The Wu administration’s campaign to isolate and marginalize rival Ed Flynn is right out of the old boys’ Boston political playbook.

Wu – who claims to be a new kind of progressive, inclusive leader – has shown she’s no shrinking violet when it comes to dealing with political foes who challenge her, and instead has adopted the tactics of Tom Menino and other predecessors: cold-heartedly stamping them out.

The friction between the two started when Flynn – as city council president – tried to establish himself as “acting mayor” when Wu was out of town.

Flynn’s power grab – traveling to drug-torn Mass and Cass and announcing it to the media – didn’t sit well with the Wu administration.

As soon as Flynn began making noises about running for mayor, Wu started challenging him directly on issues and even invaded Flynn’s home turf of South Boston for a message-sending fundraiser.

It appears to be working as Flynn is now going public complaining about his treatment at the hands of the first-term Democratic mayor.

It’s a tale many veterans of Boston politics know well – Menino and Ray Flynn, Ed’s dad, did it to tamp down their opponents using their vast incumbency powers. It’s one reason why they both served for decades as mayor.

Before Menino was mayor, he would become frustrated at his lack of power as just a city councilor and Mayor Ray Flynn would not let him into the inner circle or make budgetary decisions. Ray Flynn would also make official stops in the districts of his rivals and not even tell them, leaving them out of the loop.

Now that tradition has come full circle with Ed Flynn.

Boston’s system is set up to have a strong mayor and weak city council, so Wu already has a clear advantage when it comes to dealing with Ed Flynn.

Wu controls the pursestrings, the school department, the police, development and items like street sweeping and snow plowing that voters care about and notice.

Councilors have little power except to call hearings and only recently got the authority to have a real say in the city budget.

Wu has veto power and controls enough of the council stooges who are indebted to her politically and give her whatever she wants. That gives her a majority edge on the council and leaves Flynn, in the minority, and out of the power loop.

Flynn has tried to assert himself by demanding more police in the streets and calling for an investigation of Boston’s late school buses but Wu has mostly ignored him.

But Flynn is not in the majority “progressive” wing of the council. Because Mayor Wu has total control of Flynn’s colleagues, he has had little power to make changes other than calling for hearings,

Flynn does have nearly $800,000 in his campaign coffers and a well-known family name so he would be a threat if he decides to run for mayor.

Wu, who has said she plans to run for a second term, flexed her muscle several weeks ago by going right into South Boston for a packed $1,000 a person fundraiser. It was meant to send a message to Flynn that she’s in charge.