Marion Barry victorious in comeback bid

[Freddie Stubbs]

By DERRILL HOLLY
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Marion Barry, the former Washington mayor infamous for being caught smoking crack on an FBI videotape, staged another political comeback Tuesday, ousting an incumbent city councilwoman.

The man once dubbed "Mayor For Life" appeared to have won the Democratic nomination for the Ward 8 council seat — the same post he won in 1992 after serving six months in prison for his drug conviction. He used that as a springboard to a fourth term as mayor in 1994.

With little money and few volunteers, Barry, 68, ran a low-key campaign against Councilwoman Sandy Allen, who once served as his campaign manager. He spent primary election day visiting with voters at the 16 precinct polling places in the predominantly black, working class district.

"Money can't buy service and can't buy love. And I've given service to this community," Barry told the election night crowd.

more: http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/politics/index.ssf?/base/politics-0/1095218351295570.xml&storylist=electionmi

[David Dunham]

1. Now we'll have coke in White House and DC Council.

[saigon68]

2. Like Dracula---back from the Grave

[jumpstart33]

3. A testimony to how f**ked up this country is.

I will say this, if Rush can stay on the radio with his drugs, I guess Barry can stay in DC government with his drugs. Barry can't possible influence as many people as Rush.

[SquireJons]

4. Would you want him as your City Councilman?

...or mayor?

I've been within spitting distance from D.C. all my life, and the city has no greater embarrassment than Marion Berry. I suppose that felons need representation too, but this is ridiculous.

[shanti]

5. hey

he was voted in fair and square. do you have a problem with that?

[jsw_81]

7. No

But it sure seems that the voters of DC are dumber than a box of rocks. They put a crack smoker on the city council and then wonder why their city is so screwed up?

[DrWeird]

8. Is smoking crack any worse then snorting coke?

Because the President took a lot of coke.

[Laughing Mirror]

10. if the city is screwed up, it is not because of who is on the city counci

But because of who actually owns and runs my home town city, and we the people it sadly is not.

I congratulate Marion Barry for winning the council seat back in Ward 8, and I glad the residents of my old ward did not forget who the man really is and what he represents to them and to all of us who still have strong ties, family and friends in the neighborhood.

There are a lot of people in high places who get caught up in drink and drugs and stay in place, but Barry was smeared and forever discredited by the work of sleazier powers catching him in a sting operation. I am glad that the wise people in Ward 8 are able to make the distinction, and who know the real truth about Marion Barry that he has faithfully represented us and stood up for us through thick and thin. When I hear people slander him, I know they don't really know anything about him or about DC at all.

[jsw_81]

11. Wise people? Please

The fact of the matter is that the man was videotaped smoking crack with a prostitute while serving as mayor of our nation's capital. When I hear people support him for public office, I really have to wonder about their sanity. The idiots in Ward 8 should be ashamed.

[Laughing Mirror]

12. That M Barry liked to party, use cocaine was an open secret for years

Before somebody one day gave the order to bust him in that sting operation. The wise people of Ward 8, Barry's neighbors, understood that and refused to let the smear campaign and sting operation change their views about him and voted him back in. That you would have to italicize "smoking crack" and "prostitute" as if that is supposed to frighten us shows that you know nothing about us or our city.

[Voltaire99]

13. Oooh, stop him before he italicizes again!

What's wrong with Barry smoking crack with a prostitute, pray tell, you terrible prude?

I would imagine the experiences are mutually enhancing. While it's certainly none of your business how he enjoys himself, we can say that this combinative approach speaks well of the new mayor's ability to multitask his pleasures.

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. Barry's faults are far worse that smoking crack

As Mayor he ran the city into the ground financially to the point that the federal government had to appoint an oversight board which took much of power away from the Mayor and City Council.

[Laughing Mirror]

16. all that power the Mayor and City Council are supposed to have

is illusory. Don't you know who control's the city's pursestrings? Congress.

[Tomee450]

20. No,the

voters who elected Barry probably feel they are no better off under Williams than they were under Barry. Whatever happened to the idea of forgiveness? I guess Barry's critics must have lived perfect lives. I strongly disagree that a person who once engaged in bad behavior is to be forever dammed for it. People change. Just because Barry was a drug addict before does not mean he is one now. Moreover, Barry was no more corrupt than many big city mayors. I certainly disapprove of what Barry did but am unwilling to say that he is to be forever condemned. Why is it that when blacks do not vote as others wish them to, they are called dumb? Is there some believe in the inherent inferiority of black people?

[DrWeird]

6. Which was more embarrassing?

Marion Berry using cocaine or police officer committing entrapment?

[Sean Reynolds]

9. Good for Barry!

Congrats to him and I wish him the best of luck.

[FatSlob]

15. Welcome to the DC cesspool.

What is wrong with DCers? This is absurd.

[theboss]

17. The problem with Barry is not the drugs; it's how corrupt he is

The city will take decades to recover from the damage imposed by the Barry cronies at every level of the city. Barry gave hundreds of friends little fiefdoms within the city, and the majority of them treat the city like their personal piggy-bank.

"Barryism" can be defined by the leaders of the teacher's union using union dues to furnish their homes. It's his ex-wife going to jail for stealing thousands of dollars in federal funds that had been paid to Pride Inc. It's Deputy Mayor Ivanhoe stealing $190,000 in public funds. It's Deputy Mayor Hill stealing $3,000 in payments from a city auditing contractor. It's Barry getting his house remodeled by a city contractor. It's the school board constantly losing funds. It's money that was intended for care of the handicapped disappearing.

I'm not a huge fan of Williams, but if nothing else, DC can trust him to not steal from the city. He may make mistakes, but I don't believe he or his friends benefit from them. Of course, he has 1/100th of Barry's charisma which has always been his problem.

[Laughing Mirror]

18. Williams doesn't steal from the city, of course

He borrows from the city. He's like George Bush. He wants to build the city a major league ball park ($345 million) with somebody else's funds: the taxpayers.

[DiverDave]

19. I just have a problem

With a crackhead making decisians with the publics money.
If he is clean and sober, well that's different.
But the CIA and our government meant for crack to be addictive.
Keep the black man down, and get money for the "Freedom Fighters" in Nicaragua. Win-Win, eh? /sarcasm/
Before I would let him have ANY power, I would want a piss test.
And before anyone gets huffy about advocating a drug test, he could resign and fire up the pipe all he wants.
But the folks must think he is clean...