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Former Los Angeles Mayor and state Education Secretary Richard Riordan has endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, adding to her collection of high-profile endorsements such as from former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. In the Whitman news release sent out this morning, Riordan says, "Meg believes the future of our state and the strength of our nation depend on Californians rededicating ourselves to education. Her commitment to returning control of our schools back to parents and teachers and demanding accountability makes Meg the best candidate." Whitman repeated the education theme in her quotes in...

A San Marino businessman with long-standing connections to Los Angeles City Hall has pleaded guilty to criminal securities fraud as part of a probe of alleged pay-to-play corruption at a New York state government pension fund, prosecutors said Tuesday. Julio Ramirez Jr., a former employee of Wetherly Capital Group, a Los Angeles investment marketing firm, allegedly gave kickbacks to a top political advisor of former New York Controller Alan Hevesi. The fees, paid secretly to Henry "Hank" Morris, helped make certain that the New York State Common Retirement Fund would invest with Wetherly clients, New York Atty. Gen. Andrew Cuomo...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger can't be happy that the ballot measures he and leading Democrats are pushing for the May 19 special election took a gut punch in this morning's Los AngelesTimes from former LA Mayor Richard Riordan. Titled "California's May ballot scam," Riordan's op-ed says the Republican governor and legislative backers of the measures could challenge Bernie Madoff for "swindler of the year." . . . But Riordan says both parties are blindly supporting the approach. ..." And to my conservative friends: Will you be intimidated into voting for something you know is wrong? You should be against increases in...

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was in southern California last night, attending a pair of fundraisers in Beverly Hills. In attendance was the usual crop of Hollywood political activists, but also former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan. He told KPCC’s Special Correspondent Kitty Felde why he’s not supporting fellow Republican John McCain. Richard Riordan: “We want the best person to be president of the United States, whether they’re Republican or Democrat, and now I think clearly Obama is the best candidate. But I’m still basically a Republican, I’m supporting Republicans in the Senate and Assembly, everywhere else.” Kitty Felde: “Well, it...

Former LA Mayor Riordan endorses Giuliani presidential bid Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani was endorsed Friday by former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, who warned that he faces a tough time with California voters. Standing outside his landmark restaurant, The Pantry, where Giuliani was to stop by, Riordan said he believed Giuliani was "too liberal" to appeal to the state's right-wing voters but would make a good president based on his experience as the mayor of New York City. "He did a fabulous job running New York City and of course in 9-11 he showed that he has the feel...

CITY ATTY. Rocky Delgadillo came to office with sterling credentials and the support of some of Los Angeles' most esteemed leaders. He had a captivating personal story — Eastside kid who did well, went to Harvard, then to Columbia, then on to one of the nation's most impressive law firms and City Hall, where he worked for Mayor Richard Riordan. In short, Delgadillo had the drive, the education and the support to be one of this city's leading public officials. Instead, he has squandered those advantages on egocentrism and bad judgment, falling well short of the high standards required of...

New York, Mar 13 - The Rudy Giuliani Presidential Exploratory Committee today announced the latest members of a growing California team supporting Rudy Giuliani for President. The endorsements follow a successful swing through the state and an overwhelming response by Californians to Mayor Giuliani’s optimistic vision for the future and proven leadership. In addition to Rep. David Dreier, Rep. Mary Bono and Rep. Devin Nunes, who have already been working to elect Rudy Giuliani President, the Mayor gained the support of Rep. Jerry Lewis, Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle, Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, Board of Equalization Member Michelle Steel, Assemblyman...

The City Ethics Commission has violated the law for a decade by failing to notify city agencies of sanctions against dozens of people who money-laundered tens of thousands of dollars to political candidates, the Daily News has learned. The notification failure means leaders of city agencies - who award millions of dollars in contracts - may have been unaware that some bidders who laundered campaign funds should be ineligible for city business under the four-year-ban rule. As investigations of possible City Hall corruption continue, the breach in ethics enforcement rules raises new questions about whether effective measures are in place....

