Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 7 May 2018

L.A. mayor, eyes on White House, hawks ties to Hawkeye state

By THOMAS BEAUMONT tion.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) With that as part of his
— Los Angeles Mayor Eric family's history, Garcetti
Garcetti, the Democratic has steadfastly opposed
leader of a city with 75 federal efforts to reduce
miles of coastline, immi- "sanctuary cities," munici-
grants from around the palities like his that resist
world and the Kardashians, federal mandates to verify
is considering running for immigration status as part
president in 2020. But first of routine police stops. He
he would have to make it promoted his enactment of
through Iowa. On a recent a $10 million legal defense
visit, he did his best to con- fund for immigrants.
nect, playing up everything Garcetti's is a popular po-
his city shares with the rural, sition with Democrats in
overwhelmingly white vot- Iowa, angry about a new
ers. It was no easy task. Republican-backed law
"Iowa and Los Angeles enacted outlawing sanc-
have much more in com- tuary cities in a state with-
mon than you might think, out any. Minority activists
and it's not just because we packed into the room in the
have the USS Iowa parked Iowa Capitol, where GOP
in the Port of L.A.," Garcetti Gov. Kim Reynolds signed
said at a party dinner. the measure just days earli-
___ er, and erupted into cheers
WHY IT MATTERS at Garcetti's encourage-
For more than 40 years, the ment to take action.
Iowa caucuses have led Garcetti's message hear-
off the two major parties' kens back to Obama-style
presidential nominating In this April 16, 2018, file photo, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti delivers his State of the City ad- message of trying to find
process. A surprising finish dress in Los Angeles. commonality in diversity.
can reward the winner with Associated Press As he likes to say, he's "just
momentum; Democrat your average Mexican-
Barack Obama proved voters in the U.S. is wide, "We're both manufacturing coastal person, I'm a heart- American-Jewish-Italian."
that by beating Hillary Clin- making their challenge capitals of heavy equip- land person,'" Garcetti told ___
ton in Iowa in 2008. Failing considerable. ment." Also true. reporters during his visit. ONE LAST THING
to meet expectations can ___ His moves are nothing new "We struggle with the same Garcetti has a personal
mean an early beginning WHAT TO WATCH in a state where presiden- things here and we have connection to Iowa.
to the end; Democrat How- Will Iowans buy it? tial prospects scrounge for the same victories." Garcetti's wife, Amy Wake-
ard Dean showed that four Los Angeles has a million any connection. His effort to link his work in man, traces her family's
years earlier. more people than Iowa Former New York Mayor Los Angeles to Iowa's small roots to Iowa, as Garcetti
Garcetti is the sort of can- and packs them into one- Rudy Giuliani once likened cities and towns is some- said almost everywhere
didate who could need tenth the area. It has the the nation's largest city, what of a stretch. Immigra- he went on his recent visit.
Iowa. He has a minimal na- nation's busiest seaport. with more than 8.5 million tion and trade, both big is- Wakeman wasn't along for
tional profile and could use It could also be called people, to Cedar Rapids, sues for Garcetti, are big in the trip, but was "so jeal-
a burst of momentum to be the city of immigrants. For population 131,000. Iowa, too. ous because I'm going to
considered in the Demo- 139 countries, Los Ange- Clinton, over the course of The 47-year-old Garcetti all the places her family is
crats' top tier. les is home to the largest her two presidential cam- noted that he's the great- from," Garcetti told The As-
He's also fighting history. population living outside paigns, often told of her grandson of a Mexican sociated Press.
While former mayors have their homelands. In con- family's stay at the Tall Corn immigrant who brought his He visited the Waterloo
gone on to be president, trast, Iowa is landlocked Motel in Davenport on a grandfather to Los Angeles gravesite of Wakeland's
no candidate has jumped and more than 80 percent childhood road trip. It might as an infant. Today, Gar- great-grandparents and a
straight from city hall to white. have been an attempt cetti's grandfather would memorial for her great un-
the White House. Mayors Undeterred, Garcetti is to cast herself — wealthy, have been among those cle, killed in World War II.
of other big cities such as playing up the similarities. powerful and protected by immigrant children living "Iowa is not just the geo-
New York and New Orleans He compares Iowa and Los the Secret Service — as just in the United States ille- graphic heart of this coun-
also are thinking about Angeles as renewable en- one of the folks. gally but protected by the try, it's the moral center,"
the 2020 race and hoping ergy leaders. "Los Angeles is Garcetti's take was that the Obama-era Deferred Ac- Garcetti said at the party
their records in office might the No. 1 solar city in Amer- differences don't matter. tion for Childhood Arrivals dinner. "It's a place where
be enough. But the gap ica. Iowa is the No. 1 wind "It's false that people wake program; Trump has threat- decency and hard work still
between urban and rural state in America." True. up and say, 'Oh, I'm a ened them with deporta- mean something."q