Mayor Adrian Fenty has long been a health-nut, and his family has long owned local sports store Fleet Feet on Columbia Road NW. But if you mix the two, what do you get? A pack of angry Republicans.

Today we received a press release from the D.C. Republican Committee decrying Fenty’s choice of apparel in a new ad to promote the District. The ad, part of a new $2 million branding campaign launched by the city and its convention and tourism corporation, features Fenty running through Rock Creek Park. What’s offensive about that? Fenty is wearing a running shirt proudly bearing the name of his family’s store. Said D.C. Republican Committee Chair Robert J. Kabel of the ad:

“Mayor Fenty is asking DC taxpayers to sacrifice $100 dollars in new taxes and fees in his FY2009 budget all while promoting his family’s business in taxpayer funded ads. The Mayor’s lack of better judgment in promoting his family’s business with taxpayer funded ads is unethical and in bad taste, he should remove himself from all the DestinationDC.org ads to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.”

Sure, their complaint is a bit of a stretch, but they’ve got something of a point. Fleet Feet is a local favorite for sure, but it may have been in bad taste for Fenty to have chosen to use such an ad to promote the store. Maybe he didn’t even realize it at the time, but we’re guessing anyone could have quickly Photoshopped the store’s logo off his shirt.