Why hasn’t Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger replaced controversial movie director/initiative promoter Rob Reiner as chairman of the California Children and Families Commission? That’s the question that has many, especially Schwarzenegger’s fellow Republicans, perplexed. Reiner has stepped away, taken a “leave of absence” from his post at the so-called “First Five Commission” in the wake of revelations about its highly questionable spending practices under his leadership. But he intends to return to the chairmanship after his Proposition 82 universal preschool initiative is voted on in June, even though his term in office expired in 2004. Many Republicans thought they understood Schwarzenegger’s motivation...

Groups consider preschool measure REINER TO PROMOTE HIS INITIATIVE IN S.J. Rob Reiner returns to San Jose on Thursday to pitch Proposition 82, his Preschool for All Act, as two key Silicon Valley business groups wrangle over whether to endorse the plan to provide a free voluntary year of preschool to all 4-year-olds in the state. The tech-heavy Silicon Valley Leadership Group, which met with Reiner in mid-December, and the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce have yet to weigh in on the complex initiative, which goes before voters statewide June 6. In recent weeks, a variety of opponents...

Former Mayor Richard Riordan joined Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Thursday in chiding the federal government's disaster response and calling for more local self-sufficiency. Villaraigosa also announced a new panel of homeland security advisers, including Riordan, who will be charged with developing better ways to protect residents, deliver aid and evacuate the city in the event of a terrorist strike or natural disaster. "We need a new set of eyes to review what we do," Villaraigosa said in introducing the 42-member panel of government, law enforcement, business, religious and think-tank leaders. Villaraigosa blasted the White House last week, accusing federal officials...

While Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is taking a duck so far on the preschool initiative on the June 6 ballot, several of his consultants and allies are not. Richard Riordan, the governor's former secretary of education, and his wife, Nancy Daly Riordan, are among Proposition 82's leading supporters. Some of the big donors to the governor's campaigns - Robert and Elizabeth Lowe and Warren Hellman - are also lending their names to the campaign to tax high earners to pay for universal preschool. On the other side, the campaign against Proposition 82 is relying on advice from some consultants who have...

Preschool for All Committee Total (last twelve months):$2,169,584 Cash on Hand (as of June 30):$195,431 Expenditures (Note: this includes only late contributions, generally large electronically filed contributions.This is not necessarily the total amount of cash-on-hand for the committee.) << Donor >> << Amount >> << Received Date >> << Report Date >> Carl And Estelle Reiner (Beverly Hills, CA) $500,000 12/07/2005 12/16/2005 Jamel Perkins (San Francisco, CA) $5,000 11/22/2005 12/02/2005 Catholic Healthcare West (Phoenix, AZ) $25,000 11/11/2005 11/18/2005 Brian S. Snyder (New York, NY) $30,000 11/10/2005 11/18/2005 Hispanic Express, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA) $20,000 11/09/2005 11/18/2005 Elon R. Musk (Los...

To paraphrase the late conservative intellectual Richard Weaver, election results have consequences. The consequences of the off-year 2001 elections will not be limited to the manner in which the victors govern; they will have a national impact as future pretenders to public office ponder their meaning and plan campaigns accordingly. Republicans are likely to draw all the wrong lessons from November 6 and do so at their peril. To review, the GOP lost the governorship in both Virginia and New Jersey while retaining the mayor's office in New York City (the Houston mayoral race will be decided in a runoff)....

Occidental College President Theodore R. Mitchell, a politically connected education expert credited with reinvigorating his Los Angeles campus over the past six years, said Tuesday that he would step down Sept. 1. Mitchell, 49, is leaving the private liberal arts college to become chief executive of NewSchools Venture Fund, a nonprofit group based in San Francisco. NewSchools, founded in 1998 by a group including Silicon Valley venture capitalists John Doerr and Brook Byers, has invested $40 million in efforts to improve public education in urban areas. Mitchell said he decided to take the job at NewSchools because "there is a...

