Colbert King says Fenty being voted out because he didn't hire enough Black officials

[Anonymous]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/03/AR2010090304953.html

This election IS about race. White liberals are just too naive to realize it. Blacks in DC want their city back.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I thought King was rather naive about that. That's certainly not why I voted for Gray. And if black people are voting for Gray because they want they're city "back" -- ain't gonna happen. The drive in from the suburbs isn't getting any easier. White people are here to stay.

[Anonymous]

I think King is correct in asserting that Fenty's failure to kowtow strategically brought him to this pass. But it is sad to me that a leader cannot hire those he believes best for the job. I am a black woman.

[Anonymous]

If you are a politician you can't just hire who you want to hire, you have to be a little politically astute. I think it's too simplistic to say he's being voted out because he didn't hire enough black people. If candidates are qualified and were doing a good job of serving ALL - black and white and pink residents - then it doesn't matter. Cathy Lanier is the perfect example of that. You don't hear a chorus of black people complaining about her. In fact the Mayor could have learned a thing or two from her about understanding black folks, in particular.

OP you've got it all wrong - this is about taking the city back. This is about getting a mayor that ACTS like he cares about your situation. Right or wrong, that's ultimately what people want.

Signed - a black woman who is undecided.

[Anonymous]

I think you missed the point on King's article. Every mayor has to play some politics. I don't care who the mayor hires, unfortunately, I know the directors that he chose and I am just not impressed at all. People keep looking at Rhee, Lanier, Nickles and Gabe Klein. The problem is that there are 66 agencies, and many of them are not being run well. I am always surprised that no one asks about Valerie Santos who is the Deputy Mayor of Economic Development, Victor Reinoso, Deputy Mayor of Education, Kerry Briggs, Superintendent of Education - these people suck but no one asks about them.

[jsteele]

I hate to be in the position of disagreeing with Colbert King, but I think he's taking an overly-simplistic view of things. That's especially true of Linda Singer. She had her faults -- her husband is a developer who was party to an inside deal concerning the West End Library. But, her agenda was clearly in favor of the city's poor. Impressively so, in fact. If there were concerns about her among African Americans, they were likely misplaced. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I don't remember criticism about her from black residents. The travesty was not her appointment, but her replacement by Fenty's personal lawyer who appears to be the true power behind the throne.

Fenty ran as a populist with a grassroots platform. Once elected, he did everything he could to alienate those same grassroots. The race of those he hired was a symptom -- perhaps the most noticeable -- but not the disease. The real problem was the total disrespect show to most of those who had supported him. When people say that Fenty disrespected them, part of what they refer to is his repeatedly sending the message that almost none of them were qualified to hold a high position in his administration. That was generally true regardless of race.

It was not only the race of the people he hired, but the fact that for the most part they had shallow (or even no) roots in the city. Just look at how many had to move in order to establish residency (or fake it, as in the case of our Attorney General). It would be one thing if his appointments were white people with deep roots in DC, but many of them were total outsiders. Of course that is seen as insulting to those who had been long-time supporters.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:I hate to be in the position of disagreeing with Colbert King, but I think he's taking an overly-simplistic view of things. That's especially true of Linda Singer. She had her faults -- her husband is a developer who was party to an inside deal concerning the West End Library. But, her agenda was clearly in favor of the city's poor. Impressively so, in fact. If there were concerns about her among African Americans, they were likely misplaced. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I don't remember criticism about her from black residents. The travesty was not her appointment, but her replacement by Fenty's personal lawyer who appears to be the true power behind the throne.

Fenty ran as a populist with a grassroots platform. Once elected, he did everything he could to alienate those same grassroots. The race of those he hired was a symptom -- perhaps the most noticeable -- but not the disease. The real problem was the total disrespect show to most of those who had supported him. When people say that Fenty disrespected them, part of what they refer to is his repeatedly sending the message that almost none of them were qualified to hold a high position in his administration. That was generally true regardless of race.

It was not only the race of the people he hired, but the fact that for the most part they had shallow (or even no) roots in the city. Just look at how many had to move in order to establish residency (or fake it, as in the case of our Attorney General). It would be one thing if his appointments were white people with deep roots in DC, but many of them were total outsiders. Of course that is seen as insulting to those who had been long-time supporters.

Jeff you nailed it. I cannot believe how many people Fenty appointed to ranking positions who have no connection or loyalty to the city. Once the election is over, the carpet baggers who actually followed the law and moved into the city (apartment in which many share multiple addresses) will simply pack up and move back to from where they came. Others, such as the likes of Nickles, need not do any packing. I have lived in New York, Maryland, and Florida. All required their city and state attorney generals to have prior residency prior to election and/or appointment. Only in the District do the residents accept such stupidity.

[Anonymous]

Colbert King is a hack simply representing his employer, the hack Washington Post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colbert King is a hack simply representing his employer, the hack Washington Post.

Yes, King is a hack. Be that as it may, jsteele is still 100% correct in this assessment.

[Anonymous]

I don't think that Colbert King is any big Fenty fan. He wrote a great editorial a few weeks ago urging people to scrutinize the financial management (or lack thereof) of the Fenty administration, he has been highly critical of both the mayoral and council management of DYRS, and he has been vocally unhappy that the Trout report (detailing the Karim/Skinner/Fenty corruption in public contracts) is not coming out before the primary. I don't know that he's a big Gray fan either---but I don't think he's stumping for Fenty.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think that Colbert King is any big Fenty fan. He wrote a great editorial a few weeks ago urging people to scrutinize the financial management (or lack thereof) of the Fenty administration, he has been highly critical of both the mayoral and council management of DYRS, and he has been vocally unhappy that the Trout report (detailing the Karim/Skinner/Fenty corruption in public contracts) is not coming out before the primary. I don't know that he's a big Gray fan either---but I don't think he's stumping for Fenty.

I don't think this column was pro-Fenty. Actually, it more anti-Fenty. Either way, I don't think it was particularly accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colbert King is a hack simply representing his employer, the hack Washington Post.

King is not a hack. He has diverged from the WaPo in the past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colbert King is a hack simply representing his employer, the hack Washington Post.

King is not a hack. He has diverged from the WaPo in the past.

Orthogonal. It's possible to hold a divergent view from the WaPo's ed board and still be a hack.

[Anonymous]

Jeff is absolutely right. Longtime DC resident here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colbert King is a hack simply representing his employer, the hack Washington Post.

King is not a hack. He has diverged from the WaPo in the past.

Orthogonal. It's possible to hold a divergent view from the WaPo's ed board and still be a hack.

But if he holds a divergent view you're not "a hack simply representing his employer."