7.10.2009

Washington City Paper takes on Barry, some sort of outrage ensues

The Washington City Paper is drawing some heat for its cover this week. As you can see, it has a photo of Marion Barry, and a quote from a voicemail obtained by the paper. While not quite as classic as "Bitch set me up," this is a good one.

Howard Kurtz at the Washington Post has a summary of the "controversy" in today's paper.

The City Paper has been fielding all sorts of angry calls and complaints, as well as charges of racism.

Was it a "provocative" cover, absolutely. Was it worse than things that show up on the New York Post? Not at all. This story has been dominating local news for the last week, and the City Paper has had excellent coverage. It's a sad fact that this story demands coverage in the first place, but it does. This cover grabs your attention and sells the story well. Job well done, in my mind. Would it be appropriate for the front page of the Post or the New York Times, absolutely not. But the City Paper is not either of those publications. It is an alternative weekly that can take risks that those other papers can't afford to.

From the Post article:
Before Barry's news conference yesterday, two women approached a group of reporters and demanded to know which one worked for the City Paper. They soon began shouting at City Paper's Jason Cherkis, waving a copy of the newspaper at him.

"This is a disgrace, and I want to know what the media is doing about this," said Tisa Mitchell, 37, of Northeast Washington. "This is racially motivated. It's ugly. . . . You wouldn't do this to a white politician."

As television cameras gathered around them, Mitchell said: "I don't like the graphic nature of the front page. Everyone has relationship issues, but it shouldn't be put on the front page."

Constance Woody, who lives in Ward 7, east of the Anacostia River, added that "if Barry were a white man, he would have never been presented like this. This is an outrage."
First off, these charges of racism are, in my mind, completely ridiculous. This was presented the way it was because it was Marion Barry. Secondly, does anyone really believe if there was a scandal of this nature involving a white member of the Council, it wouldn't demand attention? Especially if that member had the history Barry does? Come on. We all saw how the media gave Bill Clinton a pass on Monica Lewinsky just because he was white.

And by the way, the total of money Barry directed to his girlfriend is up to $60,000. DC Council chair Vincent Gray has enlisted an independent law firm to investigate.

In an interview yesterday with The Washington Post, Watts-Brighthaupt raised further questions about the contract when she said she was hired to study Barry's political life. That would appear to contradict the terms of the contract, which said she would consult on "poverty reduction strategies."

Yesterday, in his first remarks since the arrest, Barry, 73, refused to comment on the $5,000-a-month contract. Instead, he blasted the U.S. Park Police, saying they inappropriately arrested him.
"Poverty reductions strategies" for $5k/mo? Well, Barry was certainly working to reduce his girlfriend's poverty.

We'll see what this investigation digs up, but we'll probably hear that the investigation is racist as well. We're picking an historical landmark of the District of Columbia who has done nothing but love women and constituents for his entire career. Right?

9 comments:

  1. "If Barry were a white man, he wouldn't be presented like this," said one person.

    Uh, actually, yes he would. People are trying to call the Washington City Paper, which is probably to the left of Eugene Debs, racist? That's a bizarre use of the race card if I've ever seen one.

    Barry deserves the Spitzer and Sanford treatment, and that is what he is going to get.

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  2. Any critique of Barry will always be construed as "racism" by the eternally race-baiting Barry and his followers.

    I mean, I don't think anyone would consider it racist if the City Paper published a front-page quote about somebody sucking Elanor Holmes Norton's cock.

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  3. The City Paper seems to have a fetish for men accused of being men. This he said/she said trash makes the Sun look professional. Utter garbage.

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  4. Oh, and risotto snob. Got some news for you. Liberalism can be a very large tent. "Liberal" does not always mean "good."

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  5. I knew the racism charge would come out sooner or later. I've got news for you Tisa Mitchell, if he was white he'd be fighting to keep his job (see Ensign, John; Sanford, Mark; Spitzer, Eliot; Clinton, Bill)

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  6. Ensign and Sanford aren't fighting for their political careers because they are white. It's because they claimed to be "moral leaders", unlike Marion Bar...nevermind.

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  7. AnonymousJuly 10, 2009

    WAIT A MINUTE....PARK ILLEGALLY IN DC AND YOU WILL PAY, PAY, PAY...YOU ARE A SINNER AND SHOULD BE PUNISED WITH BEST TECHNOLOGY AND GADGETS MONEY CAN BUY...VERY VERY ADVANCED WITH STREET SWEEPERS WITH CAMERAS AND A NEW CANOPY SYSTEM THAT IS VIRTUAL AND CAN ISSUE TICKETS UPON THE MINUTE U ARE OVER YOUR TIME ALLOTED....

