Campaign scene: 2 Hours in the Valley

County Supervisor GLORIA Molina introduces BOB Hertzberg, after they don white coats for tour of high-tech medical laboratory with ANTONIO Villaraigosa. They lose the coats for the photo op.

GLORIA This is an exciting morning. First of all, we just finished our exciting tour...

I have known these two gentlemen and these two leaders for a long, long time...I feel like a big sis to these guys...What we have here is one of the most dynamic partnerships ever ever...Today is a very exciting time.

BOB

Should we ask her, Antonio, which one of her brothers she voted for [in the primary]?

Uncomfortable, too-loud laughs all around. GLORIA doesn't answer. BOB alludes to past estrangement as he endorses ANTONIO and says he really means it.

BOB

You know that he has what it takes...This is not a run-of-the-mill political endorsement. I'm going to give Antonio Villaraigosa everything I've got....

I'm telling you, I have no quarrel standing with Antonio Villaraigosa.

BOB promises to send ANTONIO every idea and position memo he wrote in the primary. More uncomfortable laughs. Extras — among them former Hertzberg co-chairs Lisa Specht and David Fleming, David Abel and Dan Weinstein — applaud. BOB bearhugs ANTONIO...(still hugging...still hugging...)

ANTONIO
(at a loss for words)

That hug took my breath away....

Let me say, it's great that we're back. I was proud to have Bob Hertzberg as my right hand [in the state Assembly] and proud that he became the Speaker.

ANTONIO accepts the endorsement, brings up the City Hall ethics probes, promises to build a biomedical center on the Eastside, then repeats the gist of his statement in Spanish for TV cameras. He then opens it up to questions from the assembled media. LAUREL Erickson of Channel 4 and LINDA Breakstone of Channel 2 go first and ask about drug dealer Carlos Vignali. ANTONIO starts his stock answer about Hahn's term being "the most investigated in city history, since the 1930s..."

LAUREL Councilman, I asked you a direct question... LINDA Councilman, what about...!

Campaign press secretary Nathan James steps in, cuts off questions, and hustles ANTONIO off the set and out a side door.

CUT TO:

Assembled SCRIBES looking at each other.

SCRIBES
(mouthing the words)

What was that?

Puzzled SCRIBES trudge toward parking lot, making mental notes to do more digging -- if ANTONIO runs away, might there be something more down the Vignali well?

CUT TO:

MAN muttering to fellow extra.

MAN

Brrrrr — the media...That was disgusting.