Thursday, 8.17.06

Cooley and Philibosian go way back. When Philibosian was the district attorney in 1984, he tapped Cooley as the youngest head deputy in the office’s history; he campaigned for Cooley in 2000; he emceed Cooley’s inauguration and worked on his transition team. Philibosian and Cooley own property together at Lake Arrowhead.

So what was Philibosian, a partner at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, doing in the middle of the recent campaign-money-laundering conviction of power lawyer Pierce O’Donnell? Or the Newhall Land & Ranch Co. environmental-crimes investigation? Or the investigation into allegations of corruption in the city of Cudahy? Or the Venoco oil-well-emissions investigation at Beverly Hills High School?

How does Villaraigosa getting involved help the schools — especially now that the legislation has been negotiated to the point where the mayor represents just another layer of authority? How does diffusing power increase accountability?

Politically, what's the guy thinking? Not only has this ambitious politician been making enemies in his first major endeavor as mayor, he's setting himself up for potential failure about the time he runs for reelection in three years.

"Weeds": A Quick Takes item in Wednesday's Calendar section misstated the ratings for Showtime's season premiere of "Weeds." The episode drew 578,000 viewers, not 5.8 million. Though its ratings did mark an 18% increase from its first-season debut and was the best second-season launch in Showtime's history, it was not a showing that would "make HBO executives envious," as the item stated.

The listing of Southern California's 100 most powerful people in Sunday's West magazine incorrectly stated that real estate heir Stephen L. Bing had been "socked by actress-model Elizabeth Hurley with a successful paternity suit." It was Bing who initiated legal proceedings to establish his paternity and successfully confirmed his legal right to provide financial support for his son, despite Hurley's opposition.