Snapshots from TRUTANICH VICTORY PARTY!

Besides Zuma Dogg crashing the event, it was one hell of a classy time at the Universal Hilton for the TRUTANICH VICTORY PARTY!

The entire evening was a very warm event, with a very good vibe. It was a very surreal event for a guy like me, spending time hob-knobbing with the new City Attorney, Carmen Trutainch (I'm calling him "Uncle Nuch" from now on, I just decided), L.A. Times David Zahnhiser, District Attorney Steve Cooley, Sheriff Lee Baca, Board of Supervisor Don "Obi-Wan" Knabe, KABC's Sandy Wells, CM Dennis Zine and KNBC REQUESTING and on-camera interview with ZD!!! Plus, the crowd itself was far too kind to Zuma Dogg, asking for autographs "for their kids" and people jumping up out of their seats to shake my hand and take picutres.

A CLASSIC moment in my mind, is City Attorney Nuch, Sheriff Baca, D.A. Cooley and CM Zine walking on stage while ZD was singing "Don't Stop Believing" LIVE with the band to grab the mic to make the VICTORY ANNOUNCEMENT! (I thought the entire county of law enforcement was "comin' to get me" for my singing!)

But THE CLASSIC moment was is when a lady came RUNNING up to ZD saying, "I am finally face to face with you!!! We finally meet!" She knew me from TV and she was going on and on about ZD, RIGHT IN FRONT OF BOARD OF COUNTY SUPERVISOR DON KNABE, who was talking when she interrupted. I introduced her to Don and she added that she is a fan of his, too. (But I think she was just being nice.)

I know I grind it out on the streets day to day, but it is always shocking and overwhelming and surreal to be received so warmly by a room of strangers like that. AND, I LOVE IT! It's a blessing, a privilege and an honor. And really, I never felt more comfortable in a crowd. And that is an energy-based feeling that cannot be faked.

I spent some quality time on the phone with Nuch, earlier in the afternoon, because I called him from outside my voting location to tell him, "I just 'punched-out' Trutanich!" (Indicating that I punched his name on the ballot.) And as we were speaking, as Nuch entertained the idea that "this could be it" (if he didn't win)...I gotta tell ya, I NEVER felt better about Nuch as being the lovable "good guy" that he has appeared to be, as when he was speaking from the angle of being the loser.

(Not to say that he wasn't cautiously confident that he was going to do well based on sheer analysis of the voting demographics of this election with the Props, and all that he felt was going to go his way, which he obviously was right about.)

AND EVEN THE FACT THAT THE GUY WAS TALKING TO ME ON THE PHONE HOURS BEFORE THE PARTY! And, it was cool, because as I was on the phone with Nuch, a sweet lady came walking out of the polls, so ZD did an exit poll and asked who she voted for. She said, "Trutanich," so I handed her the phone and said, "Here, he wants to thank you." And I put her on with Nuch. (LOL!)

Then, a guy exited the polls and I asked him. I asked the same question and got the same answer (Two for two in the ZD exit poll). So I handed him the phone and he spoke with Nuch and told him about a legal problem he was having that the city was involved with, and Nuch asked me to take his name and number, and at the party Nuch reminded me to follow up with the guy's info. (HEY, at least he remembered!)

AND, his family and campaign was very nice to ZD and made him feel like part of the crowd, instead of the outsider looking in. THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I even walked around without my cap and glasses I felt so comfortable!

The point I am trying to make is, I know there are a lot of people who don't know much about this guy who is about the most powerful person in the city now...and over the past seven months all I can tell ya is I really don't think you can fake the way Nuch put up with me and made me feel like a million bucks the entire time! And now that the election is over, I hope Nuch doesn't mind if I tell people that when ZD sent out one of those desperate Twitter/blog posts...Uncle Carmen was the ONLY PERSON IN THE CITY who made ZD's phone ring to IMMEDIATELY solve the problem!

Now I know the job will force things to be a little different, and I won't be pestering the City Attorney on his cell phone during the day anymore, because now he's on the taxpayer's clock and if he took my call, I would have to complain that he is wasting taxpayer time and money.

So all I can say is, Nuch, you really did it!!! And I know you REALLY had a big TEAM of supporters behind you, that did it with you...and THAT'S a good sign. And to ZD you will always be the TRUe people's champ, because you pushed because you didn't want to let down the people who supported you, and dumped a big bucket of water on the Wicked Witch of the West's political machine, like Dorothy!

AND, SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO COUNCILMEMBER DENNIS ZINE WHO IS FOREVER IN MY MIND A TRUe LEADER FOR STANDING UP AND GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN ON THIS ONE IN SUCH A BIG AND BOLD WAY!!! (And I wanted to post the comment before I change my mind about saying something like this about a Councilmember.)