Two senators, two holds on District legislation — sounds like business as usual up on Capitol Hill, doesn’t it?

The Post brings news that Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) became the second Democratic senator to put a hold on the legislation that would formalize Mayor Adrian Fenty’s bid for increased control over the city’s troubled public schools. Two weeks ago, Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) used the same tactic to force the District to negotiate over the Oak Hill Youth Center, the city’s youth detention center located in Fort Meade, Md. He eventually lifted his hold.

According to the Post, Landrieu put a hold on the legislation because of longstanding concerns with oversight of standardized testing, teacher certification and other federal programs. Surprising, though, is the fact that she made the move at the request of School Board President Robert Bobb, a former city administrator and staunch opponent of Fenty’s takeover plans.

We’re not sure what’s more galling — that a senator is again holding local legislation hostage or that she’s doing it on behalf of a city official with a clear stake in the legislation’s outcome. We’ve always been consistent on this point — holds and other such procedural stall tactics from Capitol Hill undermine the District’s ability to govern itself. Fenty’s school reform plan may be controversial, but it was approved by the city’s elected officials after a series of debates and amendments. Bobb had the better part of four months to argue his point, as did Landrieu. Waiting until the last possible minute — when the legislation’s implementation is at stake — subverts local autonomy and undermines the will of the city’s voters. That Bobb may have pushed Landrieu into making such a move throws into question his own commitment to home rule.

Hopefully Landrieu will follow Cardin’s example and quickly lift her hold on the school reform legislation. This isn’t Louisiana and this isn’t an issue of national concern. So why should the fine senator place herself above the District’s own government?