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A deliberative roundup of one city’s local politics. Send your tips, releases, stories, events, etc. to lips@washingtoncitypaper.com. And get LL Daily sent straight to your inbox every morning!
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
More Questions For CYITC
Peter Nickles: “They’re Lucky I’m Not There”
Good morning sweet readers! It’s a big day in LL’s old rainy stomping grounds as the state of Alaska releases former Gov. Sarah Palin’s emails. Considering one of her old political enforcers has already written a tell-all, LL doubts there will be much good stuff to come out. But if you’re still interested, LL recommends ignoring the big boys and turning to the excellent Anchorage Daily News for help understanding the minutia of Alaska politics. Or, you can ask LL, who still has random bits of Palin trivia stuck in his head, like the fact that her former chief of staff is a taxidermist. (Local) News time:
Loza Video: Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham‘s media tour continues, as video of his former chief of staff Ted Loza taking a bribe is released by authorities. Graham tells NBC 4’s Tom Sherwood that he’s “at peace” with himself and proud that he refused the FBI’s clumsy attempts to bribe him.”Every instance that I was given temptation, I said no. … I’m very proud of the fact that I said no.”
AFTER THE JUMP: More on HTJ; Orange wants in; Courage, Vince …
More on Team Thomas: The Times has a pair of stories this morning about Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr., who the attorney general is accusing of stealing city funds for personal use. In the first,the Times reports on what potentially may be the least of Thomas’ worries: that he failed to note corporate donations to his non-profit, Team Thomas, or outside income on any Office of Campaign Finance financial disclosure forms. OCF announced in March that it’s investigating. In the second, the Times notes that developer Keith Forney, co-owner of a Ward 5 strip club that some neighbors don’t like, was the second highest donor to Team Thomas. Some harsh words: “I always wondered why Councilman Thomas supported strips clubs moving into Ward 5,” said Don Padou, president of the Ward 5 Improvement Association. “Now I know; one of the owners paid Thomas a bunch of money. It is a shame when an elected official will sell out his people for a lousy $6,000.”
Put Me In Coach: Nevermind the bad blood between Council Chairman Kwame “Fully Loaded” Brown and at-large Councilmember Vincent Orange from the chairman’s race last year or the special election this year, Orange says he’s ready to bring his talents to the recently vacated economic development committee. Orange tells the Times: “This has nothing to do with whether there’s bad blood or not, this is the operations of the government here right now … You don’t have talent just sitting on the bench. In a baseball game, when a pitcher’s done, you have to bring in a relief pitcher.”
Grow a Pair: Post columnist Petula Dvorak orders Mayor Vince Gray to get moving. “It’s time for our elected leaders to sit down, shut up and do the job we’re paying them to do. It’s also time for D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) to man up and take control. Back in March, when Brown first claimed he got a six-figure job and some mad money from the Gray campaign for amping up the vitriol in the mayoral race, it proved a rough beginning to the Gray administration. As a man who spent years above the council’s frequent muck, Gray knew better. But here we are, after four months of floundering, and there is no strong leadership, no vision, no sense of progress. … Things look pretty hopeless for D.C. residents these days. Not only does it seem as though we’ve lost the momentum of the past couple administrations, but the city feels rudderless.” As if to prove her point, a recall Gray movement sprouted to life yesterday, led by Frederick Butler, who was the guy sitting behind Sulaimon Brown on Monday wearing the Fenty ballcap.
In Other News: Examiner columnist Harry Jaffe writes a love song to U.S. Attorney Ron Machen, which is probably a good idea since Machen might be a great source to have in the upcoming months. Mike DeBonis focuses his weekly column on whether the ethics’ reform bill proposed by Brown and Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh is worth a damn. Learn more about D.C.’s plan for the McMillan Sand Filtration Plant, if you dare.
Attorney General Irv Nathan tells all on Kojo at noon.
Council sked: Public safety hearings at 10 a.m. and noon.
Gray sked: Geez, super busy day. Dunbar commencement; “One City Summer Fun” presser; Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Gala.