Running, Yes, but in Circles?

What's in his coffee?

The recent actions of council member and mayoral candidate Vincent B. Orange Sr. (D-Ward 5) have left some in city hall scratching their heads while others simply duck out of his way.

Just in the past week, Orange has sued his council chairman because she wouldn't allow him to hold a hearing on baseball, called a weekend committee hearing to consider a living wage bill only to cancel it at the last second and tried to make a rare legislative end run around his committee by taking the wage bill straight to the full council, only to withdraw it. Now Orange -- one of the biggest supporters of the baseball stadium deal last year -- is accusing the lords of the sport of fleecing District taxpayers. He has introduced bills that challenge the financing deal and would force a showdown with Major League Baseball over tax revenue.

His colleagues have a unanimous diagnosis: running-for-mayor-itis.

D.C. Council MIA?

It was 11:30 a.m. and Tuesday's 10 a.m. council meeting had yet to begin. The hundred or so audience members, which included a sizeable number of union and other activists, grew impatient.

The council members were in one of their closed-door "administrative meetings'' where nothing -- absolutely nothing -- of a political or policy nature is discussed (wink, wink). Apparently, the list of administrative matters was particularly long Tuesday.

Jamie Kendrick, executive director of the SEIU Maryland-DC State Council, got up in front of the empty council dais and implored the audience to let council members know they were impatient.

"We want the council!'' they began chanting.

"Do your jobs now!'' they yelled.

Phone calls were made.

"Open the door!''

Police officers were summoned.