THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE:

With little more than a week left to fill out and return nomination papers to run for Costa Mesa City Council, the pool of people who have picked up the official papers from the city clerk’s office grew to five Wednesday.

The new addition, Nicholas Moss, is a five-year Costa Mesa resident and lifelong Orange County resident. He has never held an elected position, but has been involved with the local Libertarian Party. Although he doesn’t have the name recognition of the other candidates — including two former Costa Mesa mayors — he thinks he can gin up support with a grassroots approach.

“I think it’s great knocking on doors and speaking to people about issues,” Moss said.

The others who have pulled papers are Councilwoman Katrina Foley, Mayor Eric Bever, former Mayor Gary Monahan and Councilwoman Linda Dixon. Two-term Planning Commissioner Jim Fisler expressed interest in a possible campaign earlier this year, but decided not to attempt it this election cycle.

“It’s not the right time. I’m going to devote my time to the Planning Commission because I really enjoy it and I think I can do a lot of good from there,” Fisler said.

It’s likely he will run in the future, he said.

Fellow Planning Commissioner and Daily Pilot columnist Jim Righeimer still has not declared candidacy, but says he is getting a lot of pressure to put his name in the hat.

Local business owner Chris Bunyan, who ran unsuccessfully in 2006, has not made a declaration either, but there is a sense from his campaign that he is planning to run.

Comments on Obama ‘misunderstood’

When the presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama came to visit Newport Beach on July 13 for a fundraising tour, he set aside a special 15-minute session to speak to some Iranian Americans after his talk at the Balboa Bay Club.

The question for some is — was there a price for them to meet the nominee?

Obama spoke for 15 minutes, didn’t answer questions and didn’t make any statements that differ from his public opinions on the issue of Iran.

“He said we need to address rogue nations like Iran. Nobody is saying they should get leniency, but the concern is the rush to war,” Melahat Rafiei, executive director of the Orange County Democrats, said earlier. Obama stressed the importance of diplomacy and the avoidance of saber-rattling, she said.

But it was recently reported the Iranian Americans may have been asked to raise $250,000 for their chance to meet the nominee — a practice not looked upon fondly — according to a letter from one of the Iranian Americans, Manouch Moshayedi, an Orange County businessman.

But that was quickly denied by the Obama campaign, Moshayedi and his associates, who called the letter’s statements a misunderstanding.

Instead, the fundraising amount was a goal for Moshayedi to raise in the area. Obama would meet with them despite their fundraising totals, which was about $250,000.

ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at [email protected]. DANIEL TEDFORD may be reached at (714) 966-4632 or at [email protected].