> "People of color" influence DC politics only to the extent that the old white men in the Capitol tolerate it. Exactly. D.C is the only city whose local polit

> "People of color" influence DC politics only to the extent that the old white men in the Capitol tolerate it. Exactly. D.C is the only city whose local politics are directly subject to the whims of Congress. > Case in point, recent efforts to legalize marijuana locally have run into a lot of trouble Yes, and not just recent efforts - D.C. legalized medical marijuana in 1998 by popular vote, but the Barr amendment overruled it. (Yes, Bob Barr, who later ran for president on the Libertarian Party ticket, blocked D.C. from being able to legalize medical marijuana)