Today Is Not The Day To Talk About Barry’s Fishy Contracts
I guess I didn't get the memo.
Apparently, this is not the time to ask Councilmember Marion Barry or his staff about Sharon Bowen. Barry paid Bowen $50,000 to work on poverty issues in 2007 and 2008. Bowen was another Barry girlfriend.
Why not today? HBO is premiering a documentary on Barry's life. It's either that or he's dead. When asked about Bowen's supposed organizing of a poverty summit, Barry's spokesperson Natalie Williams made it clear that the press should be focusing on more important things—like legacies.
Williams' immediate response to my Bowen question: "All of our interviews are focused now around Barry's legacy."
When I made it clear that I really just wanted some clarification on the Bowen matter, Williams simply hung up on me.
4:42 pm
Today is a perfect day to rain on Barry's twisted, fantastical parade orchestrated to honor himself. Barry remains a legend only in his own mind. Sad.
6:39 pm
Unfortunately for Barry his legacy will forever include a crack pipe. IMHO.
9:46 am
Having watched the documentary last night, it was odd to see Barry has been using almost word-for-word the exact same defenses every time he's caught doing something illegal or unethical:
In each instance, he's always shocked, dismayed, disgusted, etc. at the vicious lies spread about him by political enemies and the press. And of course, when those "vicious lies" turn out to be true, he just basks in the never-ending love of his defenders/enablers.
The saddest moment was his young godchild trying to defend him from accusations that Barry tested positive again for cocaine in 2004. The look on the kid's face and his total belief in Barry was heart-breaking, especially when the kid acknowledged that Barry had lied to him and did indeed still use drugs.
Also sad were the interviews with the stunningly beautiful Effi Barry. She knew Barry was running around with other women, boozing, and doing drugs. Yet she tolerated it and stood by his side until his conviction for drug possession. (She also left out the part about him starting to date her while he was still married to his first wife).
If you read the film's transcript on what Barry or his defenders say about his latest shenanigans, you can't tell if they're from 20 years ago or from 2 days ago. It's the exact same lines and M.O.
10:13 am
Marion Barry has led an operatic life. When you meet him, you invariably like him - he's a great BSer, a natural-born politician, etc. He brings you into the "in crowd" & likes when everybody has a good time. We used to smoke weed in the old days. When the Feds & the cover-girl model set him up, he didn't even know how to smoke a crack pipe & had to ask her, "like this?" He'd snorted it before, but not smoked it. It was also pathetic when he tried to fix his hair in the mirror-camera - she wasn't in the hotel room with you for your hair, Marion.
Anyway, he's a complex guy. I just got sick & tired of all the stealing of public money. Today yet another contractor was charged & will plead guilty, this time for stealing $500,000 from the tech office. %50 million in the tax office. Etc. - just too much thievery.
10:53 am
The dude is a man's man when he pulls the honies in bed.
He's a political wonder for ALL politicians and they adore his schooling and drooling.
Media love him because he does sell ads and has been for sale...nah, I cannot say that honestly I am unsure but he promises to deliver something to the peeps of SE.
Filet Mignon Penis, Sloppy Hoes Contracts and Fake Puddin for dessert if you need more toppings.
1:45 pm
Wow...finally some honest talk about his legacy. I met Barry a few times, most recently two years ago at church. He is indeed a complex man. In the 80's I remember being invited to a shindig on 16th Street for youth and he was there. No womanizing, but clearly the "narcotic sweating" was going on big time.
Besides the support he has for Senior Citizens (him being one now), and the SYEP that was seemingly successful to all (except those who couldn't get in or negative media), his legacy should be balanced with good and bad.
A better retrospective would be up to his Prostate Cancer remission. That way people get to see the "redemption story arc" that we are most used to.