Netkin arrested

Valley dingbat Hal Netkin ran a phone bank during the mayoral election that called voters with automated anti-Villaraigosa messages. He's obsessed with immigrants and the mayor-elect, and on his website calls Villaraigosa "the MECHista mayor who virtually takes his orders from Mexico City." So, no surprise, Netkin is the guy who was arrested last night in Orange County for driving his van into a crowd of Latinos protesting an appearance by the head of the Minuteman Project.

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Netkin Web-site

http://www.mayorno.com/CampaignClosingStatement.html

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http://www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=1562&IssueNum=85

From LA City Beat

THE STREET
Word on the street ...

[Mayoral Race]

Un-American Activities?

As campaign phone calls go, this one was a doozy. Was it a return to the divisive antics of the last mayoral race, in which winner Jim Hahn painted Antonio Villaraigosa as soft on (brown) crime? Is the ugly race card appearing again in time to influence March’s election? “Before voting for mayoral candidate Antonio Villaraigosa, be aware of his ties to racist groups and shocking un-American activities,” said a man identifying himself as Hal Netkin, in an automated call. Turns out Netkin is no tool of Mayor Hahn’s reelection machine. He appears to be a San Fernando Valley gadfly who dislikes all the major candidates and favors conservative Walter Moore. His site, Mayorno.com, calls Villaraigosa a “Mexican nationalist,” State Sen. Richard Alarcón a communist, Hahn a “pay-to-play mayor,” former state Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg a member of an “anti-American” group, Councilman Bernard Parks soft on gangs, and trial lawyer Moore “your only choice.” Villaraigosa spokesman Nathan James writes off Netkin’s crusade as somewhat quixotic. “We don’t think it’s a factor in the race,” James says. “This is a fringe guy with what looks like a vendetta against Antonio. We’re certainly not responding. It’s not worth going there.”

–Dennis Romero
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