The name Vignali receded into L.A. history after the “Pardongate” scandal of 2001, but questions remain about drug-dealing son Carlos and his real estate magnate father, Horacio, who just might be pulling the strings in the remaking of downtown L.A. --snip--- “Justice Undone: Clemency Decisions in the Clinton White House,” House Report 107-454, documents the involvement of Hugh Rodham, the brother of Hillary Rodham Clinton, in the Vignali affair. Rodham was Horacio Vignali’s chief lobbyist inside the White House and received more than $200,000 for his services. The two met through Los Angeles attorney James Casso in October 2000, according...

SACRAMENTO - State Education Secretary Richard Riordan said Wednesday he will resign from his position in June, ending a sometimes bumpy term in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration. The former two-term Los Angeles mayor and wealthy businessman gave no reason for his decision. Riordan was an uncomfortable fit in the Schwarzenegger administration whose efforts to change public school funding and management were largely stymied by opponents. His resignation was not a surprise to many in the Capitol who have anticipated him leaving after an incident last summer in Santa Barbara when Riordan jokingly told a child named Isis that her name...

'Parlor Maid' tarnishes FBI Details of Leung-Smith spy case throw bureau's handling of investigation into question Details of Leung-Smith spy case throw bureau's handling By Ian Hoffman, STAFF WRITER Twelve years ago, a team of U.S. counterintelligence operatives flew into frigid southern Manchuria to assess Chinese spying on American diplomats. Instead, the U.S. agents came to believe their own team was tracked by China's Ministry of State Security every step of their mission, which is still classified today. The first clue was an odd elevator encounter in remote northeast China, an FBI agent bumping into a California nuclear-weapons scientist suspected...

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The executive director of the nation's busiest port resigned Friday amid a probe by prosecutors into the awarding of contracts at the port and other city departments. Officials did not disclose the reason for the resignation of Larry Keller, who ran the Port of Los Angeles for seven years. A search to replace the director will begin immediately, the mayor's office said. "Larry's tenure saw the Port of Los Angeles grow into America's largest maritime gateway and the prime economic generator in the Southland," Mayor Jim Hahn said. "I wish him well in all his future...

Black civil-rights activists canceled plans for a protest after discovering a child insulted by California Education Secretary Richard Riordan was not African-American as originally believed, but a blonde, white girl. In an incident captured on video [Requires Real Player], Riordan, the former Los Angeles mayor, stunned participants in a promotional event July 1 at the Santa Barbara library by jokingly telling a 6-year-old her name, Isis, meant "stupid dirty girl." Alice Huffman, president of the California chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said Thursday that Riordan "is not suitable to lead education in our state"...

JULY 9--In a bizarre public gaffe, California's education commissioner told a child that her name, Isis, meant "stupid dirty girl." Richard Riordan, the former Republican mayor of Los Angeles, made the comment during a publicity event last week at a Santa Barbara library where he read to schoolchildren (below you'll find links to the video). When Isis D'Luciano, 6, asked Riordan if he knew her name meant "Egyptian goddess," the 74-year-old politician replied, "It means stupid dirty girl." While Riordan contends that he was just teasing the child, he apologized to D'Luciano, claiming that his joke was a "misunderstanding." That...

Calif. Education Secretary Urged To Resign Over Remarks To Child POSTED: 7:42 am EDT July 9, 2004 UPDATED: 9:14 am EDT July 9, 2004 LOS ANGELES -- The head of California's NAACP wants the state's education secretary to step down. During an event at a Santa Barbara library on July 1, Richard Riordan told a 6-year-old her first name meant "stupid dirty girl." The comment was recorded by a local TV station. After nervous laughter in the room, the girl reiterated to Riordan that her first name, Isis, means "Egyptian goddess." Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who's a longtime friend of Riordan's,...

