Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn traded jabs with City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa during a mayoral forum in Koreatown on Tuesday night, with each accusing the other of failed leadership on issues from public safety to school reform.
Although many questions addressed issues important to the Korean community, Hahn used the joint appearance to attack Villaraigosa for initially opposing gang injunctions and accuse him of not doing enough to help L.A. schools as a state assemblyman.
"There is a real choice in this election: the difference between results and rhetoric," Hahn said during the hourlong event hosted by the Korean American Political Empowerment Movement, a coalition of political and community organizations.
Villaraigosa said he would deliver 1,000 more police officers, noting that Hahn failed to fulfill a similar promise he made during the 2001 campaign. And he accused Hahn of distorting his record in Sacramento.
"We need a leader who can measure up, not someone who will stoop so low to the ground that all he could do is throw mud as if he was some kind of kid on a playground," Villaraigosa told the audience of 100 at the Wilshire Radisson Hotel.
Villaraigosa on Tuesday launched the mayoral runoff's first television advertising, a spot that questions Hahn's record on education.
In addition, sources familiar with Villaraigosa's campaign said Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic candidate for president last year, would be in Los Angeles on Saturday to endorse his former national campaign co-chairman.
The campaign announced an endorsement rally with a "national political figure," but declined to comment further.
Kerry's endorsement would show Los Angeles voters that the councilman is a figure of "national status," said Richard Lichtenstein, a campaign consultant not involved in the race.
The Koreatown event, the last scheduled mayoral forum, almost didn't happen. After initially agreeing months ago to appear, Villaraigosa subsequently declined to participate.
His refusal, however, turned into a liability after it became an issue in the Korean-language media.
At a few points Tuesday night, the moderator had to urge the candidates not to attack each other.
Villaraigosa told the audience he supports "inclusionary" zoning, a policy that would require a percentage of all new housing to be affordable. But he said he does not support an ordinance pending in the City Council because it is not flexible enough.
