Last year, Adrian Fenty was the coolest, promising, intellectual, handsome young politician in Washington, D.C. But this year, there's a new kid on the block, and he's throwing down the gauntlet for D.C.'s former most popular kid. From the mean streets of Chicago, Barack Obama swaggered into the city, gliding over sleet-filled sidewalks with the confidence of a Zamboni.
D.C. residents were sheepish as the new kid teased the city for its reaction to some January winter weather:
Before meeting with business leaders this morning, President Obama made a little side remark about how his girls' school was closed today "because of--what? Some ice?"
"As my children pointed out, in Chicago school is never canceled," Obama said to laughter. "In fact my seven-year-old pointed out that you'd go outside for recess. You wouldn't even stay indoors. So, it's--I don't know, we're going to have to try to apply some flinty Chicago toughness."
Not to be shamed on his own turf, when the next winter precipitation presented itself, Fenty put on his best flinty face and announced that Washington, D.C. schools would stay open, on a 2-hr. delay. He faced the storm with "Chicago toughness," despite the fact that the city is not equipped with Chicago's generous stockpile of snowplows and experience. The call resulted in complaints from area parents and teachers, some of whose neighborhoods were covered in 12 inches of snow, which local governments had yet to plow.
Fenty responded to criticism with a mid-morning press conference, where he put on his coolest snow boots to show off for the new president:
When asked how the president would judge his response, Fenty chuckled.
"I agreed with the thrust of his comments last time. I did. I've lived in DC all my life. I give him a lot of credit for being perceptive. I've often thought that DC needs to not be so knee-jerk in closing--not just the schools, but so many of our government buildings and stores and everything else. I think we're developing that. We're still kind of-- we're not as North[ern] as some other cities but I think as we continue to develop the capacity for responsiveness then I think that business and government will feel more comfortable staying open."
Let's hope Obama obliges him with an assuring soundbite, or a seat next to him at the lunch table.
