Greuel goes back on the air, but only to slam Garcetti

Days after the Times broke the news that the Wendy Greuel campaign suspended its TV blitz to conserve funds, Team Greuel unveiled a new spot it says will start airing Thursday. But if you were hoping for an uplifting message about why you should vote for Greuel to be your mayor, you will be disappointed. The 30-second spot instead tries to tar rival Eric Garcetti as sleazy for supporting the project of (and taking campaign contributions from) a developer who a decade before did prison time for a shady bank deal in the Valley. The developer, Juri Ripinski, isn't especially tied to Garcetti. The City Council voted for the East Hollywood development back in 2007 and 2008, and his felonious past was in the public record. Greuel voted for the project too, but says it was up to Garcetti to inform the council of Ripinski's past. Nuances of course are missing from the Greuel spot:

I don't know. Greuel's people must have some polling data showing traction for their slams on Garcetti — they also have tried to make hay out of his family trust leasing the oil rights under its store on Wilshire in Beverly Hills — but both seem weak and even a little desperate. Maybe they just feel since they paid for all that opposition research, they should use what dirt they found. Of all the things to go after Garcetti for, though, personal ethics would seem the least likely to take hold.

Garcetti has his own negative ad running, essentially calling Greuel a shill for the DWP union (even though he has his own union backing.) Maybe they both are just hoping that so few voters know the candidates this year that when people fill out their ballots, enough will vaguely remember seeing something on TV.