The people have spoken: Goodbye, Frank!

Hallelujah!

The reign of terror is finally over. And I'm not talking about Bush's wagon train a-leavin'. That's great and all, but what really matters is that Frank Winstead will no longer terrorize business owners, UPS truck drivers, and indigent Ping Pong players on Connecticut Avenue.

That's right, kids, the people have spoken and the witch is dead! The blight of Forest Hills Frank, soon-to-be-former SMD 3F04 ANC Commissioner has been voted back under the rock from which he came. The man who once accused the owner of Comet Ping Pong of "encouraging murderers and rapists,", by nearly a 3 to 1 margin, has been given the finger. Residents of Forest Hills decided that they didn't want a busybody making things suck any more between Chevy Chase and Van Ness. At least, not suck any more than they already do.

Let us all have a moment and reflect upon this important victory for the people of Washington, DC. Yes, we actually do give a crap what you ANC comissioners do with your petty power! While most ANC commissioners run unopposed - because it's a crappy, unpaid job with little actual influence - in the wrong hands, even a little power can be dangerous. You can go too far. And Frank did. So a hero named Tom Whitley decided to step in and run against him, and crushed Frank and his petty meddling into oblivion. Thank you, Tom! You truly are the greatest American hero. This great day in national and local political history will not soon be forgotten.

A history of the saga:

11/5/08 - City Paper City Desk - So Long Frank Winstead?

9/2/08 - Marc Fisher, Washington Post - Anti-Ping-Pong Commissioner To Run Unopposed?

8/22/08 - Washington Post - Comet Amps It Up Again

6/18/08 - Marc Fisher, Washington Post - D.C. Official: Outdoor Seats At Pizza Place Will Mean Rapes and Murders

6/16/08 - ANC 3F Meeting Official Audio Recordings - hear Frank go wild yourself!

5/8/08 - Farm Fresh Meat - Frank Winstead's Secret Life

6/24/08 - Brightest Young Things - From Ping Pong & Pizza to Rape & Murder

6/24/08 - City Paper City Desk - Confronting Frank Winstead

6/19/08 - City Paper City Desk - Frank Winstead Gone Wild: The Recordings

6/18/08 - DCist - Small victory for Comet Ping Pong

6/16/08 - Brightest Young Things - Comet Pizza Needs Your Help Tonight!

5/29/08 - DCist - Politics and Prose Jumps In Sidewalk Fray

5/8/08 - Farm Fresh Meat - Unraveling the Mind of "Forest Hills Frank"

5/8/08 - DCist - Outdoor Ping Pong at Comet is Dead

5/8/08 - Marc Fisher, Washington Post - Saving Sidewalks From the Evils of Ping-Pong

5/3/08 - Federalist Paupers - Ping Pong Rally Needed

7/18/07 - DCIst - Ping Pong Safety Concerns Us All

The one that started it all:

7/17/07 - Grammar.police - Pong