Police protect Villaraigosa from reporters

Who's affair won't leave him alone?

That would be LA's dandy mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa. As soon as the talk turns to Miraltha Salinas, the mayor's mistress, the police force them back.

A few minutes later, however, Villaraigosa got another example of how this story continues to live on and drag more people into its messy web. As Villaraigosa began to leave, Los Angeles Port Police formed a phalanx to keep the media at bay. "How come we're not allowed to talk to him?" one reporter demanded.

When the police line relaxed, the journalists started chasing after the mayor, who usually permits camera crews and reporters to follow him to his city vehicle. Leading the charge was an Azteca America TV reporter, Alicia Unger, who tried to dash ahead of one plainclothes officer only to have him push her into a 20-foot cargo container.

"That's wrong," a television reporter screamed at the officer, Port Police Sgt. Kevin McCloskey. "You can't hit a woman like that," another reporter told him.

The shoving incident was videotaped by several cameramen, but the best angle was captured by Telemundo's KVEA-TV Channel 52, the same station where Salinas in June sat in the anchor chair and delivered the news that Villaraigosa's 20-year marriage was falling apart. The 35-year-old newscaster did not disclose to viewers that she was dating the mayor.

A few hours after Friday's shoving incident of Unger, who is a reporter for KAZA-TV Channel 54, Port Police Chief Ronald Boyd said that he had launched an investigation into the actions of his sergeant. Boyd declined to comment on whether McCloskey violated department policy by pushing the reporter against a cargo container.

Villaraigosa and his mistress part duex

Who's Sorry now?

We're not sure who's the sorriest in this case - the voters, who held such high hopes for Antonio, the Hispanic hope for California and the wave of the future for politics in the US?, or the victims of the Mayor and the TV news star's passionate affair?

Here's LA Observed's update on what everyone's saying about the Mayor and Miraltha lately. We're particularly tuned in to the last quote, Zinger of the weekend: "Salinas, the proverbial other woman, loses a lot as well....She's lost her credibility, her reputation and maybe even her high-profile job at Telemundo. After that, not even Rocky Delgadillo would date her." — Mariel Garza, Daily News

Villaraigosa's mistress with the Assembly Speaker

OK, Here goes:

In 2003 Fabian Nunez, Assembly Speaker of CA, was getting divorced from his wife, Maria. He has confirmed that he was having an affair with Mirthala, the Telemundo reporter.

Fabian is a good friend of Antonio (Villaraigosa). A good friend? Hate to think what an enemy would do. Fabian and his wife have since remarried - guess that's a version of "stand by your man". The Mayor and Mirthala are now an item, while he's getting divorced. See any patterns here? Oh, and then there's Paris Hilton and Antonio looking all cute and flirty....what's up with that?

Eric Longabardi of ERS News.com reports that before Mirthala Salinas became involved with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, she was the girlfriend of his good friend and close ally, Speaker Fabian Núñez. Quoting Longabardi:

Assembly Speaker, Fabio Nunez, one of Villaraigosa’s best friends, also had a relationship with Salinas from the summer of 2003 until after his swearing in as Assembly Speaker in February 2004. The Speaker’s office confirmed to ERSNews.com that while the Speaker was divorced from his wife Maria (they have since remarried), Nunez and Salinas had a romantic relationship. Salinas attended Nunez’s swearing in as Speaker of the Assembly. Sources also tell ERSNews.com that Salinas would regularly fly to Sacramento to see the Speaker. One insider at Telemundo said that “everybody in the newsroom knew all about it and management did nothing about it.”

Villaraigosa's got a mistress, with video

Who's sorry now?

Don't think Tony's wife isn't either sorry or relieved. What a di@k wad the mayor is....and now there's speculation that his TV journalist mistress, Ms. (Mirthala) Salinas, may be preggers. Well, of course he denied that one.

But speculation continued to build about Salinas, whose name and picture appeared on Internet blogs, along with allegations that she was pregnant.

Asked today whether Salinas -- now an evening anchor for Telemundo, Channel 52 -- is pregnant, Villaraigosa said: "I can tell you emphatically that that question is outrageous and the answer is no, she is not pregnant."

On June 8, Salinas opened Telemundo's newscast with a report about Villaraigosa confirming that he and his wife were separating.

"The rumors were true," Salinas said in Spanish. "Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa confirmed today that he is separating from his wife, Corina, after more than 20 years of marriage."