Photo by aeleazer1

When mayoral contender Vince Gray demanded yesterday that Mayor Adrian Fenty fire Attorney General Peter Nickles, he could credibly be accused of doing it for political reasons. But, he is running for political office, and at least he was somewhat mature about it. Not so with Nickles, who responded on NewsChannel 8 by saying, “I think the chairman must have had heat stroke or something.”

Fenty Rolls Out TV Ads: If you’ve been wondering what Mayor Fenty was going to do with his $3 million campaign war chest, you might start seeing an answer soon. The Post and NBC4 report that three TV and radio spots will start airing today, looking to shore up support for the embattled incumbent. The two 15-second TV ads previewed focus in on Fenty’s accomplishments, and feature the tag line, “No Excuses. Just Results.” I’m not a betting man, but I’ve got money on Michelle Rhee making a cameo in one of these before the end of the campaign.

Virginia Marriages Need to Be Performed in Virginia: Virginia is for lovers? Not legally, it seems. The Post is reporting that Virginia Attorney General Ken “The Cooch” Cuccinelli recently penned a legal opinion saying that Virginia marriages that take place outside of the commonwealth, even if performed by a person authorized to do so there, are not valid. So if you’re a Virginian and you get married in the District, you’ll have to separate solemnization ceremony in the commonwealth to make it all legal. Even if you’re a gay couple. Ha. Just kidding. Just try and get that recognized in Virginia.

Kwame Brown Swimming in Debt: NBC4 catches a surprising story, reporting that D.C. Council member Kwame Brown (D-At Large) has over $50,000 in personal credit card debt. According to court documents, Brown and his wife owe more than $8,000 to American Express, $25,000 to one Visa card and $22,000 to another. Brown, who is running for council chair, stated that he has developed a stricter budget and repayment plan for the debt he owes. In a tweet this morning, the D.C. GOP asked: “Is someone who put himself into massive credit card debt able to lead our city out of fiscal mess?”

Briefly Noted: Council member David Catania (I-At Large) wants harsher penalties for truancy … “Remarkable” and “D.C. youth agency” seem like contradictions, but not according to one report … Amtrak adds Richmond to D.C. service … Cooch criticizes federal suit against Arizona’s immigration law.

This Day in DCist: On this day in 2009, Metro announced a zero tolerance policy for cell phone use for bus drivers and train operators and Butterstick celebrated his fourth birthday on the eve of his deportation to China. In 2008, the first ghost bike for Alice Swanson was installed and DCPS scores were on the rise.