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Veteran Washington television and web journalist; Winner of 19 Emmy Awards, countless community and public service honors, A budding author and highly sought after public speaker. Bruce Johnson continues to ask the hard questions while covering the tough stories. Currently an anchor and reporter for WUSA9-TV. "Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could, some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely."

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Can DC Mayor Adrian Fenty Be Beat?



DC's 38 year old Mayor Adrian Fenty got two really bad pieces of news when he awoke Thursday morning. Number one was a Washington Post editorial blasting him for trying to evict a non profit group that had been running a Tennis and Learning Center for children in a corner of Southeast Washington.
The second bad news was no surprise to the first term Mayor, his school reforms now seem threatened by a 40 plus million dollar budget shortfall that will prompt teacher layoffs and bigger class sizes.

Its news that Fenty detractors can use as they scan the political horizon looking for that one solid candidate who could knock the young, confident and high flying triathlete off his perch.

From where I sit, in covering DC politics for more than 30 years, they haven't yet found that candidate, if in fact he or she is out there.

DC Council Chairman Vincent Gray (seen in the top photo)is being pushed to run by a lot of influential people who find themselves on the outside of Fenty's power team. Marion Barry is convinced Gray can win--that Fenty hasn't built on his roughly 50 percent take in the last mayoral race. Linda Cropp and Marie Johns won the rest of the votes when their numbers are combined.

My take is its still Fenty's race to lose--that he would have to suffer an incredible blunder or two between now and next year in order for someone to beat him.

The incumbent has the money-well over two million in the bank, the political machine, a marathoner's approach to campaigning, and no scandal that has people talking about it morning till night. There are rumors-as there always are in this town-but mostly its just talk by people trying to get reporters to do their dirty work--.

But stay tuned! Its still early in the campaign.

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