Everyone else has taken their shot, so why not the City Paper? Today the weekly’s local politics column, Loose Lips, threw its support behind a number of candidates for next week’s D.C. primaries. But more surprising than the picks was the biting tone in which they were delivered — this is no Post endorsement, they seemed to remind us. Columnist James Jones sided solidly with candidates that bucked the establishment and railed against those beholden to special interests.

For mayor? Loose Lips picked Adrian Fenty, meaning that Linda Cropp has gotten no mainstream media endorsements. None. Wrote Jones of the mayoral contest:

Say what you like about Fenty’s full-steam-ahead campaigning style. But finishing off the job of reforming D.C. agencies and spreading the prosperity of recent years will require tons of energy and focus. Fenty is the only candidate with that kind of stamina, not to mention a healthy disgust with the status quo…From her political friends to her nonconfrontational rhetoric — everything about Cropp speaks “establishment,” a group that needs no more help in this town.

Jones sounded a similar tone in picking incumbent Phil Mendelson over challenger A. Scott Bolden for an At Large council seat:

LL prefers a councilmember who is sometimes paralyzed by overthinking an issue over one that is almost certain to be a rubber-stamp for special interests. The council needs one person up there who doesn’t need to huddle with his business supporters before casting a vote. Give Bolden the boot—he would be a bloviating nightmare on the council. Mendelson deserves four more wonkish years.

And much the same came across in the pick of Kathy Patterson for council chair:

During his short stint on the council, Gray has managed to court power brokers from D.C. and beyond, as evidenced by his campaign disclosures in the chairman’s race. If you’ve got cash, Gray will take it.

In the remaining races, Jones picked Jim Graham for Ward 1, Mary Cheh for Ward 3, Audrey Ray for Ward 5, Tommy Wells for Ward 6, Eleanor Holmes Norton for Congress, Phillip Pannell for Shadow Senator, and Mike Panetta for Shadow Representative.