DENVER—At a get-together of delegates before leaving for Denver last week, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton remarked that it’s not all fun and games for the D.C. folks, who have to maintain a focus on lobbying for voting rights. “We’re there to work,” she said.

Well, there’s time for a little golf, too.

The picture above is of Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr., denizen of Langston Golf Course, arriving at the Crowne Plaza late yesterday after playing in the 6th annual Ronald H. Brown Memorial Golf Tournament, a benefit memorializing the late Democratic bigwig and commerce secretary.

The tournament, held at the Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, about 15 miles east of downtown, attracted VIPs such as National Urban League head Mark H. Morial, Colorado senate President Peter C. Groff, and—drumroll please—former Ward 5 Councilmember Vincent B. Orange.

Thomas said he played at the invitation of Michael A. Brown, Ron Brown’s son who is now a lobbyist running for an at-large council seat in D.C. The format was a modified best-ball, with each foursome sharing the best drive, then proceeding to the pin separately.

How often did legendary linksman Thomas snag the best drive? “About half the time,” he says with no small hint of pride. But it was Orange, he says, who was the big hitter of the outing, smacking a 295-yard drive at one point.

“My best was about 280,” he says. “But I was consistent.”

If you’re looking for something to do tonight, former Ward 5 Councilmember-turned-Pepco lobbyist Vincent B. Orange Sr. is hosting one of his famous fetes at, where else, Love nightclub. Nice to see he hasn’t stayed from his trademark color scheme:

Someone please report back with details on the “LAVISH DINNER.”

The Palisades 4th of July Parade has long been a place for D.C.’s pols to flex their campaign muscle with an election approaching. Question was, with the seemingly endless 2006 election season finally over, would the usual suspects continue to pull out all the stops on MacArthur Boulevard, or would this be a lower-key affair?

Nope—the keys stayed plenty high.

Now, I got to the parade about 20 minutes late, hoofing across town on my bike, apparently missing Adrian Fenty and a couple of others. But some notes on the rest of the lineup:

As usual, you can break the folks down into riders (folks who like to stay on high ground, taking in the big picture) and walkers (those really into the nitty-gitty, low-to-the-ground work of governing).

The Walkers: Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh, Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser (pictured above), Shadow Senator Michael Brown, At-Large Councilmember David Catania.

The Riders: Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander, Shadow Senator Paul Strauss

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When Vincent B. Orange Sr. was the councilmember from Ward 5, he never tired of talking about his biggest success. Orange claimed to have wrangled the Brentwood Home Depot during a trip to Las Vegas. For at least five years, the councilmember was part of the city’s delegation to the gambling mecca for the annual conference of the International Council of Shopping Centers.

But Orange’s departure from public life via a trouncing in the 2006 mayoral contest hasn’t meant his Vegas streak was broken when reps from Target, Kmart, and JCPenney gathered in Sin City this week

Orange was sighted in the D.C. Economic Partnership booth yesterday, representing his new employer, Pepco.

Orange could not be reached for comment, but At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown, who is in Vegas this week, confirms that Orange was shaking hands and slapping backs in the Partnership’s 2,000-square-foot booth. It’s one job his new bosses didn’t have to train Orange for.

D.C. voters now have three original candidate songs to help them choosing our new leaders, all penned by campaign insiders. No review can replace the experience of listening to the rich variety of rhythms enveloping DCision ’06. One listen to these fine ditties explains why most campaigns have put their efforts elsewhere.

Mayoral candidate Vincent Orange
“Orange the Democrat”
Writer: Orange and team (according to Orange)
Producer: paid consultant

OK, Orange’s tune set to “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was an ad, not an official campaign song. But let’s face it, Orange probably won’t have the cash to put together another tune of any kind. Besides, the jingle contains everything a great campaign refrain should: a catchy tune, lyrics that don’t rhyme, and an attempt to cram everything about the candidate into one minute.

Mayoral candidate Michael Brown
“Get Down with Brown”
Producer: Bomani Armah
Vocals: Roderick Ross
Mix: Devon Beck

Brown went for what he calls “a more youth-oriented theme song.” He delivered. The head-nodding track was written, performed and produced by some of Brown’s young backers. For anyone under 50, “Get Down” can’t be beat on pure listenability. Like all good campaign songs, it sounds best played on a car stereo while driving slow.

Ward 3 Council candidate Bill Rice
“Rice Is Running”
Writer and Performer: Myrna Sislen (Rice’s wife)
Producer: Charles Williams, Middle C Music

Who could resist a campaign jingle set to a famous ’70s television ad? “Rice Is Running” (remember Rice-A-Roni?) is a throwback to the days when these types of political songs weren’t corny. The coming of the 21st century, however, renders this song 100 percent corn. The “one more time!” wrap-up leaves listeners begging for more—and a side of Hamburger Helper.

