The rhino and the hippo

Natacha Seijas and her Luca Brasi look-alike bodyguard
Luis De Los Santos. photo by Pedro Portal /El Nuevo Herald

Miami-Dade commissioner Natacha Seijas has borrowed a page from the playbook of Miami police chief Miguel Exposito.

Miami New Times staffer Frank Alvarado reports that Seijas was protected from reporters at a Tuesday courthouse hearing by 6 county police officers and a beefy Luca Brasi look-alike named Luis De Los Santos.

After the hearing, De Los Santos - apparently drawing inspiration from last week's antics by Miguel Exposito's "bodyguards" - pushed some female TV reporters outside the courthouse.

Writes Alvarado:

Outside the courthouse, things got a little ugly. De los Santos elbowed and pushed a couple of female TV reporters from GenTV, Univision and America Teve who peppered Seijas with requests for comment. He looked like a charging rhinoceros clearing a path for an insufferable hippopotamus.

As the horde rounded the corner toward Flagler Street, the county commissioner finally gave the media hens a sound bite -- but not before she slapped one microphone away from her face.

Meanwhile, Miami Herald columnist Daniel Shoer-Roth says that Seijas' public displays of arrogance aren't helping her much.

Her puerile reactions, during public scrutiny, could become the pick and shovel that dig her political grave.

Ya think?

Great video below of Seijas and De Los Santos interacting with members of the fourth estate Tuesday.