15 Marion Barry facts

The man, the myth, the unstoppable Marion Barry.

Legend has it that Marion Barry grew up picking cotton in Tennessee. This is not true. For Marion Barry, the cotton would pick itself.

Marion Barry did have nine lives. Then, when he ran out, he got nine more.

Marion Barry received a Masters of Science in organic chemistry. Marion Barry began his doctorate degree, first at the University of Kansas, then at the University of Tennessee, but eventually quit out of boredom.

Marion Barry stopped paying taxes almost a decade ago.

When Marion Barry was shot in the stomach, only the bullet died.

Marion Barry has never lost an election.

In January of 1990, Marion Barry was arrested and charged with three felony counts of perjury, 10 counts of misdemeanor drug possession, and one misdemeanor count of conspiracy to possess cocaine. The Judge declared the case a mistrial because, according to DC law, Marion Barry is allowed to possess only 'hard' drugs. Instead, Marion Barry went to jail for smoking pot once in 1989.

When Marion Barry was in jail, he was the mayor of the jail.

In September of 2006, Marion Barry was pulled over for running a red light. The Judge ruled Marion Barry not guilty in the case, because DC law states that Marion Barry can run red lights.

A similar thing happened in December of 2006, when Marion Barry was pulled over for driving too slowly. Marion Barry was not ticketed, because DC law states that Marion Barry can drive at any speed he likes.

In the Ward 8 general election, Marion Barry received 95% of the vote. The other 5% of the votes were not counted for spelling Marion Barry's name wrong, as 'Marion Berry.'

Marion Barry was 68 when he returned from political retirement to run for the Ward 8 councilmember seat. Marion Barry said he was having a mid-life crisis. Marion Barry is expected to live until at least the age of 130.

In May 2009, Marion Barry voted against a bill committing D.C. to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere - the only dissenting vote in a 12-1 sweep. Marion Barry said he could not vote for the bill because it "goes against my moral compass."

On July 4th, 2009, Marion Barry was arrested and charged with stalking when he was pulled over for following an ex-girlfriend. All charges were dropped 4 days later when it was discovered the complainant was actually stalking Marion Barry.

There was almost a wax model of Marion Barry at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in DC, but it melted just prior to completion. There can only be one Marion Barry.

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this post was inspired by the great Scotty "truemetal" Maxwell. When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris. When Chuck Norris goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Scott Maxwell.

"My heart weeps for what Marion Barry might have been"

Last night, HBO premiered for TV a documentary on the infamous DC "Mayor for Live," Marion Barry. I didn't watch - I was well asleep by then - and that didn't bother me.

That's because I'd already seen the documentary when it was first premiered at the SilverDocs documentary film festival in Silver Spring this past June. I remember very clearly being there, among a raucous crowd of fans and haters (the only two responses that Barry seems to illicit), in a line that wrapped inside the theater and out.

There I was, at the AFI Silver Theater that night, when Barry stepped out of a limousine with an entourage of women and security. There was Barry, with that dark suit, with that awkward gait, with a woman on his arm, and always grinning. There I was as he walked that long line, smiling and shaking hands with everyone, among women who professed their love for Barry, among women who told him how happy they were for what he had done for their city, among men who told him they were proud of him for always landing on his feet.

Landing on his feet is the theme of the documentary, the Nine Lives of Marion Barry. If you're actually counting the number of 'political lives' Barry has lived, you're surely going to reach double digits. The Marion Barry I know is the sad but ever-persevering saga he has lived as a city council member for Ward 8, a saga filled with tax evasion, ethics charges, stalking accusations, cocaine usage, and a failing kidney. During city council meetings, he seems hardly lucid. That this man had an illustrious past filled with accomplishments seems but a myth. This was a man I would watch on TV, and in the newsroom, and be embarrassed for. This is the Barry I know - a joke. So when I stood on line in June, and watched his fans cry and smile and hug and thank him, I was left to wonder where the love came from.

