The Political Landscape:

Costa Mesa Councilwoman Katrina Foley lashed out at Martin Millard, a regular City Hall critic, after he lectured the council about spending.

Millard spoke during the public comments session about why Newport Beach’s wealth isn’t rubbing off on Costa Mesa, despite the cities’ shared border.

He said the problem is that the council, and its predecessors, took actions that allowed slum-like housing to go unchecked, attracting illegal immigrants.

Millard’s comments didn’t go over well with Foley.

“I love living in Costa Mesa. And one of the things I love about Costa Mesa is its diversity,” Foley said. “I’ll probably regret this; I actually won’t. I’ve sat here for five years as a planning commissioner and six years as a City Council member, and nearly every week we have to hear the vile and the venom about the people in our city, and it does not reflect my views.”

Foley said she will not apologize to those who are offended by her comments.

“It’s just terrible how we have to hear it every week, and I’ve just had enough of it,” she said.

RENO CAMPAIGN GETS HELP FROM D.A., O.C. REPUBLICANS

Ed Reno’s campaign for the District 3 Newport Beach City Council seat is getting a boost from Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas and several area Republicans.

Newport Beach businessman and Republican donor Ali Jahangiri will host a cocktail reception for Reno on March 24 at his Back Bay home that will feature an appearance by Rackauckas. Former California Republican Party Chairman and Corona del Mar resident Michael Schroeder is part of the event’s host committee.

Although City Council races are nonpartisan, Reno has already locked up several key Republican endorsements, including Assemblyman Van Tran (R-Westminster); Sen. Mimi Walters (R-Laguna Niguel); and Scott Baugh, chairman of the Republican Party of Orange County.

ROHRABACHER SPARS WITH CLINTON OVER IRAN

U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) quibbled last week with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over Iran at a House Foreign Affairs Committee meeting.

Rohrabacher has been an outspoken critic of President Obama’s outreach to Iran.

“Playing to our liberal, nilly-willy friends in Europe is less important for us than being tough with the mullah-repressive regime, a murderous regime, that is engaged in murdering people of their streets,” Rohrabacher said, according to video of the proceedings.

Clinton defended the Obama administration’s attempts to engage Iran in talks about its nuclear program while also not ruling out the possibility of rallying support for imposing sanctions. Clinton also said she had met with Iranian dissidents who had been imprisoned for protesting in the streets.

“They actually think President Obama has struck exactly the right tone and approach, to give heart to the people who are putting their lives on the line, who know that we support their efforts, but also recognize that they’ve got a long hard road ahead,” Clinton said. “And what we’re trying to do is to get international opinion that will force the Iranian regime to change its calculations.”