Michael Steele, former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland and current chairman of the Republican National Committee, today chided President Barack Obama for not putting "Taxation Without Representation" license plates on the presidential limousine. Steele made his remarks during WTOP's "Politics Program With Mark Plotkin." more ›

We have to admit, when we first started watching this C-SPAN video of RNC Chairman and D.C. native Michael Steele talking to students at H.D. Woodson Senior High School, we were ready to scoff. Really Michael Steele, we wondered, do you actually want to tell students in DCPS, where only one out of ten students ever graduate from college, that while at Johns Hopkins, "I partied my behind off," and "I heard there were classes" and then mock the letter announcing that you had been kicked out? more ›

With Michael Steele having been elected the Republican Party's chairperson yesterday, the national political battle between Republicans and Democrats has suddenly become much more local. Not only is Steele from Maryland, but he'll be doing battle with Virginia's Tim Kaine, who was recently appointed to serve as the Democratic Party's head. more ›

We're not sure what's more amazing, that the Republican National Committee has chosen a black man as its leader, or that Michael Steele actually got elected to something. Chris Cillizza has the details of the many, many ballots it took before Steele was handed the prize today at the Capital Hilton here in Washington. Steele, a D.C. native, was previously the chairman of the Maryland Republican Party, the GOP nominee in the Maryland Senate race in 2006, and the lieutenant governor of Maryland under Ehrlich. more ›

After letting us all enjoy a good summer break, next week the U.S. Senate will start debating legislation that would grant the District a voting seat in the House of Representatives. And in preparing for what is sure to be a spirited battle, big-name voting rights activists have recently stepped up the pressure with two back-to-back op-eds in Washington papers. Yesterday Maryland's former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele and former Oklahoma Republican Rep. J.C. Watts penned... more ›

Oh, hey there, D.C. Yeah, we're a little grumpy this morning, now that the brilliance of Friday and Saturday's summer-like weather has turned into a drizzly, chilly late fall Monday morning that makes us just want to stay in bed all day. But please, don't take our failure to greet you in our usual friendly manner as any kind of slight or disrespect. Especially since, according to the Times, petty disputes are exactly the kinds... more ›

Happy Halloween, Washington! We love this holiday. It's an excellent excuse to gorge on candy, dress up like an idiot and generally have a spookily good time. Besides, it's the last celebration before the holidays begin to feel like thinly-veiled attempts to pretend that it isn't actually cold and awful outside. Steele Gets Some Democrats' Endorsement: It appears that some African-American Democrats in Maryland are unhappy with their party's nominee for Senate — and have decided to make their displeasure known now, endorsing Republican Michael Steele with only a week left before the election. the Post reports that the group, led by former P.G. County Executive Wayne Curry, is frustrated by their party's failure to support black candidates. Perhaps this is why the Washington Times is quoting Steele as saying that he wished a recent appearance on Meet The Press with his opponent, Ben Cardin, had included some discussion of matters of race (the two did discuss affirmative action during the appearance). Yet More Md. Ballot Mishaps: Oh Maryland, Maryland, Maryland. Come on, guys. This is starting to get ridiculous. Missing keycards, rebooting machines, late ballot deliveries — it's been a chaotic election season in the Old Line State. And yes, now there's another embarrassing chapter: as the Examiner notes, Governor Ehrlich and his running mate Kristen Cox made a point of voting by absentee ballot — they say it was to encourage concerned voters to avoid the state's new Diebold voting machines, while opponents say it was a gambit to suppress turnout. Whatever the reason for the absentee advocacy, it seems to be working. Well, sort of. When Cox tried to vote, it didn't go very well: she was given a different person's ballot. Kidnapping Suspect Arrested: It may be Halloween, but we're glad to hear that the city just got a little bit less actually-scary: the Post reports that a suspect has been arrested in connection with a series of abductions around the city. The victims were detained by a man impersonating a police officer, who then forced them to withdraw money from ATMs before releasing them. Caliss Johnson was arrested after being identified by virtue of an ATM surveillance photo (and his considerable girth). Briefly Noted: Montgomery County trying to reduce number of mobile classrooms... Steele campaign benefits from push-polling, denies involvement... Purple line not delayed after all... VCU lit mag to publish new Plath poem... Family establishes reward fund for murdered Arlington veteran... Area airport wait times increasing... Who to blame for this morning's commute... This Day In DCist: One year ago we wallowed in our local teams' crapulence and talked about a nasty feud among neighbors. Two years ago we were excited about WMATA's new website. Image by Flickr user ewedistrict, used under a Creative Commons Sharealike license more ›

Rain, rain, rain. Our apologies, Washington. We'd love to tell you that it's going to be a beautiful Indian summer day. Instead we find ourselves staring at weather.com, trying to divine what the subtle differences between their various rain icons could possibly mean. Well, happy Tuesday. Gallaudet Faculty Votes No Confidence In Jordan: NBC4 reports on the latest from Gallaudet. It appears that the weekend's arrests have shaken the faculty's faith in university president... more ›

And so ends the suspense -- Adrian Fenty is the Post's pick for mayor. Though Fenty has held a comfortable lead in recent weeks, the Post's endorsement was seen as Linda Cropp's final chance in what has become a hard-fought campaign. Today's endorsement is sure to give Fenty the win next Tuesday, with the Post recognizing his "can-do quality" and his "vision of the city that challenges the best in people." And maybe to add... more ›

Maryland Lt. Governor and candidate for the U.S. Senate Michael Steele must be red in the face these days -- after calling an association with the Republican Party and President George W. Bush "a scarlet letter" in an anonymous interview with the Post's Dana Milbank, Steele is now trying to limit the damage of his surprisingly honest comments. "I'm not trying to dis the president," he was quoted as saying by the Washington Times.... more ›

Good morning, D.C. In addition to scattered showers and thunderstorms, today brings news that the Circulator bus line is nearing its millionth passenger. Not too shabby — although the city's busiest buslines put up those kinds of numbers every month and a half (probably less, given the age of the linked numbers). But officials say that Circulator ridership has been increasing steadily; assuming the service survives the looming Tourmobile legal apocalypse, its planned route around... more ›

You have to give it to the Washington Times -- at least their headlines are amusing. The much-loved newspaper today reports on six Montgomery County residents who were detained for transporting illegal immigrants into the area for work as prostitutes, titling the story, "Four in family among six held in alien sex ring." Alien sex ring? Well, yes, "alien" is the technical term for a non-American, but wouldn't "immigrant" have sufficed? Cropp Proposes New Funding... more ›