For his re-election campaign this year, At-Large Councilmember Kwame R. Brown has thus far raised some $575,000 for a race in which he has virtually no opposition. Here’s how he earned at least $2,000 of that:

On the afternoon of July 28, Leigh Kirchner, general manager of downtown club the Park at 14th, sent an e-mail to about 50 employees of that establishment and sister nightspot Love. “Per Marc: Everyone needs to bring a $50 check made out to ‘Re-Elect Kwame Brown’ to support his re-election by Tuesday,” Kirchner wrote, adding a link to Brown’s campaign Web site. On Aug. 15, Kirchner followed up, writing, “I need all of your $50 checks made payable to Re-Elect Kwame Brown by the close of business tonight. Managers—you are accountable for collecting the checks from your specific departments.”

“Marc,” of course, refers to Marc Barnes, the impresario who has ruled upscale nightlife in this town for a decade, first at Republic Gardens on U Street NW, then at buppie haven Dream in Ivy City (which became Love in 2005). In the last year, he’s made a big play for the downtown professional set with the Park, a sleek, glass-fronted, four-level superclub on Franklin Square.

Operating such businesses with Barnes’ level of success requires a certain relationship with local governmental authorities. You’ve got to keep the liquor enforcers happy. You’ve got to be on good terms with the cops. You have to satisfy various city inspectors that everything’s on the up and up. In other words, it’s helpful to be in the good graces of local elected officials, who can vouch for your upstanding character.... Continued