Illinois politics in D.C.

Debra Daniels is telling me about being pushed out of the government by Mayor Adrian Fenty’s administration — not once, but three times. I think maybe she’s recalling some episode in Chicago, where machine politics, marked by patronage, heavy muscling and a tinge of corruption, are standard fare. But she assures me she’s talking about the District.

Despite the bruising she’s received, she won’t stay down. Last week, she and other former city employees met with D.C. Councilmen Harry Thomas, Michael Brown and Kwame Brown, hoping to persuade them to eliminate or modify personnel laws dealing with the Management Supervisory System.