The Final Stretch!

“Sometimes the Post gets it Right and Sometimes They get it Wrong, This Time They got it Wrong”. That was Kathy Patterson’s comment when I talked to her by phone Saturday after the city’s biggest newspaper endorsed her opponent Vincent Gray in the race for Council Chairman. The endorsement comes as a stunner to some in the western parts of the city. Patterson, the ward three Representative since the mid 1990’s, was commended for her legislative record by the Post; but the editorial board clearly sided with some of her council colleagues who say privately Patterson is not one to seek consensus or lead the legislative body. Gray has been on the Council for but two years as the ward seven representative after upsetting Kevin Chavous, the veteran legislator and former mayoral candidate. The Newspaper clearly was impressed by Gray’s calm but demanding presence.

The big question now is will the Washington Post endorse Adrian Fenty as many people expect, helping elect two politicians with no experience at the District’s two biggest jobs! It could happen; or as someone pointed out this weekend, maybe the Post endorses long shot mayoral candidate Marie Johns, bypassing both Fenty and DC Council Chairman Linda Cropp, a move that would really shake things up. Post people in the know are not talking as no one wants to be accused of leaking how the selection process is going or when the endorsement is coming out.