BOEE Board Nominee Togo West Breezes Through Council Hearing

Togo West

"I have not been a shadowy presence in politics in the District."

That's what Togo West, the man who would save this fall's election, tried to convey at a hearing before the D.C. Council this afternoon.

He succeeded.

The excellently-mustachioed West fielded questions from Councilmembers Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), Kwame Brown (D-At-Large), Harry Thomas, Jr. (D-Ward 5) and Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large). It was smooth sailing for the former Secretary of Veterans Affairs -- West had a fantastic rapport with the Council, and plenty of heavy hitters, including Former Mayor Sharon Pratt, testify on his behalf.

As far as politics go, West was able to mostly charm himself out of trouble. West did contribute to the campaign of Mayor Adrian Fenty in 2006, but said that he "doubt[s] [Fenty] would describe me as a social friend."

"We don't hang out," West added. (Does anyone actually hang out with Hizzoner?)

West also described Attorney General Peter Nickels as "a fine lawyer and a good friend." (The two worked together at Covington & Burling LLP.) Cheh asked West if his involvement as a member of the Greater Washington Board of Trade -- an organization that has endorsed Mayor Fenty -- would cause a conflict of interest.

"I have not been able to participate as much with [the Board of Trade]," said West. "At the meeting where they considered who to endorse, I was not present," he confirmed.

Mendelson even joked that, based on West's busy public service career, he was concerned about West's social life. ("We'll take him out to lunch," replied Cheh, in a easy-going back and forth that was indicative of the feeling during the hearing.) West declined to get into too much detail about the Council's specific election concerns -- like how he, as a member of the BOEE board, would deal with new voting initiatives like early voting and same-day registration. West did say that the "first objective would be to get as many eligible citizens to vote as possible."

"For the next six weeks, I'm not going anywhere," said West. "I commit to this committee and this Council that I will give all the time and all the energy that's necessary for this position."

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