The most accurate job title in D.C. may be that of “shadow senator,” since the occupants of that office rarely step into the spotlight. Jesse Jackson—er, that is, the Honorable Jesse Jackson, U.S. senator (D-New Columbia)—seems busy everywhere but in the District. His even-more-shadowy colleague, Florence Pendleton, makes the rounds on Capitol Hill but otherwise has a profile lower than a snake in a road rut. Pendleton recently broke form by giving a public speech at the Martin Luther King Memorial Library promoting D.C. statehood, but the Nov. 10 appearance quickly demonstrated that staying in the shadows may be her best plan. During a rambling, slow monologue that blamed all of D.C.’s problems on racism, Pendleton contrasted this city with other national capitals like Rome, Paris, and “England, which is the capital of Britain.” If she wants to rewrite our own maps, fine, but let’s keep the Brits out of this.