Come for the T-Shirt, Stay for the Protest

Proponents of the hospital project also provided door-to-door transportation. Two luxury buses, filled with senior citizens picked up from King-Greenleaf Recreation Center, Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church, Fort Lincoln Senior Citizen's Village and other spots around town, were parked near Freedom Plaza during a morning rally.

The buses were paid for by Howard University and other donors, said Vanessa Dixon of the D.C. Health Care Coalition.

Johns Tapping Williams Ex-Aides

With no announced endorsement yet from Williams (D) in the D.C. mayor's race, political observers are trying to read the tea leaves as Williams's longtime supporters and associates begin to pick sides.

Former Verizon Washington president Marie C. Johns (D) got a big boost in the gossip mill, for example, after she hired the mayor's 1998 fundraising director, Leslie Pinkston , to serve as her campaign manager. Johns has also won the support of Williams's first communications director, Peggy Armstrong , who will work as a Johns campaign volunteer.

Johns denied rumors, however, that the mayor's wife, Diane Simmons Williams , has come on board. Although the two are friends, Johns said, Diane Williams "is not playing a role with the campaign."

Perennial Winner on Cropp's Side

Meanwhile, Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp (D-At Large) has snared an even bigger fish: lawyer Max Berry , who has worked for the winner in three of five mayoral contests with open seats.

Berry, who was courted by at least three other candidates, has signed on as co-chair and finance chairman of Cropp's campaign. He said he thinks Cropp's 25-year record of leadership on the school board and council make her the clear choice.

Of the others, Berry said he doesn't know council member Vincent B. Orange Sr. (D-Ward 5) well. He doesn't consider lobbyist Michael A. Brown (D) "a really major, viable candidate." Johns is appealing, he said, but "I don't know what her record is, really, and you don't either, because she doesn't have one."

As for council member Adrian M. Fenty (D-Ward 4), Berry said: "Adrian's younger, and his parents own a tennis shoe shop, and he shakes every hand, and he knocks on every door. And that all says something. It says he works hard -- at winning elections."

Brown Banking on Family Ties

Brown hasn't lined up any big names from the Williams camp so far. But he did brag last week that America Online co-founder James V. Kimsey had given him the maximum $2,000 contribution.

Still, Brown, son of the late commerce secretary Ronald H. Brown, was most proud of another donor: his mother.

Alma Brown , who had been slow to publicly support her son's campaign, made her first contribution, also $2,000. Privately, some political operatives said Alma Brown had not sanctioned her son's candidacy, which meant some folks with strong ties to the family were withholding their contributions. Alma Brown's move could lead them to open their wallets.

Asked about his mother's contribution, Brown said: "It speaks for itself. My mother has always been supportive of her son. The question was whether she was going to be supportive financially. She answered that question."

Staff writer Lori Montgomery contributed to this report.