<p>Bee Capitol Bureau Published 2:15 am PDT Friday, July 9, 2004 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office continued to back embattled Education Secretary Richard Riordan on Thursday amid growing outrage and demands for Riordan's resignation over his bizarre comment to a 6-year-old girl.</p>

Stupid, Inappropriate Commissioner California education chief's "dirty" crack to six-year-old girl JULY 9--In a bizarre public gaffe, California's education commissioner told a child that her name, Isis, meant "stupid dirty girl." Richard Riordan, the former Republican mayor of Los Angeles, made the comment during a publicity event last week at a Santa Barbara library where he read to schoolchildren (below you'll find links to the video). When Isis D'Luciano, 6, asked Riordan if he knew her name meant "Egyptian goddess," the 74-year-old politician replied, "It means stupid dirty girl." While Riordan contends that he was just teasing the child, he...

SACRAMENTO - A lawmaker who had called for Education Secretary Richard Riordan to resign for joking with a 6-year-old that her name meant ``stupid, dirty girl'' abruptly backed off Thursday after mistakenly suggesting that race was a factor in the quip. Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, D-Los Angeles, canceled a news conference today with civil rights groups after learning that the girl subjected to Riordan's joke was white, not African-American. An aide to Dymally said the assemblyman had seen conflicting news accounts of the girl's race. In a press release canceling the news conference, Dymally, who is African-American, said Riordan had apologized...

The head of the California NAACP is demanding state Education Secretary Richard Riordan resign for jokingly telling a preschooler that her name, Isis, meant "stupid dirty girl." (snip) The conversation, videotaped by KEYT-TV, took place Thursday at a promotional event for summer reading at Santa Barbara's central library. The unidentified girl, who appeared to be a preschooler, asked Riordan if he knew that her name meant "Egyptian goddess." Riordan replied, "It means stupid dirty girl." (snip) A group of civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, planned to protest Riordan's remarks at the Capitol Thursday. But the organizer, Democratic state Assemblyman...

No one ever accused Richard Riordan of being a prisoner to political correctness, but the feisty former mayor of Los Angeles and now the state's education secretary may have outdone himself last week when he called a youngster at a book event a "stupid, dirty girl." The incident took place Thursday at the Santa Barbara Central Library, where Riordan stopped in to promote a summer reading program. After reading a picture book to preschoolers and young elementary school pupils, he chatted with some of them. One girl asked whether he was aware that her name was that of an Egyptian...

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - State Education Secretary Richard Riordan has apologized for joking that a child's name meant "stupid dirty girl." In a videotaped exchange at the city's central library on Thursday, a girl asked Riordan if he knew that her name meant "Egyptian goddess." Riordan, who apparently believed he'd been asked what her name meant, replied, "It means stupid dirty girl." Some in the room laughed nervously, and the girl again told Riordan the meaning of her name. "Hey, that's nifty," he said.

RINO: An acronym for "Republican In Name Only." A confused creature most commonly found in the United States Senate. For more information, see "Olympia Snowe," "Lincoln Chafee" and especially "Arlen Specter." At some point, George W. Bush and his chief political advisor, Karl Rove, apparently decided that supporting so-called "mainstream" Republicans, without regard to their political ideology, was a wise political strategy. I cannot imagine why, since their previous endorsements of liberal Republicans have been embarrassing disasters. They did it in the 2002 California governor's primary by endorsing former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, a pro-abortion, big-government liberal, over a...

Richard Riordan, amateur comedian, former Los Angeles mayor and now California's Secretary of Education, just wanted to lighten things up at a speech to about 700 school superintendents in Monterey. So as he was advocating more authority for school principals, he threw in part of his comedy act. His idea of an ideal principal was one of the "sisters of little or no mercy" at his Catholic school in New York, he told the group last week. Sister Carmelita, the principal, could lift students up to the ceiling, and once hit a student 17 times before he crumpled to the...

