D.C. officials are apparently stunned to find that the money they’ve spent on the new Nationals stadium isn’t translating into the sort of unconditional loyalty they might like. Turns out the team’s 2008 Dream Foundation Dream Gala (it’s dream-related, see) will be held at National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Md., and the Examiner reports that Mayor Adrian Fenty, D.C. Council Chair Vincent Gray and just about every other D.C. leader is throwing a temper tantrum about it.

The National Harbor offered the Nationals use of Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center entirely for free, so owner Ted Lerner defends himself by saying it was simply an offer he couldn’t refuse. But the Post reports that the team also plans to hold its day-long FanFest kickoff celebration in Bethesda. Are the Lerners just thumbing their noses at the District at this point, right as the sod is being put down on their $611 million Anacostia stadium?

The D.C. Council seems to think so — check out some of the money quotes in the Post story, including Gray comparing D.C. to “Charlie Brown or Rodney Dangerfield. We can’t get respect,” Ward 1 Council member Jim Graham calling the move a sharp stick in the eye, and the first evidence we’ve seen that the Examiner may be missing out on some high quality awesomeness now that Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry is refusing to grant the paper interviews:

“This once again truly demonstrates why we should have been a little shrewder about selecting owners for the Nationals,” council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) said in a statement.

Buuuurn! Man, opening festivities at the new Nationals Stadium are going to be so tense we could hire a fleet of tight-rope walkers to just do their thing all over it.

Photo by iceman882