Today's LA Times basically confirms that the Mayor of the nation's second largest city, Antonio Villaraigosa is no longer the political rock star he once was. You may remember the coronation when he was elected mayor in 2005. His celebrity reached far beyond the suburbs of San Fernando Valley with a Time Magazine cover as he toured the major cities: including New York and Washington to keynote democratic events. His election represented the future of the Democratic Party, whereas ethnic minority politicians could build the necessary coalitions of folk to get elected.

He even had close supporters and strategists who openly believed at the time, Villaraigosa had what it takes to become governor and possibly the nation's first Mexican American President. Serious, no kidding.

But today, he has no formal role at Barack Obama's convention, where Obama will officially become the first non-white nominee of either major political party. The Times story lets Villaraigosa off the hook in my view.

The frame of the story is steeped in Villaraigosa's early choosing and effective campaigning for Clinton. She lost the nomination, therefore other less prominent Mexican American politicians get the convention role one would assume Villaraigosa should get being the rock star of 2005 and the Democratic mayor of Los Angeles. New York City's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, is an independent.

So what gave? Most likely Villaraigosa's political troubles last year which stemmed from his extramarital affair. The Democratic National Convention is Obama's last best chance to rebrand himself in the eyes of the voters. With a former pastor such as Rev. Wright, Obama doesn't need Villaraigosa hanging around to prominently. Given that his big dreams for L.A. are debatably unreached at this moment, there is no need to have him participate on the main stage. And so Southern white governors will maintain their traditional prime speaking gigs at the convention.

So who will represent the growing Latino voice within the Democratic Party on the national stage? Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico; Ken Salazar, Senator of Colorado; Federico Pena, former Mayor of Denver and Los Angeles Congressman and early Obama supporter Xavier Beccera.

Never one to miss a party, Villaraigosa is there in Denver at the Pepsi Center meeting with various delegations, doing what he can to promote Obama-Biden 08, doing television interviews and speaking to small groups (what he does most effectively anyways.)

Perhaps in four years, after he has made significant accomplishments as mayor of L.A. he will get another chance on the big stage following Obama's lead to prove that progressives have what it takes to build winning coalitions based on common ground, not ethnicity or feminism.