<p>Barbara Kerr is proving that you can be president of the CTA, the muscular California Teachers Association, and a nice person at the same time.</p> <p>But in her press conference earlier this month with the equally muscular Arnold Schwarzenegger, she looked less like the primary schoolteacher she used to be and a lot more like the cat that swallowed the canary.</p>

<p>SACRAMENTO – Secretary of Education Richard Riordan is preparing a major overhaul of state school funding that would bypass local districts and funnel taxpayer dollars directly to school principals.</p> <p>The proposal, which Riordan said he has discussed with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, would replace California's complex school funding formulas with a flat payment per student. Schools would be held to strict standards but would be given freedom to determine how they met those standards.</p>

<p>Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, now Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's secretary of education, says a friend tells him that the only time he opens his mouth is to change feet.</p> <p>But Riordan's take on what he calls "the mess" in financing California public schools and his hopes for reform are right on.</p>

<p>Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's top education adviser is calling for a complete and dramatic overhaul of the way California pays for public schools.</p> <p>Education Secretary Richard Riordan said Wednesday that in light of The Bee's recent investigation of school financing, the new Republican administration is expanding its proposals for education reform to include a new kind of student funding formula.</p>

<p>SACRAMENTO (AP) - Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan has interviewed for a top education job in the Arnold Schwarzenegger administration and is looking at homes in the state capital, according to a published report.</p> <p>Riordan, a moderate Republican who campaigned for Schwarzenegger and headed an advisory education panel for the governor-elect, could serve as education secretary or in another, less formal role, the Los Angeles Times reported in Saturday's editions. The newspaper cited two unidentified people familiar with Riordan's prospects.</p>

Sorry for the vanity. Dick Riordan was just interviewed live on Fox Newschannel and told Fox reporter Brian Wilson that Arnold needs to add new taxes to help balance the budget in California. He said Arnold also needs to tax internet sales.

Mr. KABC announced on his show last night (and the night before) that he will be on vacation tonight and that Richard Riordan would be sitting in for him. The forum of the show is pure ‘call in’. Mr KABC encouraged people to call Riordan to ask questions re: the recall, Schwarzenegger, etc. There is no mention of Riordan's hosting on either KABC.com or MrKABC.comSpecial Guest HOST....Richard Riordan September 12, 2003, Friday, 9:00PM - 12:00AM1-800-222-KABC To listen via internet: ....http://www.kabc.com/listenlive.aspTo email Mr. kabc....mrkabc@kabc.comTo visit MrKabc website: ....http://www.mrkabc.com

It was 6 p.m. when the call arrived, an hour after actor Arnold Schwarzenegger had stunned California's political establishment by announcing on "The Tonight Show" that he would run to replace Gov. Gray Davis in the Oct. 7 recall election. Schwarzenegger was on the line, calling potential supporters at the New Majority, the Orange County-based group of more than 100 wealthy, moderate Republicans who'd backed Richard Riordan for governor last year and encouraged the actor to take a stab at public office. Schwarzenegger, the star attraction at a New Majority gala last year, arranged for a speaker phone to be...

Bush's Terminator Robert Novak August 14, 2003 WASHINGTON -- Arnold Schwarzenegger's late decision to jump into the California recall election was made after weekend meetings to plan what was supposed to be a campaign for governor by Richard Riordan. The two men, non-conservatives and only nominal Republicans, are friends and political allies. But the multi-millionaire movie actor was disturbed by the demeanor of the multi-millionaire former mayor of Los Angeles. As Schwarzenegger later related to associates, he was unpleasantly surprised by his old friend. In their private conversation, the 73-year-old Riordan duplicated his shaky performance in losing the 2002 Republican...

