Barry Loses Another Round to Fenty

The new Mayor, Adrian Fenty was on the old Mayor, Marion Barry's stomping grounds Monday announcing a plan to contribute 79 million dollars of the city's money to help a private firm buy and operate Greater Southeast Community Hospital.

The New Mayor was flanked by DC Council Chairman Vincent Gray and Councilman David Catania, Chairman of the Health Committee which is a good indication the bailout package is going to win Council approval.

Barry meanwhile was boycotting the press conference, choosing instead to call his own media event to complain that he wasn't consulted by Fenty and considered this an act of disrespect.

Whether by design or accident or inexperience, it seems as though the new Mayor is sending another signal that there is a new sheriff in town;

Like Barry, in his four terms as Mayor, Fenty seems already convinced, perhaps by winning every precinct in the democratic Mayoral primary, that all major projects in the city, no make that all projects, of any significance begin and end with the current administration.

"If he's going to take the blame...then he may as well have his name on it", said one longtime observer of DC government.

Barry doesn't like it one bit. Fenty bounced the Ward Eight Councilman from another major project in Southeast, DC, the Poplar Point development. Barry thought he had all but locked up the deal for Victor MacFarlane only to have Fenty pull the rug and declare Poplar Point would be awarded through open competitive bidding.

The new Mayor came into office having already trounced a veteran DC Council Chair Linda Cropp, and a long term, well connected Ward Four legislator, Charlene Drew Jarvis before that;

Fenty, a triathlete, doesn't seem confrontational in public, when addressing his differences with Barry or any other political foe. In private, it's different. Associates say he is driven and can be stubborn, even vindictive.

It's the political way. Sounds a lot like the old Marion Barry.