Villaraigosa: 'More Beef' For Voters At Upcoming DNC
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Starting next week, the Mayor of Los Angeles will take on a new role as the chairman of the Democratic National Convention.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will preside over the convention when it gets underway on Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina, where big-name speakers like former President Bill Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama will make appearances.
Villaraigosa told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO he was impressed with the GOP in their efforts to re-introduce former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney to American voters.
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"I thought the Madison Avenue advertising executives that they brought in did a good job of making Governor Romney a little warmer and fuzzier," said Villaraigosa. "But there wasn't a lot of beef."
The mayor said any conversation about the future of Medicare and the impact of tax reforms proposed by the GOP was conspicuously absent from the convention.
But Villaraigosa stressed that the Democrats' turn would reflect "the most diverse convention in history, Democrat or Republican", with over 6,000 delegates on hand to officially nominate President Barack Obama for reelection.
The week's events will kick off on Monday with a family-friendly "celebrating America's workers" on Labor Day, followed by a string of speeches at the Time Warner Cable Arena and culminating with President Obama and Vice President Biden accepting their nominations on Thursday at Bank of America Stadium.
Villaraigosa said he expects voters to hear about what he says are distinct differences between the two candidates.
"I think what you'll see is a lot more beef; you'll see us talk about our plans for the future, the difference between what President Obama wants to do and Governor Romney," he said.
Click here for a full list of scheduled speakers and other details on the Democratic National Convention.
