Monday campaign wrap-up: Foxes, thrilling action and more

Ballots for voting my mail go out starting Feb. 4. As many as half of the votes cast in the March 5 election may come in by mail, says Rick Orlov in Monday's Tipoff column. So the concept of "Election Day" really isn't that important here any more.

Also in Orlov's column: An email from Greuel consultant Rose Kapolczynski reminded voters that Sen. Barbara Boxer and some other prominent Democratic women have endorsed Greuel for mayor. The context Orlov provides is that the National Organization for Women endorsed Garcetti.

Photo: County mail-in ballots last November

It's no demon sheep classic, but there are some cute animals in the first independent hit piece on Garcetti, Greuel and Perry from the out-of-state interests funding a campaign on Kevin James' behalf. The video produced by Los Angeles Republican consultant Fred Davis uses plenty of footage of foxes — meant to reaffirm the message that electing one of the City Hall incumbents would be like putting the fox in charge of the hen house. Get it? Here's the whole thing and Gene Maddaus' take at the LA Weekly.

Hands down, the most fun story I've read on Campaign 2013 so far has been Rob Greene's account of driving in the 3rd council district with Dennis Zine. He's the councilman for the district who is running for City Controller. Greene is the Los Angeles Times editorial writer, and a native of the West Valley, who went on the ridealong to get a sense of both the area today and of Zine.

Sample:

Dennis Zine is trying to kill me.

Or at least it seems that way. He’s driving across the grass at Lanark Park in his city car, enthusing about how responsive he is to his City Council constituents here in the West San Fernando Valley, explaining to me that his staff back at City Hall and in his Reseda district office are trained to answer the phone on or before the third ring.

And he’s going to prove it. He’s got his left hand on the wheel and his right on his cellphone and -- oh, my God, Dennis, watch the road -- now we’re on Topanga and he’s punching in numbers. Or hitting speed dial, or whatever; I can’t tell because my hands are on the dash trying to steady myself and I’m looking out for cross traffic because, after all, someone has to. I’m riding shotgun, and in the back seat on this late summer afternoon are Zine’s district director, Irma Pomposa, and his communications director, Jessica Tarman; their occasional comments -- “This is what you get when you drive with a cop” -- suggest that they may not be all that happy with the situation but they’re used to it and they know there’s not much to be done about it.

Monday night at UCLA's Royce Hall, NBC4's Conan Nolan will moderate a forum of the five main candidates for mayor. Channel 4 will air the debate live from 7 to 8 p.m. then continue coverage on the web. KPCC is also covering the debate live. UCLA Newsroom advistory

• Jim Newton poses the vision question: "Imagine it's 2021. You've been mayor for eight years. How does Los Angeles look different as a result of your work?" Monday column/LAT
• The Pacific Palisades Democratic Club asked the candidates Sunday about LAFD budget and service cuts, then voted to endorse Garcetti. Linthicum/LAT
• Mayoral candidates sound off on pot dispensaries. Reston/LAT
• Former DA Gil Garcetti, now 71 and a photographer, wants his son to win. Rainey/LAT
• AEG and developer J.H. Snyder so far are providing most of the money to promote Council President Herb Wesson's sales tax increase. Zahniser/LAT, Smith/DN
• This election season, Los Angeles is beginning to look like Sacramento South. Orlov/DN
• There will be seven new members of the City Council by summer. Zahniser/LAT
• A roundup on the controller race. Orlov/DN