Mayor Anthony A. Williams is suddenly tossing out positive critiques of the yet-to-be-hatched Adrian Fenty administration.

At his weekly press conference, a reporter began a question about schools by mentioning Fenty’s trips to visit with officials in New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco.

“Good start,” Williams quipped. “Got to start traveling early.” After the laughter from the press corps and the dwindling gaggle of Williams’ hangers-on died down, the mayor added: “You know he’s not even in the general election and he’s already across the country.”

The mayor then volunteered that Fenty had indeed managed to make his way up to the sixth floor of the John A. Wilson Building to solicit Williams’ views on mayoral takeovers of public-school systems.