After A Lot Of Dancing Around - The Times Finally Closes Deal With David Zahniser!

LAObserved just linked to Witness LA....

http://witnessla.com/city-government/2007/alan-mittelstaedt/a-toast-to-dave/

.... with the story that the deadly wolverine, I mean, committed reporter, David Zahniser has in one year moved from the wilderness of Copley to the LA Weekly to... the Los Angeles Times. The only downside is that he is now covering the Mayor, but - hopefully - this will in no way keep him from covering the many other stories he is exploring in the underworld of LA politics.

The seduction of David has been a long process with the Times going back and forth in its fickle affections, but the LAT finally produced the ring, popped the question and consummation was... immediate.

Now this will be interesting. LA Weekly political reporter David Zahniser, the hottest property on the City Hall beat, is jumping to the L.A. Times to cover Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. I don't know what it means for Duke Helfand, who has been on the Antonio beat for the Times, but the hire should mean sharper, deeper and less friendly coverage of the mayor. Zahniser's former editor at the Weekly, Alan Mittelstaedt, breaks the news at WitnessLA...