Barry Press Conference: Political Science 101 For Ex-Girlfriend’s Daughter
"I'm just listening," she said quietly.
She was dressed in jeans, a thin sweater, t-shirt, and dark glasses. In her left hand, she held a drink from McDonald's. In the other, she held a cellphone.
She had found the cameras and the reporters and the microphones in front of the Wilson Building, and felt she needed to take it all in. She stood off to the side, away from the lights, and watched the woman talking into all those microphones.
At a little past 11 p.m. yesterday night, Marion Barry's spokesperson Natalie Williams had assembled the media throng for a quickie press conference to address allegations concerning the councilmember giving lucrative contract work to ex-girlfriend Donna Watts-Brighthaupt.The payments amounted to at least $20,000.
Williams began the presser with an attack on Watts-Brighthaupt. Reading from a typed script, she declared emphatically that the Barry Ex is "unstable" and had sought professional help at one point. This had nothing to do with the circumstances that led to the press conference---Barry's arrest for allegedly stalking Watts-Brighthaupt this past weekend. If she was so unstable, weren't these reasons enough not to hire her for those contract jobs?
Still, Williams kept on her talking point, repeating that word "unstable."
A few feet away, the girl stood still, trying to contain her anger and disappointment. She is 16. She mumbled that she is Watts-Brighthaupt's daughter.
"I'm trying to figure out why she's so unstable," she said of her mother, "when she's sending me off to college next year."
She said she's not surprised by Barry's wave of personal attacks against her mother. She explained: "He's Marion Barry."
There used to be a time not too long ago when Barry meant something important to her family. Although her mom broke things off with the councilmember shortly before his kidney-transplant surgery, she cared for him around-the-clock during his recuperation. "We cooked for him during his recovery," the daughter said. "Cooking and making sure he was comfortable. He had a team of people looking [after] him. Mom was part of the team."
After the press conference ended, she waited for her mom to pick her up. She said that she'll be graduating from high school in a year, that she hoped to attend Hampton University (where Effi Barry once taught). She said she wanted to major in political science.
Photo by Darrow Montgomery
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9:26 am
While I feel sorry for the children (I cant find a reasonable reason to bring the mothers mental state into this) throughout all of this I have little sympathy for the adults - Mr. Barry or Ms. Watts. When you are willing to take favors from Marion Barry or turn a blind eye to his curroption you open yourself up for whatever happens. Everyone knows snakes bite.
I wonder if during his care Mr. Bary was living with Ms. Watts - he sure wasn't spending nights at his Orange Street address. If we was residng with Ms.Watts wouldn't that constitute his household and wouldnt that be in violation of the conflict of interest law?
9:29 am
One more thing. I hope Ms. Watts sees how very little regard Mr.Barry has for her confidences and I hope she no longer keeps his either. He didn't think twice about throwing her and her family under the bus. What happens in the dark needs to be brought into the light. I hope she feels compelled to share all that she knows - she will be believed.
9:49 am
Mayor-4-Life is a poon hound; always has been. No need to trash this woman to salvage your rep; it's unsalvageable.
You went from Freedom Fighter to the People's Champ to the Mayor of Dodge City to 'the Bitch set me up' to the CrackMayor to Councilman-thorn-in-the-side with some adultery/DUI/Drug offenses and medical issues sprinkled all along the way...now this
I guess this 'bitch' set you up too, huh? They all out to getcha, huh
R-I-G-H-T
10:26 am
Barry, at fisrt blush I beleived until you deceived us yet again. Come on pops aka Marion Barry really let go of politics, uh you are addicted to the power and press and the booty, my bad!!!
Seriously, bro MBarry you are ruining it for a lot of families in the city and not just SE anymore. You can better for us in the city if you just quit the council and ask for foregiveness one more time.
10:33 am
Advoc8te: I've been following your comments. I'm not sure that at this trying moment, I can fully appreciate them, but they are well respected in their contexts. Thank God for free speech and the net huh? You may not have any level of respect for me but a few words of wisdom would be to balance that anger if you really want to be heard. I lot of people perceive citizens of W8 to be needy, greedy, or angry without getting to know the origin of the adjective.
