D.C. Mayor Fenty comes under fire

D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty had just wrapped up a morning news conference on federal stimulus dollars going to a local internship program.

As usual for the mayor’s multitude of announcements and appearances, a handful of reporters lingered to ask about subjects not on the agenda.

On Monday, it was bicycling. Mr. Fenty, a well-known triathlete, was confronted by a reporter from a local news radio station about video showing Mr. Fenty and his bicycling team running stops signs and red lights and slowing traffic along D.C. area roads with a motorcycle police officer in tow.

Mr. Fenty answered the inquiries with comments about exercise and road safety.

“Do I strike that balance each and every time I ride my bicycle? No,” Mr. Fenty said. “Should I do a better job? Yes. Will I? I will work as hard as humanly possible.”

He referred questions about the use of a motorcycle escort to the Metropolitan Police Department.

WTOP Radio investigative reporter Mark Segraves broke the story later Monday. It was immediately held up by a D.C. Council member and the police union chairman as an example of the mayor abusing the power of his office.

The story was just the latest to strike the theme.

The 38-year-old mayor won all 143 precincts in the city’s Democratic primary three years ago after a populist campaign largely based on a record of fulfilling constituent service requests as a council member.

But since spring he increasingly has come under fire for what some describe as a heavy-handed, authoritarian style of governing.

Now, despite gains in test scores among D.C. students, a dramatic decrease in crime and relative financial stability in a down economy, the mayor’s leadership style and some questionable choices about how he has used the privileges of his office could endanger a re-election campaign that a year ago seemed virtually certain.

And potential opponents who seemed like long shots now are emerging as contenders.

D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray, widely credited with closing a two-year $666 million budget shortfall in July, has become increasingly vocal about the mayor’s performance.

“I think clearly he portrayed himself as a populist, a man of the people. Based on what I’m hearing from people, they’re hugely disappointed in what they’ve seen and what they thought they were going to get,” Mr. Gray said.

Mr. Gray, 68, has emerged as a viable option in next year’s mayoral election, though he continues only to say he is considering a run.

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