Enough of this!

Well, that's enough of that. You don't fuck with the Cropp and keep control of a blog in this town. Linda's in charge now.

I'll have you know that, far from "sucking," I rule. Of course I do. I mean, everyone in DC is talking about me -- my picture's on the front page of the A-section and Style in today's Post, and even those nasty sportswriters have no choice but to bitch about me. It's as if they said, "My job depends on getting more sports into this city. If anything upsets that goal, I'll trash whoever is standing in the way." Well, my job is getting more for Linda. If baseball gets in the way, t.s.

Linda, Linda, Linda. Cropp, Cropp, Cropp. That's right, DC. I'm the juice in this town. And it's not like it's just DC that's learning about my stroke, 'cause I'm bad, I'm nationwide. More Americans know who I am than ever knew Sharon Pratt Kelly. And all because I took the initiative on this baseball racket. I'm telling you, politics is easy. And it's even easier when Tony keeps on believing what he wants to be true. Even Boswell has caught on to me -- but Tony still thinks he can bring me 'round. Sucker.

So piss off yourself, Nats' fans. Baseball isn't that big of a deal anyway. I'm not a fan, and that's a good thing. It means I can look at it dispassionately, weigh the pluses and minuses without being seduced by the romance of baseball. And since I'm not a fan of ethics and transparency, it means that I can look at my political options dispassionately, without being seduced by the need to tell my colleagues what the hell I'm going to do next, or by the need to confront political reality. I can pretend that there's a possibility that MLB will deal with the city over financing, even though there's no prayer of that. I can pretend that there's a big pot of money lying around to go to schools and bringing back DC General, even though there isn't. I can do anything I need to do to position myself for a bright future in the Wilson building, because I do not suck. I rule.

So call me "Cropp-zilla," say all the swears you like, just make sure that you keep talking about me. Till fall '06 or so, at least. Ah, it's good to be the Cropp.

--Linda

The Advisability of the Baseball Compact Isn't The Issue

The issue of your suckitude, Linda, isn't really related to the question of whether the deal between Williams and MLB was a good one for DC. Reasonable people can disagree as to whether it's a deal that we can swallow as a city -- see the comment about Fenty below -- and few people, even stadium supporters, can claim with a straight face that it's a good deal. (I question whether Tony himself could really say it, in front of the hot lights, without grimacing. I certainly don't think he'd pass a polygraph doing so.) I happen to believe that the auxiliary benefits of job creation and neighborhood revitalization, combined with the public good of professional baseball, justify the agreement. But I can understand why smart, concientious folks might think otherwise.

No Linda, you don't suck because you question the wisdom of the Compact -- you suck because you're so damn disingenous, because you've contrived to be on every side of the goddamn issue, and because you've repeatedly played hide-the-agenda in a pathetic effort to claw your way into the spotlight. You suck because you're a cheap hack unconvincingly garbing yourself in the ill-fitting roles of a reformer and defender of the public purse. You suck because you knowingly embraced the ludicrous false dichotomy of "ballpark vs. schools." You suck because you're an unusually destructive demogogue in a city that breeds them like lobbyists. Adrian Fenty doesn't suck, nor does Catania, nor do Kwame Brown or (on this issue, and for the time being) Barry -- despite the fact that they all oppose public financing -- but you do suck, because you're in this for Linda first.

Last night, Harold Brazil (whom I voted against, despite the fact that I knew Brown disagreed with me on the ballpark) asked why you waited 11 hours to spring your midnight surprise. That's a good question to which there isn't a good answer. And that's because you suck.

Nice bluff, Linda

Baseball doesn't fuck around.

That was one shrewd bluff, Linda. This team will not play in DC more than one year unless the Council recants completely, endorses Williams' deal, and shamelessly abases itself and grovels before Selig by 12/31. Otherwise, the club will be awarded to Vegas by April. You suck, Linda.

Major League Baseball President and Chief Operating Office Bob DuPuy issued the following statement today regarding the legislation passed by the D.C. Council last night:
"The legislation approved by the District of Columbia City Council last night does not reflect the agreement we signed and relied upon after being invited by District leaders to consider Washington as a home for Major League Baseball. The legislation is inconsistent with our carefully negotiated agreement and is wholly unacceptable to Major League Baseball.

"Because our stadium agreement provides for a December 31, 2004 deadline, we will not entertain offers for permanent relocation of the club until that deadline passes. In the meantime, the club's baseball operations will proceed, but its business and promotional activities will cease until further notice. We thank the fans of Washington, D.C. for their support and enthusiasm, but given the present uncertainty, any ticket purchaser who entrusted us with a deposit may request a refund through the club's ticket office."

God, does she suck

Linda Cropp sucks. How much more needs to be said? Why did she kill our dream? Why couldn't she have at least been up front about her fucking agenda, like Adrian Fenty was? Hell, I disagreed with Fenty on the ballpark, but at least he had the sack and the principle to stand up for what he believed in. Cropp strung us all along, grandstanding the whole time, and stuck the knife in at the last possible minute.

Well, piss off, Linda Cropp. Reap the whirlwind. You think you're getting elected mayor? You'll be lucky to keep a Council seat.