Just your average corrupt, corpulent gay Assemblyman.

The newly-sworn-in California Assembly Speaker Democrat John Pérez, 40, has some strange connections. The first term Assemblyman is openly gay. He's the cousin of of L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa -- a former Assembly speaker himself. He was an executive with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. His good friends include billionaire developer Philip Anschutz for whom he crafted an exception to the law, according to the Los Angeles Times. Then there Enterprise Car Rental for whom he introduced a bill that would have made it easier for car rental companies to hold customers liable when vehicles get stolen.

Before his election to the Assembly, while a member of the Los Angeles redevelopment commission, Pérez voted to give millions in government subsidies to a giant real estate firm that contributed heavily to his union's political fund.

Four firms targeted in an investigation into corruption in the New York state pension fund contributed to the union while Pérez was vice president.

You'd have to read the rest. It's a weary litany of what's wrong in California politics. Doesn't seem to generate a lot of outrage from the Times, though. Just business as usual.