Fenty Opens Another Obama Office

By David Nakamura and Nikita Stewart
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, October 2, 2008

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty opened a D.C. campaign office for Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) last week, rallying about 200 Obama supporters near Eighth Street and Florida Avenue NW.

The office is in a three-story townhouse. A mural of Obama painted by a volunteer hangs on the outside walls. Fenty knows the block well: He directed his mayoral campaign in a townhouse two doors away. (It's now a hair salon.) In fact, the Fenty administration recommended the area to Obama, the mayor said.

"It's very centrally located," Fenty said. "So many different streets are right by here."

Fenty (D) had helped celebrate the opening of an Obama office on Pennsylvania Avenue SE during the primary, but it was closed after the primary. The new office is being run by John Bowman, former chief of staff to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), who told the Notebook that he asked the Obama campaign for a chance to help in the District.

Bowman told the crowd of supporters that the office will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays and at 11 a.m. weekends. The office is seeking volunteers to staff phone banks and do data entry. The focus will be on Virginia, which is a potential swing state, Bowman said. He, Fenty and council members Kwame R. Brown (D-At Large) and Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) urged the crowd to go to Virginia and help knock on doors.

"I love knocking on doors! I love making phone calls! I even love fundraising!" Bowser cheered.

Bowman said the campaign office will have buttons, bumper stickers and yard signs, although the office will request a "small donation" from those seeking Obama gear.

Fenty has been hitting the road again to stump for Obama, as he did during the primary. The mayor was in the Cleveland area last weekend to speak at several canvassing kickoffs and to stop by his alma mater, Oberlin College.

It's not known what other states Fenty will travel to for Obama. The mayor said that it's up to the campaign to tell him where to go but that he expects to be on the road several more times before Nov. 4.

The Large At-Large Race

Speaking of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's political boostering, is he endorsing anyone in the competitive at-large race for the D.C. Council?

No, spokeswoman Mafara Hobson said.

Fenty also did not endorse anyone in the special election for the Ward 7 council seat last year, when newcomer Victor Vandell draped his campaign in Fenty green. The association helped cause more friction between Fenty and council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) because Gray said he thought the mayor had reneged on a gentlemen's agreement to stay out of the race. Gray left his Ward 7 seat to take the chairman post.

This year, at-large candidate Mark Long is being labeled another Vandell because he is a childhood friend of Fenty friend and treasurer Ben Soto.

Long, who is running as an independent, was in the Ward 7 election as a Democrat. Long, Vandell and more than a dozen other hopefuls lost to Yvette M. Alexander, Gray's pick for his old seat.

All the jockeying has made the race interesting, with Democrat Kwame R. Brown being so popular that Democrats Michael A. Brown and Dee Hunter have also turned independent to have a chance at one of the two at-large seats up for grabs.

Republican Patrick Mara has also proved that he is in it for the long haul after upsetting council member Carol Schwartz (R-At Large) in the party's primary. Schwartz is running as a write-in. And there's even some buzz about Statehood Green candidate David Schwartzman being an alternative.

So who's ahead?

The D.C. Legal Political Action Committee, the political arm of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, commissioned a poll on the at-large council race.

Here's a little something from the poll of 595 likely voters from Sept. 19-20, courtesy of Lester & Associates. Pollster Ron Lester wrote a little summary with juicy nuggets.

"Kwame Brown now has 71 percent voter support, Michael Brown has 26 percent, Patrick Mara has 9 percent, David Schwartzman has 8 percent, Dee Hunter has 5 percent, Mark Long has 1 percent and 15 percent are undecided. So at this time, Michael Brown has a fairly significant lead and is poised to win the second spot among the candidates on the official ballot."

Ah, that's not all. That was without the Schwartz factor. When the longtime incumbent was added to the list, she scooped up 24 percent of the vote.