(Marion) Barry In, 3 D.C. Council Incumbents Out

[kysrsoze]

Ex-Mayor Ousts Allen; Chavous, Brazil Also Lose

Disgruntled voters in the nation's capital ousted three veteran members of the D.C. Council yesterday, voting by overwhelming margins to replace the incumbents with two fresh new faces and a familiar old one -- former mayor Marion Barry.

Barry defeated council member Sandy Allen in Ward 8, the city's poorest ward. With 140 of 142 precincts reporting in the Democratic primary, Barry had received about 57 percent of the votes cast. Allen trailed with 25 percent and conceded the election to the former mayor.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21623-2004Sep14.html



Well, it's nice to know that voters are willing to forgive some youthful mistakes like smoking crack with a hooker while in your mayoral office. What was the phrase again? Oh yeah, "I knew a woman would be my downfall." OK.

[Southpaw Bookworm]

You're telling me

Not that DC has the corner on re-electing criminals *cough*Arch Moore*cough*, but this is one more step away from us ever getting voting representation in Congress.

[theHandpuppet]

5. DC never ceases to disappoint me...

As much as I truly admire the remarkable Eleanor Holmes Norton, she must be cringing at this news, especially when she's lobbied so hard for voting representation. Well., so much for THAT --DC's citizens have just proven once again that they'd rather have some corrupt, philandering old crackhead representing them then finally getting respect and voting representation in Congress.

STUPID. Just really, really STUPID!!

[Southpaw Bookworm]

1. Dupe

Now how the hell did that happen?

[BlueNomad]

2. I Live in DC

though not in his ward. I am very disappointed, but lots of folks who live there have fond memories of his long ago days--summer jobs programs etc.....

As a native Washingtonian, however, I can say, his good days have been long gone. He is not well physically (noncompliant diabetic still scarfing down ribs and macaroni and cheese AND a prostate cancer survivor) and he's basically a liar with lots of addictions.

I also think it was disgraceful how Ward 8 voters betrayed Sandy Allen like they did after her service there. Lots of entrenched sexism and negativism. And not to put too fine a connection on the whole fiasco but the last thing I ---as a Kerry supporting Democrat--- wanted to see was a bunch of Democratic voters forgiving and voting for a politician caught on video smoking a crack pipe. Here we are in the middle of Kitty Kelley's book press tour week railing on Bush's coke use at Camp David ahd Laura flipping dime bags of weed, and we've got voters giving Barry 60% of the vote....please.

(To be fair--note however that no one votes in DC ever and this was a primary. I am just pulling out my morning Washington Post to see how many individuals actually did vote for Mr. Barry....That boys and girls is another rant for another time and thread...)

[Laughing Mirror]

6. Politician with prostitute and crack pipe caught on video

was seen as a set-up by many people in DC, particularly in Ward 8, where Barry lives, and so don't hold that against him. There was a lot more to him than that, a lot more that he represents, as most people who do not live in DC, let alone in Southeast, realize.

[jumpstart33]

3. Cokeheads in the WH and the DC Council...just about where the country

really is. Braindead people everywhere, former addicts running the country, the states, and the cities, and the media. We're fucked as a nation.

[montanacowboy]

4. OMG! moved away from the Hill just in time!

I guess the liquor licenses will be flowing like manna from heaven with even more of those cute little alcohol and drug time bombs on every corner from NE to NW DC. Jeesus, those people never learn do they.

[Laughing Mirror]

7. Capitol Hill is not in Ward 8, Barry's district

So you might put some of your paranoic guesses to rest.

[theboss]

8. Barry's cronyism will not be limited to his neighborhood

You can count on that much.

[Laughing Mirror]

9. You credit him with more influence than he probably still has

outside of Ward 8, but you may be right. We'll just have to wait and see what sort of horrors he has up his conniving sleeves to further degrade the lives of the people of the sovereign state of the District of Columbia.

[theboss]

10. He still has a ton of appointees and friends all over the government

Williams' great failure is that he has been politically unable to clean up a lot of the inherent corruption in DC. Barry being back on council now gives him a direct line to these old friends. It will be interesting to see if he starts to flex his political muscle in Williams' direction now.

[Moderator]

11. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x827722