DOWNLOAD
“Orange the Democrat” radio ad (MP3 format, 1.3 MB)

Ward 5 Councilmember Vincent Orange has always been a master showman. He never seems the least bit embarrassed by the props he uses on the council dais or by the sometimes hokey rhyming phrases that color his political prose.

But his new ad campaign, designed to kick-start his foundering mayoral bid, strains even the Orange standard. The one-minute jingle began running on WTOP radio today and is scheduled to run for one week, according to Orange. A television version of the ad, complete with a bouncing ball over the lyrics, will also run on Comcast cable.

Make no mistake, Orange’s ad is must-listen stuff. To the tune of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”—you read that right, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”—the singers run through a list of Orange accomplishments. With absolutely no regard for rhyming, the ad hits on Home Depot’s opening in Ward 5, D.C. Emancipation Day, and, of course, Orange’s “three E’s.”

Orange isn’t the least bit concerned that the jingle will make people think he is a less-than-serious candidate for mayor. “There is a little light humor in the ad,” says Orange. “But it also talks about our great plan. It talks about the three Es.”

As to the seriousness of his candidacy: “I think my record speaks for itself,” he says. “How can you not take a person seriously who has created the only city holiday legislatively? People take [Ward 4 Councilmember Adrian] Fenty seriously and what has he done?” asks Orange.

“I am extremely comfortable with who I am. If the people can’t accept it, that’s OK. I know who I am,” he continues.

Well, not exactly. During an interview about the ad, Orange launched into a campaign speech that suggested his ride in the white horse-drawn carriage with Mayor Anthony A. Williams in Monday’s Emancipation Day parade might have gone to his head. “Some people are running for mayor,” says Orange. “I am the mayor.”

Of course, the voters will be the final judge as to whether silliness is an effective attention grabber in the oh-so-serious world of D.C. mayoral politics. And Orange isn’t about to concede it’s desperation time for a campaign that sources say is polling in the single digits. For Orange, the ad is just the beginning of a huge electoral surprise.

“You are getting ready to witness something that no other candidate can show you but me,” says Orange.

A damp and chilly Emancipation Day meant the big parade down Pennsylvania Avenue NW didn’t turn out to be the crowded meet-and-greet event candidates and visibility-seeking politicos had hoped for. Parade participants outnumbered spectators, and most of the pols choose the cozy comfort of waving from an automobile over mixing with the nearly nonexistent crowds in a cold rain.

The at-large D.C. Council race was the only contest that prompted serious crowd-working commitment. Incumbent Phil Mendelson stalked the parade route with an umbrella and campaign T-shirt. He followed closely on the heels of challenger A. Scott Bolden, who also opted for the close-to-the-people approach.

A car carrying a sign bearing the name of At-Large Councilmember David Catania was so fogged up it was impossible to see who was inside. Catania was indeed in the car, according to Mendelson, who says his 5-year-old daughter Adelaide accepted Catania’s offer to keep her out of the rain. She did snag a ride on daddy’s shoulders for part of the route.

The parade’s unofficial sponsor, Ward 5 Councilmember Vincent Orange caught an unlucky break that turned out to be pretty lucky in the end. He was supposed to ride solo in a horse-drawn carriage near the front of the parade route, complete with a sign identifying him taped to the side—an appropriate gesture for the sponsor of the bill that established Emancipation Day. But as Orange tells it: “My horse got scared, and they had to take the carriage out” of the parade lineup.

Instead, Orange rode out front with Mayor Anthony A. Williams in a fancy white carriage decorated with flowers. Williams has taken to giving Orange a freebie now and then. Three times in recent months he’s allowed Orange to present what amounted to campaign speeches at his weekly press conference.

Even though he lost his sign because of a skittish horse, Orange seemed to enjoy the lift from Williams. Why not? It’s likely to be the only time he rides in a parade float that includes a sign identifying him as mayor.

Council Chairman Linda Cropp, who is running for mayor, smiled and waved from heated comfort for most of the parade and then bailed out around 10th Street to walk the final four blocks. She’s figured out that a strong finish is what really matters when it comes to campaigns.

You can’t blame Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans and At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown for driving themselves on the route. Neither is running for re-election in the fall. Give them credit for just showing up at D.C.’s unique holiday celebration.

The parade also featured a couple of phantom candidates. Mayoral hopeful and Ward 4 Councilmember Adrian Fenty ran a truck with a sign in the parade, but the candidate himself was nowhere to be found. The same goes for Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray. His red, white, and blue sign calling on voters to choose him to be the next D.C. Council chair graced the side of a van packed with campaign volunteers but no candidate.

The other major candidate for chair, Ward 3 Councilmember Kathy Patterson, waved from the comfort of a black Saab.

The Gray boosters did nail one time-honored technique for cementing a solid reputation among parade-watchers: They made sure to hand out lots of candy.