<p>Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan took himself out of the running for governor late Thursday and endorsed Arnold Schwarzenegger.</p> <p>"I have decided not to enter the race for governor," Riordan said in a three-paragraph statement.</p> <p>"This recall election offers us a choice: We can either continue with politics as usual in California, or we can elect someone who works on behalf of every Californian, not just the special interests," he said. "As I have said many times, I believe Arnold Schwarzenegger is a very talented man who would make an excellent governor."</p>

Schwarzenegger on Leno Schwarzenegger, best known for playing a killer robot in three "Terminator" movies, opened his campaign with a raw display of the extraordinary media platform at his disposal, announcing his candidacy on NBC's "Tonight Show With Jay Leno." Among those caught off-guard by the announcement was his close friend and another potential candidate, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan. One of Riordan's closest advisers said the mayor thought he had an understanding that Schwarzenegger would withdraw from the race, easing Riordan's way in. Riordan aide angry "So this is what it feels like to be mugged," the adviser...

Just reported on Channel 9 News aids to Dick Riordan say that he was all set to run when news of Schwarzenegger's intention to run came down. Riordan was "stunned" and "dissappointed." A Riordan aid: "So this is what it's like to be mugged."

One is a college dropout who at age 41 now co-owns an El Segundo-based slot machine company that is the largest of its kind in the state. Another is a Torrance private eye and self-proclaimed “political gadfly” who has unsuccessfully run for various federal and state offices numerous times, usually under the banner of the Peace and Freedom Party. A third is a disabled, nationally known porn purveyor who owns a Gardena casino. They and three others with South Bay connections are among more than 250 people statewide with aspirations of replacing Gov. Gray Davis in the Oct. 7 recall...

Riordan eyeing governor seatRecall: Former L.A. mayor, liked moderate would be threat to Dems. By Erica WernerAssociated Press LOS ANGELES -- Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan appears increasingly likely to run for governor in the Oct. 7 recall election, a prospect that is pressuring Democrats already straining to maintain unity behind Gov. Gray Davis. Riordan, a popular moderate Republican, is assembling a campaign team and said he will seriously consider getting in the race if actor Arnold Schwarzenegger does not. Schwarzenegger's political advisers said he is and will make an announcement Wednesday. He will then appear on "The...

"Riordan May Be GOP's Best Chance to Replace Davis." This appears not in the commentary section of Tuesday's Los Angeles Times but in its front news pages. As usual, the Times is urging the Republicans to run a de facto Democrat. As usual, the Times equates the political welfare of the GOP with its editors' liberal preferences. What is the point of a recall that would replace a tax-and-spend Democrat with a tax-and-spend Republican? Or, even more absurdly, a recall that would replace Davis with one of his more generous donors? Riordan, it bears repeating, played a role in foisting...

Should former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan run for governor?

Riordan Is Closer to Recall Run Schwarzenegger's candidacy appears less likely. Former mayor meets with strategist.      Photos    Former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan(AP)    Related Stories   Shriver Said to Have a Big Say in Schwarzenegger DecisionJuly 29, 2003  Coverage of the statewide effort to remove Gov. Gray Davis from office.   Times Headlines     more >       By Michael Finnegan, Times Staff Writer With rising doubts over whether Arnold Schwarzenegger will run for governor, another moderate Republican, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, edged closer Monday to becoming a candidate to replace Gov. Gray...

The California governor's race is up for grabs and a bevy of Republicans are throwing in their hats. But one thing is sure: If he runs, Arnold Schwarzenegger won't have the support of the conservative Reaganites who dominate the state's Republican party...

The California governor's race is up for grabs and a bevy of Republicans are throwing in their hats. But one thing is sure: If he runs, Arnold Schwarzenegger won’t have the support of the conservative Reaganites who dominate the state's Republican party. "The conservative wing of the party doesn’t want Schwarzenegger," syndicated talk show host and Fox News commentator Mike Reagan told NewsMax Sunday. Reagan is the son of former president Ronald Reagan and a champion of his father's conservatism. Former White House staffer and Republican strategist Ken Khachigian notes that conservatives are already criticizing Schwarzenegger's statement that he was...

<p>Should the Democrats have a replacement candidate on the recall?</p>