Cropp's Mayoral Campaign Gets Early Signs of Support

Catania, who enjoys good PR as much as any other pol, has tried to deflect attention from his role in the effort, understanding that sharing the political credit is the grease that keeps the wheels of government moving.

During the press conference, Catania turned to Williams and City Administrator Robert C. Bobb, saying the rescue effort "would not have been possible 10 years ago. We now have a government that can respond in a crisis and has served as an inspiration to other communities.''

Katrina Hits Home

For Bobb, working on relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina was more than a management task. It was personal. Bobb, after all, is Louisiana-born and -raised, and his parents were evacuated from their home in Four Corners, La., a hamlet in the southwestern part of the state.

While his family is safe and has returned home, the same can't be said for tens of thousands of his fellow Louisianans.

"It's sad to see so many people affected, especially low-income people who don't have the wherewithal," Bobb said at the D.C. Armory, where hundreds of evacuees are being sheltered. "The District of Columbia opened its arms to fellow Americans."

To 'the Trenches'

Eugene Dewitt Kinlow, the former president of the Ward 8 Democrats, has been named the outreach director of DC Vote, the organization announced last week.

In his new position, Kinlow will be responsible for managing more than 30 organizations that make up the DC Vote coalition and for recruiting additional individuals and groups. He also will serve as a liaison to local officials, said Ilir Zherka, executive director of DC Vote.

"It's a perfect fit for me," Kinlow said. "This position allows me to be a tool to advance the cause of democracy in D.C. To me, it means I can work in the trenches for full representation in Congress."

Last year, Kinlow was a field coordinator for Florida Victory 2004. He previously had worked for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. as a legal information specialist for 10 years.

Kinlow was president of the Ward 8 Democrats in December 2003 when the group was splintered after Mary Cuthbert, the group's first vice president, referred to a new member, who happened to be white, as "poor white trash."

At the time, Kinlow read aloud a statement at the organization's meeting disassociating the group from Cuthbert's comment.

In 2002, Kinlow ran unsuccessfully for an at-large seat on the D.C. Council.

Kinlow, a native Washingtonian and graduate of the University of the District of Columbia, is the principal of Kinlow & Associates, a community relations company.

Staff writer Yolanda Woodlee contributed to this report.