A (Very) Public Embarrassment to the Nation’s Capital

Marion Barry is on the front page of The Washington Post and other area pubs again today. And once again, the topic is the same — more scintillating scandal.

You want to know what’s wrong with the city of Washington? Just look at Marion Barry. I didn’t think it was possible for one human being to singularly serve as the personification of all the failings and woes of an entire city, but lately I’m starting to believe the two were made for each other.

Political scandal, favors for lovers, addiction, abuse of office, arrests, federal investigations, corruption … you name it, and both the city and the former mayor will stand and testify!

Marion Barry is becoming a joke. His insecurities are on constant display, and instead of shamefully exiting stage right and stopping with his silly rants and escapades with girlfriends young enough to be his daughter, he parades about like he has something to say. Or even worse, like he expects the public wants to hear from him. Barry’s fellow council members should have called for his stepping down long ago. There have been too many incidents where he’s embarrassed them and the office of City Council he holds. Instead, they mumble he’s still a fine member for Ward 8, and then stir their collective toe in the dust in embarrassment.

There was a time when I wrote favorably about Mr. Barry. I joined others in applauding his efforts to help the poor and those in Ward 8, and to extend civil rights when the shadow of racism crept in. But that’s not the Marion Barry on display this week, and it hasn’t been the leader in over a decade. His supporters want to protect him because of his color, claiming racism is what caused this recent Park Police flap. The only race that should be discussed here is a race to get him out of this town.

What should be troubling to the residents of Washington is that we only know what the media has put in print about Barry. Lord only knows what else lurks behind the scenes … how many times the authorities looked the other way or city accountants approved an expense for a lover, not because of the person, but in deference to the office he leveraged to rack up his political favors.

Mr. Barry, your time has passed. The usefulness you bring to the office of City Council representing Ward 8 has long dissipated. You struggle to remain legitimate in a city government that loses legitimacy each day it opens its doors to you.

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