From bandit to criminal, Lula says Padilha is his priority.

247 - Former President Lula launched himself, this Friday, on a nearly impossible mission: to make Alexandre Padilha governor of São Paulo. In the most recent Datafolha poll, released yesterday, the former Minister of Health registered only 4% of voting intentions, well behind Paulo Skaf's 16% and miles away from Governor Geraldo Alckmin's 54%.

In the first event of Padilha's campaign in São Paulo, former president Lula stated that electing him, as well as re-electing President Dilma, is the "priority of his life." He also preferred not to question the Datafolha poll numbers. "We, who are involved in politics, often say that we don't believe in polls when we're down and we believe them when we're up," he said. "But, after gaining the experience I gained losing three elections in very difficult situations, I think the polls only serve as a reference for what we need to do from the moment we receive the information."

At the event, Lula positioned himself as the former minister's main campaign manager. "I don't know how many votes I could get for you, but I want to say that your campaign, along with Dilma's campaign, is a priority in my life," he said, standing in a sound truck in Praça da Sé, downtown São Paulo, where he even donned a cangaceiro hat. "You can be sure that I will dedicate myself so that we can take São Paulo out of the hands of the PSDB."

Lula also criticized the water supply crisis in São Paulo. "The PSDB (Brazilian Social Democracy Party) has been in power for over 20 years and they aren't even guaranteeing drinking water for the people of São Paulo." He then mocked Governor Geraldo Alckmin. "I don't know how many showers a day the governor is taking, but I'm sure that in the outskirts of the city people aren't showering so they have water to wash their children's clothes or wash the dishes after lunch."