Nine Lives was, for me, an educational experience. I saw the love, and then saw the reason why. Barry did a lot of great things for many of the citizens of the District, the primary one was his focus on finding jobs for the poor communities. He was a civil rights activist, and then a leader in standing up for the lower class, and providing a voice for those so-often ignored. This is one-half of his legacy, but does not, in fact, fully explain the reasons for the love he garners. He is able to speak to and for those communities, the black community of DC, the under-privileged of DC, because of his sins. Those unconquerable sins that still haunt Barry - drugs, alcohol, and lust - prevented Barry from becoming a legend, but because of them, he became even more a man of the people, he became one of them. He was a troubled man, but he was their man.

As pointed at by filmmaker Dana Flor during a panel discussion that followed the film, DC acts not just as some backdrop, but the struggles of the residents of DC are the subplot. It becomes clear though that during his rise, Barry was intrinsically tied and bound to the lives of the people of DC. Sometime during his peak though, he lost touch, and the filmmakers portray the cause of this disconnect to be the unconquerable sins he could not escape. It seems that if Barry had any self-control, he could have been legendary.

"My heart weeps for what Marion Barry might have been," NBC4 reporter Tom Sherwood said in that panel discussion.

This troubled, always grinning man is also an opportunist to the extreme, and for that, he garners hate. Perhaps he grins because, despite himself, he gets away with everything. Perhaps he grins because he has no idea he's doing anything wrong. Neither answer provides much sympathy.

There was no hate for Barry that night in June, though. Following that panel discussion, Barry addressed the crowd that attended the film. The 73-year-old politician didn't apologize for what he had done, nor act grandiose. He simply thanked the filmmakers for being fair, thanked those who attended, and thanked those who surrounded his life.

That was the night I met Marion Barry, the night I had a drink with Marion Barry, the night I took a photo with Marion Barry, the night I went to Jackie's bar in Silver Spring and enjoyed some free food and drinks, and the night I learned much more about the city in which I lived. Last night, I went to bed and did not watch the movie about the city of DC, but I did sleep there.

This documentary was very good - though I suppose it could have been stronger. But for me, it did well in serving its purpose to educate me as to why the people of DC love this mythical man, as well as illustrating his lasting legacy on this city.

Fenty Has Some Super Competition

When I last checked in on my DC beat, I was raving about how awesome the District was when it came to employment.

By the end of the week, I had been laid off. I believe they call that bad karma, or something.

Well fear not - my love for the District is still strong, and now, I have even more hope for its future.

When it comes to leaders, DC has a difficult history. Marion Barry was a special case. No doubt Barry did some great things for this city, but there is no bigger doubt that Barry had some problems, and could have been a much better leader. Anthony Williams succeeded for two terms as DC Mayor following Barry's short retirement from politics, and since 2007, Mayor Adrian Fenty has tried to continue the path towards a better DC, focusing on improving public schools and lessening crime.

For better or worse, these have been serviceable, and certainly dynamic, leaders. To win re-election though, Fenty is going to have to overcome some Obama-quality competition.

Before he has even announced his run at re-election, the following have announced their candidacy for Mayor of DC:

Batwoman


The Atom


the Green Lantern


Bat Girl


Super Man


Wonder Woman


Cyborg

and

Spiderman.

Clearly Mayor Fenty has seen this coming long before any of us, and has been relentlessly fundraising long before one would ordinarily expect. Some collegeagues were getting worried he was fundraising too much, but Fenty must have known that with the announcement of 8 potential superheroes for Mayor, finding funding would become difficult. I wonder if he'll call on Rihanna Fenty for support?

Not much is known about why all these superheroes are descening upon the District. There might be some answers here? I'm trying to figure it out myself. I mean, surely there is a city in greater need of leadership. But hey, maybe Obama won't be the only superhero we see around town these days.

I'm not making any endorsements - I'll leave that up to my fellow Gentlemen and true comic fans - but I would just like to point out that I believe Obama already has: