Loose Lips on the DC Election Primary next week

Loose Lips is the local politics column in the Washington City Paper, which along with Ted Rall's editorial cartoon, are the things I read first every week in the paper. (I wrote a few months back about LL's tour de force piece on Herb Miller, one of the major developers in the city, and a prime funder of various local political campaigns--his house is often the place for the high dollar fundraisers).

Today's column covers his picks for the various races. Apparently LL shares my belief that it's okay to not have every Councilmember be beholden to developer interests... He knows what's up with Scott Bolden and Vincent Gray (Herb Miller and Vincent Gray are fraternity brothers...). From the article:

The contest for the Democratic at-large D.C. council seat comes down to a simple choice between a bald, nerdy, self-effacing public servant—incumbent Phil Mendelson—and an arrogant, self-aggrandizing blowhard—attorney A. Scott Bolden.

During the campaign, Bolden did little to alter his image as a power-hungry wheeler-dealer looking to get ahead. He abandoned an inchoate mayoral bid and later jumped into the at-large race. “I’m getting into a race I can win,” he told LL at the time. His mayoral exploratory effort boiled down to one thing: He raised enough money to pay for a poll to figure out if he could beat Mendelson. It’s the kind of insincerity and Bolden-first mentality that has troubled those familiar with his ways.

I don't favor Kathy Patterson in many ways. She stinks on historic preservation for one thing. But my distaste for developer control of all aspects of the city's politics means that I'm going to vote for her (or maybe it's better to say I'm voting against the other candidate).

Read the column, "Loose Lips Election Tips."

And his pick of community activist Audrey Ray for the Ward 5 race is truly gutsy.

Also see this blog entry from May, "A superb lesson in DC "growth machine" politics from Loose Lips (Washington City Paper)."
While I don't fully believe in this sentiment--I think the issue is "Vote the City First," because neighborhoods and downtown need to be looked at in the broader context--the Washington Interfaith Network is a great example of organizing to move their agenda forward.
In the CVS at Connecticut Avenue and K Street NW.

Index Keywords: civic-engagement