The black-Latino political coalition that could make 2005 different than 2001 for Antonio Villaraigosa moved a good bit closer to reality today. Rep. Maxine Waters, who was with Jim Hahn last time, endorsed Villaraigosa. She not only represents more black voters than just about anyone but Yvonne Brathwaite Burke (who Villaraigosa also plucked away from Hahn), but Waters runs a pretty potent get-out-the-vote operation in South Los Angeles. Villaraigosa now has black leaders Sen. Kevin Murray, Assembly member Karen Bass, ex-Speaker Herb Wesson and councilmember Martin Ludlow to go with Burke and Waters, and if he gets Bernie Parks' nod as expected, then Hahn's going to have a hard time. Have to wonder what Magic Johnson will do, if he sees momentum flowing toward Villaraigosa.

By the way, in this morning's Times story about endorsements (which didn't see Waters' coming), Hahn strategist Bill Carrick called these endorsements "meaningless." But Hahn supporter Eric Bauman, who is chair of the L.A. County Democratic Party, said in advance that a Waters endorsement would be "seismic": "He described her political operation as 'unmatched by anybody in the South Los Angeles area....If Maxine endorsed Antonio, it would be an extraordinary turn of events among the African American community leadership.'"

* Friday stories: In the Times, Waters says of Hahn: "We gave him a chance. He failed. And so, we're moving on." The Daily News calls it "a serious blow" to Hahn. The Daily Breeze puts it in the context of the big LAX renovation that Hahn favors, but that many in South LA oppose because of the flyover factor.

Previously: Black leaders abandon Hahn