What the District of Columbia lacks in democratic representation at the federal level, it makes up for in local pro-democracy groups: There’s the Deaniac-led DC for Democracy, the adorable/annoying DC Young Suffragists (decide for yourself) and the the umbrella group DC Vote, under which other groups lend support to the movement. And there is another symbol of the District’s yearning, one that doesn’t move at all: the Democracy Tree at 21st Street and New Hampshire…

Editor’s Note: As many of you are well aware, this post was riddled with errors. See comments for our public whipping. The Nats might have lost their home winning streak on Sunday (to say nothing of Nick Johnson) but last night they got their groove back, winning by a characteristic single run, 2-1. Likewise, recent addition Ryan Drese pitched 8 solid innings to rebound from an 11-4 loss to the Pirates just last week. It…

With their 5-4 win last night in Pittsburgh, your Washington Nationals took the series against the Pirates two games to one and notched their second series win in three tries on their latest road trip. Staying with the formula that got them into first place, last night’s win was a total team effort. After giving up two home runs early, starter John Patterson, settled down in the third. “After the second inning, I could’ve gone…

Today we’re revisiting one of our earliest DCist Monument features: Sonny Bono Memorial Park, which we first wrote about last December. The park has long been a curiosity even to District residents, and the mystery behind it (which turned out not so mysterious) was one of the inspirations for this ongoing series. In the months since, big changes have dramatically altered the look and feel of the place — viz., the gryoscopic tilting of the…

The Nats didn’t play last night, but that’s fine: They — and we — needed a breather after their heartstopping 1-0 win on Wednesday, their final game against the Angels and their fifth straight series victory. Starting pitcher Ryan Drese, released by the Texas Rangers just last week, was flawless on the mound through eight innings. With one run on the up on board, Nats closer Chad Cordero just had to make it official. Instead,…

Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness might have made us smile when he appeared on The Simpsons a decade ago, but around these parts there are no warm feelings toward him anymore. Least of all Nationals manager Frank Robinson, whom the W. Post quotes: “I lost a lot of respect for Mike tonight, as a person and as a manager. There’s nothing he can say to me now. Nothing. I don’t even want him to approach me….

That’s exactly what you’ll see if you frequently come upon Massachusetts Avenue and 20th Street NW. Otherwise, the word “Kossuth,” which we read somewhere was pronounced “co-shoot,” might not be a familiar one. The word refers to Lajos Kossuth, one of several Eastern European champions of liberty and democracy celebrated within a few city blocks northwest of Dupont Circle, and arguably the most quarrelsome and conflicted of them all….

Who knew last night would turn into a squeaker? The Nats scored 4 early runs on 2 back-to-back doubles, and Livan Hernandez was on track for a shutout (which, surprisingly enough, we believe he hasn’t done this season). And then … well, the important thing is that they won. So make that win streak a season-best seven. And make that a 1.5 game lead on the rival Phillies, the Nats’ largest lead yet and…

Thanks to another win last night, the Washington Nationals improved their first-place lead over the Braves and Mets by a full game. Not only that, but they extended their win streak to 5 games — that’s the record. Of course the Nats are ranked third overall in the NL behind the Padres and the smokin’ St. Louis Cardinals, but when you see them ranked in order, the Nats look all the more impressive: Philadelphia…

DCist’s Monuments series continues our recent swing through Judiciary Square today with the Joseph James Darling Fountain, one of the most hidden-in-plain-sight monuments around town. For some time, the fountain has rated little more than a sentence or two every few years in the local press. Major newspapers from across the country get around to doing a piece on the District’s statues once or twice a decade — add another sentence. It doesn’t add up…