Is someone finally taking a whack at scandal-softened Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham?

Bryan Weaver, the longtime Adams Morgan activist and advisory neighborhood commissioner, filed exploratory papers with the Office of Campaign Finance on Tuesday.

To explore a run against the sure-to-be-well-financed three-term incumbent, Weaver has thus far raised the princely sum of $2,500.

Exploratory bids have been rare since campaign finance laws changed some years back, but Weaver, 39, says his campaign is indeed merely speculative at the moment. “I have my opinions on what’s important to me and to the ward,” he says. “Maybe it’s a minority opinion, I don’t know.” Hence the de rigueur “listening tour.”

Read More "Jim Graham Attracts a Potential Challenger" »

After two officers were injured and a suspect was fatally shot early Saturday morning at Champlain and Kalorama streets in Adams Morgan, Councilmember Jim Graham got on the Listserv, of course. Rather than merely informing residents of the incident and investigation, he offered up some pats on his own back for efforts to open Champlain at what he describes as the "NOTORIOUS" spot where it deadends under the Marie Reed breezeway. Graham let us know that he's secured the funding for this project and pushed for bids to go out June 2.

In a phone interview today, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Bryan Weaver lifts the veil of tension between him and his councilmember on this issue. "When you use the incident as a way to push...personal agendas, it's not fair to the police officers who were shot and on the scene immediately, who took the life of another human being."

And it's not about Champlain's dead zone being particularly dangerous, he says. "In many ways, [the closed street] is a perfect storm of bad city managment, bad public policy, and conditions of a wildly gentrifying area, cultivated in one area."

But, yes, says Weaver: "It probably is time to open the breezeway."

Read More "Grahamstanding on “Notorious” Champlain Street" »

While the fur continues to fly with our federal friends and their thoughts on whether or not we can keep slammin' our Obama Slammers well into the a.m., City Paper's favorite bar owner has been quietly killing it on the Adams Morgan Listserv with his rapier sarcasm.

To wit, regarding (presumably) ANC Commissioner's Bryan Weaver's comments in the Post poo-pooing extended inaugural hours---"To have 3 1/2 days of 24-hour service without any input from the community, there's going to be hell to pay from a lot of neighborhood associations"---"Bill D" responds:

To hear these extremely low level, local politicians speaking out about how they should have been consulted before decisions were made about this grand international event is absurd. I'm surprized there has been no ANC demand that one of their exaltd leaders be designated to hold the bible for the swearing-in ceremony. Apparently these other elected officials who passed legislation without conferring with Bryan and Mindy beforehand just do not understand the importance of the Adams Morgan ANC...they will live to regret their impudence.

Read More "Inaugural Booze: Bill Duggan Apologizes (Wink, Wink!)" »

In which we speak with ANC 1C-03 Commissioner Bryan Weaver about Michael Brown's basketball skills, David Schwartzman's uncanny resemblance to Walt Whitman, and the Sarah Palin Disney Movie.

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