The Washington Post warmly endorsed Ike Leggett for Montgomery County Executive in a Sunday editorial. I suspect the paragraph that brought the largest smile to Leggett's face is:
Mr. Leggett's deliberative, nonconfrontational approach is sometimes interpreted as indecisiveness or passivity. It's a bad rap. He has taken the lead on an array of initiatives, for example leading the fight to ban smoking in county bars and restaurants in the face of stiff opposition from owners of those businesses. In a county whose leadership has sometimes had trouble saying no, Mr. Leggett is a better bet to exercise the fiscal and budgetary discipline that will be required in the face of tighter property tax revenue as the local housing market softens.For the Post, Leggett's ability to build consensus while exercising leadership appears to have been critical in its choice of Leggett over his primary opponent, Steve Silverman:
As for Mr. Silverman, no one doubts his commitment and creative passion for crafting policy; he has been a leader on the council in finding ways to build roads, affordable housing and new job venues. Although he has been criticized for coziness with developers and for embracing what some regard as excessive growth, he was part of a consensus on the council -- one that included Mr. Leggett. What Mr. Silverman lacks is Mr. Leggett's divining rod for common ground and gift for consensus-building. It does not diminish his achievements; it simply makes Mr. Leggett the better choice.Of course, this is absolutely huge for the Leggett campaign. The Post remains quite influential and its endorsement could swing a close election. Moreover, the editorial directly defends Leggett against the charge of indecisiveness which critics view as his primary weakness.
