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Don Peebles
Real estate mogul (and D.C. native) Don Peebles is thinking about giving Mayor Adrian Fenty a run for his money, according to a report this morning in the Washington Business Journal. Peebles told reporter Jonathan O'Connell that he will 'either run himself or support another candidate because of what he called "a continued pattern of a lack of oversight and accountabilty" under Fenty.' Harry Jaffe had previously reported the Peebles rumors in the Examiner, though the possibility that the businessman could run himself is a new development.
As a candidate, Peebles, who lives in Florida most of the time but also keeps a home in the District's Ward 3, would almost certainly come under fire from the Fenty camp for running out of spite: Peebles was one of the bidders to redevelop Stevens Elementary School, but Fenty picked another company. Here's what the developer told the BizJo on that topic:
"I have a company that I think has been successful over the years. Stevens is one of the projects we bid on, and I have had my eye on it for a number of years for a number of reasons. But that is not the reason that I think the city needs to go in a new direction."
He did add, however, that he thinks the mayor has distributed development projects to friends and campaign supporters, pointing to a Fenty fundraiser hosted by Chris Donatelli of Donatelli Development. Donatelli has won development rights to two projects under Fenty. Peebles called it “an environment of pay to play."
This is certainly an intriguing development for local politics watchers, but we're slightly skeptical that Peebles, a political novice, will actually throw his hat in the ring himself. What seems more likely is that he'll follow through on his promise to raise serious funds for a challenger of his choosing, helping to level the playing field against the incumbent's $2 million+ war chest. The question then becomes, who would that challenger be? Peebles isn't saying yet.
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Anyone But Fenty.
Peebles should back that ham sandwich the grand jury keeps trying to indict. At least he knows not to leave the scene of an accident and does a better job of stonewalling uncomfortable questions about why the dish ran away with the spoon, and diverting discussion towards all the progress he's made with the school lunch program. Problem is with a ham sandwich candidate, you've pretty much lost the Jewish vote.
I wonder if Mr. Peebles would back Magilla Gorilla?
You owe me a new keyboard, a$$hole.
Regardless, I don't think Ricochet Rabbit and Droop-a-Long would be ideal running mates in DC, given DC's prohibitive gun laws and it's known hostility towards talking animals.
Keyboard with a plastic cover on the way.
I think you are right about the rabbit and coyote, but I think Punkin' Puss would make an excellent Attorney General.
Maybe this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRkFSpnQUzA
oy and vey. c'mon, this guy doesn't stand a chance, and whoever he backs is going to get ripped for being bankrolled by a spiteful pseudo-carpetbagger.
it's either going to be vince gray or no one.
Think Gray is above being backed by a spiteful pseudo-carpetbagger (who was a Barry appointee)?
Well, looks like No One is a shoo in then. Whoda thunk a Laotian immigrant could claw his way up the local gang chain to be elected Mayor of DC? This is truly the Land of Promise.
So what if he's a spiteful pseudo-carpetbagger? Mayor Fenty has spent nearly his entire life in the District of Columbia, and that certainly hasn't qualified him to be mayor. Fenty's a damn moron and way more spiteful than this guy could ever be.
i don't care what fenty's qualifications is or ain't.
fact is, and you know this, if you talk to people who have lived here their whole lives, they don't take kindly to the opinions of those who aren't "native washingtonians" who have been here "through the bad times."
all fenty would have to do is remind voters of that, and that would be enough to damage peebles.
Barry and Williams were anything but native Washingtonians. Marion Barry spent the "bad times" as high as a kite, and Fenty was still sucking his thumb.
Whatever, I'm not saying this guy is the answer, but this city really, REALLY needs someone who isn't a) an old-guard, race-card politician, or b) an unintelligent opportunist like Fenty.
How about someone who hates Jumbo Slice, suburban drivers, and never met an abortion-forcing aide he didn't bail out?
I wonder if "BizJo" is gonna catch on in the newsroom. I feel the need to rhyme it with "FroYo" constantly.