The Skinny

Funny how politics works. Tom Torlakson and Gloria Romero have bumped heads in the Senate, as both jockey for position in the race for state superintendent of public instruction. But Hilda Solis’s selection to be Barack Obama’s labor secretary has turned Torlakson into Romero’s Number One fan. Romero is all but certain to run for Solis’s Congressional seat if and when it becomes available, taking out Torlakson’s top competitor for the job. Judy Chu has already announced her candidacy, and Assemblyman Ed Hernandez is also looking at the race … Freshman Assemblyman Isadore Hall had a community swearing-in ceremony in Watts on Dec. 20 that read like a who’s-who of LA black politics. But the event didn’t come off without incident. One speaker, Congresswoman Dianne Watson, reportedly gave a speech where she made several references to “Isabel Hall.” Watson also famously referred to presidential candidate “Barama” last fall… Another speaker, Congresswoman Laura Richardson, was named one of the 10 most embarrassing re-elected members of Congress the very next day by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). She was the only state Democrat on the list, but was joined by three California Republicans: Ken Calvert, Jerry Lewis and Gary Miller. Richardson’s real estate troubles, of course, were first reported in the Capitol Weekly…