Former friends, now rivals, battle in LA campaign

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Two former friends have become bitter rivals in a Los Angeles City Council race that has seen a torrent of accusations and counter-charges.

Councilman Jose Huizar is being challenged by Rudy Martinez, a restaurateur who starred in the cable series "Flip This House." The finger-pointing has included charges about ethical flaws, a misused police badge and investigations.

Huizar fired a campaign aide after he sent an e-mail threatening to "put a political bullet" into Martinez's forehead - wording that appeared to allude, intentionally or not, to last month's shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona.

The two candidates once were golfing buddies and vacationed together in Las Vegas.