In the politics columns

Associates of Mayor Hahn approached State Sen. Richard Alarcon three months ago about helping him run for controller instead of mayor, Alarcon says in Patrick McGreevy's Inside Politics column in the Times. They wanted him to take on Hahn nemesis Laura Chick, but Alarcon says he refused the offer: "I support her. She's my friend." It's not mentioned in the column, but a source also has said that Hahn's office knew early on that there would be a community recall effort against Antonio Villaraigosa. In his Daily News Tipoff column, Rick Orlov warns the challengers that Hahn may outshine them in that disputed Dec. 2 debate: "A lawyer by training, a career city official and the son of a lifelong politician, Hahn knows the issues facing the city better than just about anyone."

Keep an eye on: A lawsuit in Superior Court that alleges former deputy mayor Troy Edwards blocked the Port of Los Angeles from signing a contract with shipping firm P&O Nedlloyd. David Zahniser reported in Sunday's Daily Breeze that Edwards is accused of ordering harbor commission President Nick Tonsich at the last minute to steer the contract to Evergeen Marine. This might be one of the cases that has federal and local grand juries interested in Edwards and the port, and the depositions themselves might make interesting reading for anyone curious about how the Hahn Administration operated when Edwards was around (he resigned last April).