PS - I truly admire your energy for OUR Ward and young energy is past due. Good day Miss.
10:39 am
@DBrighthaupt, Mr. Barry does seem to be going way out of his way to slander you. I did enjoy your comment that you must be "bad."
I can only assume that there is another shoe waiting to drop. I am sure that there is much more to this story.
10:42 am
PS Advoc8te - I humbly thank you for your 'feelings of sympathy, though they're not necessary. Why don't ya research a little, then we may accept your empathy.
Again, thanks!
10:57 am
@DBrighthaupt - Thank you for taking the time to comment. I think last nights spectacle should have been clear to anyone that the intent of that "statement" (which sounded a lot to me like slander and personal jabs) was to totally impeach any credibility you may have as well as to embarrass you to the community. The statement made no sense. If you were "imbalanced" and a liar why would you have been hired in the first place? It makes no sense. It does however look a lot like harrassment to me.
I found nothing in last nights statement to be unbiased, factual let alone professional. I truly believe you would have a case for harrassment there is one thing for Mr. Barry to dispute your account of the events. It shows a rather poor lack of character to publicize your personal life including any medical or mental treatments you may or may not have had (which for the record I don't find relevant to the issue at hand).
Hopefully last night's "statement" shows the citizens of the District of Columbia why detractors of Marion Barry who reside in Ward 8 have been hesistant to speak out publicly against him - he is vengeful.
I however do think that there is more to this story and I hope that it comes out soon. I most definetly do beleive that Marion Barry and those in his camp who he is using to descredit Miss Watts are very, very afraid of knowledge that she must have and it is their fear that would make me believe her.
As my uncle always says "A hit dog always yells". Why are you yelling Barry?
Ms Brighthaupt - Only you know if you were being stalked that day by Mr. Barry but I do believe you are being harrassed. Please speak out and don't be afraid. There are those in the Ward and in the city who would support you.
11:07 am
One more thing. I think your comment last night about them being scared of you is spot on. Someone is really scared.
11:34 am
This is beyond ridiculous. Barry is indeed impeaching someone's character...his own or what is left of it. He's been in politics long enough to know to simply stick to the facts...and that was that he was NOT stalking Ms. Watts. Bringing her down talking about her character is misguided even for him. If Ms. Watts said that he wasn't stalking her and explained the situation, {depending upon the statute of harassment or domestic violence they are using}, the charges would be dropped. At worse, a Civil Protection Order would be issued. By having these continual press conferences for the media vultures, he is weakening his presummed innocence in all of this. Everybody knows that cases are NOT tried by the media.
Mayor Barry, I hope you haven't gotten senile. You've been missing a few steps lately. Try to finish your term with dignity.
11:40 am
The Advoc8te, sometimes I wonder if your posts are self-serving. Maybe Ms. Watts doesn't want to tell the media her business. Maybe she can live without "the other shoe dropping". In as much as she wants this to disappear, so should you. The only time that we should be acting on her behalf (asking questions, stressing issues, etc.) is if she was mentally incompetant and was not aware of what was going on. Ms. Watts is saying, even in defending herself, leave me alone. I will respect her wishes, how about you?
11:40 am
OK - I'm trying hard not to give press ANYTHING to spin. I expect it from bloggers, but I expect so much more out of press and lawyers (I had to giggle when I typed that) but something to think about to quash an important debate. What are those street cameras atop those tall white poles up for? And wouldn't some cop cars have cameras on the dash?
I responded in a 3-pager because at the time, I felt I would never be heard - I don't have the press/media batphone button as Marion. LL Rocks...and he Rocks fairly!
12:14 pm
@The Advoc8te "She was asking for it" is the textbook justification for all sex crimes committed against women. Similarly, "Everyone knows snakes bite" is not a helpful response to a woman being stalked by an ex-boyfriend.
