Muratsuchi Mum About Roderick Wright (and Bob Filner)

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Muratsuchi: See no evil. . .

Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) wanted to run for state senate earlier this month, convinced that party leaders would allow him to jump out of his not-so-safe Assembly seat nestled in the heart of the South Bay. At least taking on a state senate seat, connected with more progressive voting blocks throughout the Santa Monica Bay, would let him play out all his liberal leaning.

State Senator Ted Lieu laid the ground work for a more liberal voter constituency, yet Democratic Party Leaders told Muratsuchi to stand down and run for reelection in his own seat.

Muratsuchi has pedaled back, bracing for a major challenge to his incumbency

Yet even though Muratsuchi has given up on a state senate run, he still has nothing  about convicted felon Roderick Wright (D-Inglewood), who remains in the state senate, even though three Republicans have called for a vote to expel him.

Roderick Wright has been convicted on eight counts of voter fraud and perjury, as he listed his legal address within his district, yet he actually lived outside the district. Big problem.

Muratsuchi has said nothing about his convicted felon Democratic colleague.

In 1994, state senator Frank Hill (R-Whittier), following a conviction for bribery, was forced to step down from committee assignments, then the state senate government committee voted to expel him. He left office. There is no excuse for state legislators to remain silent as Roderick Wright stays in the state senate.

Then again, Muratsuchi has chosen to "see no evil" before, as when resigned, disgraced San Diego Mayor Bob Filner of San Diego had harassed a number of women in his staff, yet no one in the state Democratic delegation demanded that Filner step down. San Diego Republicans launched a recall effort, but Filner finally stepped down, and later paid a settlement to his accusers.

The South Bay should not send Muratsuchi back to Sacramento in 2014. Muratsuchi has no business serving in the state legislature as long as he insists on remaining silent in the face of one felony politician after another.