After Waxman's bombshell, Rosendahl's first thought is: Ted Lieu
By Martha Groves
After hearing the news of U.S. Rep. Henry A. Waxman's decision to retire from Congress, former Los Angeles Councilman Bill Rosendahl picked up the phone and called state Sen. Ted W. Lieu (D-Torrance) to urge him to run for the veteran Westside Democrat's seat.
"I've worked with Ted in my eight years in government," Rosendahl said. "He was an incredible partner for the 11th District."
Lieu's district substantially overlaps Waxman's district, which includes much of the Westside and South Bay. Rosendahl lauded Lieu for playing a key role in closing the state's budget deficit and for taking strong positions on gay rights and animal rights and for supporting activists' efforts to shut down the Santa Monica Airport because of pollution, noise and safety concerns.
"Ted is an incredible man," Rosendahl said. "He's got one leg up, in my opinion."