Chick drops sweet deal for Allen *

Controller Laura Chick says that "in our enthusiasm to put his expert abilities to work again for the city of Los Angeles, we lost sight of how this contract would be perceived." Last week she gave her former top aide Marcus Allen an $85,000 consulting contract, while he was working with prominent City Hall lobbyists, and began taking heat. LAT, DN

* And endorses Obama: "Barack Obama is the candidate who has the vision, intellect, experience and courage needed to lead our country," she says in a release from Camp Obama. Rick Orlov has analysis.