GOP Aims To Disrupt Mendelson's Reelection Bid

The D.C. Republican Party has been stepping up its criticism of D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson, who is at the center of efforts to scuttle Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's anti-gang initiative.

Although Fenty is seen as a loyal Democrat, the local GOP has rallied behind several of his initiatives involving crime and school reform. Mendelson (D-At Large), chairman of the public safety committee, is a frequent Fenty critic.

But by feuding with Mendelson, the GOP isn't necessarily looking to bolster the mayor, who has struggled to maintain friendships on the council.

Mendelson is one of two at-large council members up for reelection next year. In the general election, one of those seats has to go to a member of a minority party. The other will almost certainly be won by a Democrat, meaning Mendelson will probably cruise to reelection if he can get past the primary.

And the key is "if."

Several Democratic activists are urging Clark E. Ray, former head of the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, to challenge Mendelson. Clark might be taking steps to prepare for such a race, including marching in the city's gay pride parade this month.

The D.C. GOP committee is so frustrated with Mendelson, an unabashed liberal, that it is trying to bloody him in preparation for next year's primary.

A few hours after the shooting at the Holocaust museum on June 10, Mendelson sent out a statement highlighting Congress's efforts to tie voting rights to a removal of the District's gun control laws.

Robert J. Kabel, chairman of the D.C. Republican Committee, issued a statement the following day calling Mendelson a "disgrace."

"As Chair of the Council's Judiciary Committee, Chairman Mendelson has neglected his duty to protect DC citizens in ways that are meaningful," said Kabel, noting Mendelson's resistance to sections of Fenty's crime bill. "Chairman Mendelson has spent the last several years advocating for the perpetrator over the victim and DC voters need to know that."

Mendelson led the effort to derail Fenty's proposal to allow authorities to target alleged gang members in civil proceedings. Backed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP, Mendelson and other council members who voted last week against the proposal said they worried about civil liberties.

Moments after that vote, Kabel blasted Mendelson, accusing him of "going soft on crime."