For ambitious politicians from all over the United States and Latin America, Antonio Villaraigosa's inauguration as Los Angeles mayor Friday is shaping up as the place to be seen.
Former Vice President Al Gore is expected. So are California's Republican governor and four ex-governors. Mayors of some of the nation's largest cities plan to come. And so do the Mexican ambassador to the United States, Carlos de Icaza, and a handful of prominent Mexican politicians.
With his resounding win and historic victory as the first Latino mayor in modern times, Villaraigosa instantly became a star in the Democratic Party and a sought-after endorsement.
The inauguration may even be a campaign stop for New York City's mayoral race, as both the incumbent, Michael Bloomberg, and his top opponent, Fernando Ferrer, plan to fly out.
"It's the Latino vote in the upcoming mayoral election," said Fred Siegel, author of "The Prince of the City," about New York City's last mayor, Rudolph Giuliani.
"The symbolism here is important," he said, explaining that Ferrer, the former Bronx borough president, is casting himself as "an East Coast Villaraigosa" and that Bloomberg, a wealthy businessman, "is obviously going to try and counter it."
Should those two high-profile politicians find that Villaraigosa is too busy being sworn in to schmooze with them, there will be plenty of other political luminaries to hobnob with.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Los Angeles resident, has RSVP'd, as have former governors George Deukmejian, Jerry Brown, Pete Wilson and Gray Davis.
Joining them will be three governors of Mexican states: Lazaro Cardenas Batel of Michoacan, Francisco Ramirez Acuna of Jalisco and Eugenio Elorduy Walther of Baja California, according to Mexican government officials.
Several officials from El Salvador also plan to attend, including Mayor Carlos Rivas Zamora from San Salvador, the nation's capital, and members of the national congress.
From San Francisco, Mayor Gavin Newsom and former mayor Willie Brown intend to come down, along with the current city attorney and district attorney.
Also on the guest list are Shirley Franklin, the mayor of Atlanta, and Anthony Williams, the mayor of Washington, D.C.
Enough politicians are coming from Sacramento to charter an airplane. Among them: Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer, Treasurer Phil Angelides and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata.
