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Villaraigosa on Obama: 'He Will Do a Great Job'
In Rick Orlov's weekly Daily News column on City Hall and local politics, today he touches on the Democratic presidential race and Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa, who has recently been criticized for his time away from the city to campaign for Hillary Clinton. He defends his out-of-town moves and talks about what happens if Clinton loses:
"Look, if you're a big-city mayor and you want money from Washington, you have to get involved in these things," Villaraigosa said last week. "I hear the critics. But I would be criticized even more if I don't deliver for the city." And if Sen. Barack Obama is the eventual Democratic nominee, Villaraigosa said, he will campaign just as hard for him.
"We have two good candidates," Villaraigosa said. "I support Hillary, but if Obama is the nominee, he will do a great job."
Also, the mayor's approval rating has gone up according to a survey conducted by students at Loyola Marymount University's Center for the Study of Los Angeles.
AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian