Malone, Laurell has also said he
withdrew his endorsement because he knew Malone had to devote time
and attention to a close friend who was ill.
Malone told me he still enjoys "massive support from Realtors and
others in Burbank," and that he will "just move forward." The
real-estate agent still automatically refers to Laurell only as "my
mayor," and insists he has "no bad feelings toward my mayor."
Malone says his friend's illness isn't serious, but that "My
mayor, the man who sat down and invited me to run in this election,
is entitled to make a different decision for personal political
reasons." Malone added, "I just don't know what they are."
Malone loaned $10,000 to his own campaign, and the cases of
literature produced with that cash prominently boast of Laurell's
endorsement. And Malone says he has no hard feelings? In his shoes,
I'd be trying to bang "my mayor's" head on the asphalt. But I'm not
running for office, and so can get away with flip remarks.
There's another explanation for Laurell's move, one tied to
Malone's performance in a candidates' forum hosted by the Chamber of
Commerce on Saturday, a program being replayed via City Hall's cable
channel every day until the election. Many sources say Laurell and
Golonski were appalled by Malone's performance. I've heard many times