    THE METRO CRASH WAS THE CAUSE OF NO MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR IMPROVEMENT OF SAFETY ????? DC COLLECTED 67 MILLION IN PARKING FEES ON A 500K POPULATION...

    THEN, MARION BERRY IS A MENANCE TO SOCIETY AND HIS ACTIONS ARE TOLERATED BY ANY GOVERNMENT BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SCARED OF BEING CALL RACISTS...

    YES, MARION BERRY IS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN, BUT THE CULTURE OF MEDIOCRITY IS NOT IN ONE RACE OR ONE COMMUNITY...IT IS A LIFESTYLE FOR MANY WORKPLACES PUBLIC AND PRIVATE..

    THE STATUS QUO IS REWARDED AND RECOGNIZED AS PROPER BEHAVIOR NO MATTER HOW DESTRUCTIVE OR IMMORRAL THE BEHAVIOR DETAILS...THE STORY ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF AN GOVT ORGANIZATION AND MANY COMPANIES ARE WORDS WITH NO ACTIONS. A MANDATE IS GIVEN FROM THE EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT OR A HIGH RANKING BUREAUCRAT...THERE IS PROPAGANDA AND TALK OF CHANGE...HIRE THE BEST TALENT...PROVIDE A STORY OF CHALLENGES AND VISION OF THE FUTURE...

    I HAVE A FRIEND THAT WAS HIRED TO BRING MAJOR CHANGE TO AND ORGANIZATION..THE FIRST DAY OF MY FRIENDS TENURE IS ROCKED BY HIS DISCOVERY THAT THE ORGANIZATION WAS DEFRAUDED FROM THEIR STAR EMPLOYEE THAT RECENTLY RESIGNED AND YOUR DISCOVERY AND PROMPT NOTIFICATION WAS TO PROTECT PEOPLE'S JOBS WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE SITUATION, BRING RESOLUTION AND DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN FOR THE UNKNOWN SUPSECTS(FRAUD VICTIMS WERE VERY ELDERLY OR NOT CAPABLE OF NOTICING A STEADY DECLINE IN THEIR FUNDS), THE REMOVAL OF THIS PERSON FROM THE STREETS, AND THE DAMAGE CONTROL TO NEGATE A COMPANY POSSIBLY FAILING OVER A LIMITED INCIDENT....

    MY FRIEND IS THE OUTCAST AT WORK AND WE HAVE HIT 7 MONTHS WITH NO ARRESTS OR PROSECUTIONS..THE DIRECTOR HAS PROCRASTINATED AND DEFLECTED THE ISSUE ON EVERYONE ELSE. THE ALLEGED PERSON HAD AN ACCOMPLICE THAT WAS TERMINATED ONLY RECENTLY..

    MY FRIEND IS SO DISTURBED BECAUSE THEIR ACTIONS ARE SO UNCOMMON IN THE REAL WORLD THAT HE WANTS TO SCREAM WHEN THEY DISCUSS DOOR ISSUES OR PLACEMENT OF NEW LOGOS WHEN THE DISASTER FROM THE FORMER EMPLOYEE LINGERS EVERYWHERE...IT IS MY FRIENDS FAULT FOR DISCOVERING THE LOSS OF FUNDS....WOW

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  8. Regardless of what you think of Mr. Barry, this is more about journalistic ethics.

    This "publication" cares more about making a buck than they do about ethical and resoponsible journalism.

    I have the saltiest vocabulary in the world, but I did not need to see this in news stands around DC. Gee, I thought I was back in one of those adult book stores on 14th St. in the old days!

    These children writers in arrested development need to be put down immediately. And may the screen door cripple them on their way out and down!

    Feel the same way I do?

    Hey, just write their corporate owners. It might help.

    Here is the contact information:

    CREATIVE LOAFING, INC.
    810 N. HOWARD AVENUE
    TAMPA, FLORIDA
    (813)739-4800
    (813)739-4801 (FAX)
    (813)739-4899 (FAX)

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  9. The man is and always has been a disgrace to not only DC but the country itself. His even being in office shows the both the lack of education and ignorance of those who continue to vote for him. Maybe the $5000.00 should go to the DC school system.

    Oh, and for the record the City Paper is free, not trying to make a buck!

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