12:47 pm
@Amanda. I think you misread my comment. No one and I mean no one has the right to be stalked/harrassed/abused etc. I have taken much offense at statements from Barry's camp that just because (according to them) she is "unstable" she must be lying or just because she went to lunch with him earlier it's impossible to be "stalked". Abuse victims speaking in general are victims. You can't excuse away abuse and anyone who tries to do so is fighting a losing battle.
However, when you knowingly deal with someone who has exhibited poor judgement in the past and who will do whatever it takes to maintain his position and his status then you can't be totally surprised when they turn on you - especailly when they have done so in the past.
That's my point. Abuse is not cool. Stalking is not cool. Harrassing is not cool. Slander is not cool.
It is so...heartbreaking to see this situation in anyway distract from the truly wonderful things happening in Ward 8.
My 2 cents.
12:50 pm
wanted to clarify by "turning on you" I mean holding several press conferences calling you crazy. That is inexcusable and not even relevant to the situation at hand. Honestly I didnt even see the point of that press conference to begin with - other than to insult Ms. Watts.
1:36 pm
Advoc8te, I get what you're saying. But is this story really about the victim being "totally surprised" that Marion Barry turned on her? I don't think so. The story is about Marion Barry stalking a woman. Marion Barry acting crazy in the past doesn't rob her of her right to speak out about him continuing to act crazy.
5:10 pm
@Amanda and The Advoc8te, you are correct. Ms. Watts could be a victim here. However, she isn't on the airwaves talking about how Barry stalked her. She isn't talking (at least until recently) about the failed Denver fellatious request. What she is doing is playing a manipulator in all of this. Why would she save the phone messages unless she was looking to blackmail or turn on him later. Was she expecting something like this to happen so she can feign innocence? There is a blurred line between victim and manipulator in this case. If she really wanted to end it with Barry (the details of which no one knows why), let go of the messages, etc.
Marion Barry's conduct isn't taking away attention from Ward 8, any more than Fenty's conduct is taking away attention from DC. President Bush's conduct or lack there of surely wasn't representative of Americans as a whole, so why deify Barry? Yes, geniuses and fools alike may question why he was elected in Ward 8, but he WAS elected...warts and all. Deal with it until his term is up.
5:16 pm
The tapes came from her ex-husband, not Donna Watts-Brighthaupt.
5:18 pm
D*mn, that makes it even worse DCBob. In other words Ms. Watts got what she wanted out of the deal and isn't pursuing Barry in this harrassment thing. All three seem to be vindictive jilted lovers.
5:28 pm
I don't think anyone is innocent on either side of this issue, but for Barry to once again be involved in a situation like this speaks to how unfit he is as a leader. You can debate many aspects of this issue. sexual harassment, stalking, bad relationships, ulterior motives, blackmail, abuse of power, misappropriation of government funds, etc. the bottom line is Barry is an ignorant MF that needs to step aside for the sake of progress.
5:37 pm
Q, why are you the ultimate Marion Barry apologist? Barry's make-work/patronage system really did ingratiate himself to many people in DC no matter what he does... likely including murder.
I am guessing Mayor Dailey in Chicago has had the same effect, to the same corrupting effect. Only he was a more effective mayor.
9:20 pm
Q, it's actually stunning that you would cite someone NOT speaking to the media about how her ex-boyfriend harassed her and forced her to sleep in a parking lot for refusing sex favors as "manipulative." Let's see---she hasn't filed charges, doesn't plan to file a civil suit, and only responded in the press after Barry smeared her name. Something must be up!
Also stunning is your assertion that saving phone messages and recording conversations automatically implies that you are attempting to "feign innocence." God forbid a woman keep proof of a man harassing her, you know, in case he pushed it further or held widely publicized press conferences impugning her character. Women who try to protect themselves are so manipulative! Can't an elected official harass his ex-girlfriend without consequences anymore?
10:25 pm
Isn't it illegal to disclose someone's medical information in the manner such as last night's press conference?