L.A.'s mayor derby

Rick Orlov in the Daily News reports that former police chief, and current councilman, Bernard Parks is expected to announce for mayor "any day now." Remember, Jim Hahn refused to reappoint Parks to a second term as chief, and some say Parks began planning his run the next day.

Insiders are betting his announcement will be quickly followed by ones from former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg of Sherman Oaks and Controller Laura Chick.

Both Hertzberg and Chick have been cagey in their proclamations and Chick has even said in the past that she would endorse Hahn. Of course, that was before her recent audits critical of the mayor and his Airport Commission.

Left off the list, so far, is Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa, who lost to Hahn in 2001.

Villaraigosa has made no secret of his desire to one day be mayor but he has been holding off on any announcement. Some of his reticence might be due to his position as state and national co-chairman of the Kerry for President campaign. If Kerry is elected, there has been a lot of talk that Villaraigosa could be up for a Cabinet post.