Marion Won't Stop 'Cause He Can't Stop

As many of you may have already heard, former DC mayor and current Ward 8 councilman, Marion Barry was arrested last night for stalking. I know, it's only a misdemeanor and kind of lame when it comes to the Marionator. I don't even think it'll crack the Top 10 in Barry Arrests. I mean, who can beat "the bitch set me up" sting operation or the time he was found passed out in Rock Creek Park with a funny, white powder smeared all across his face?

Now, look, I know a lot of my fellow, proud and proper Afrikan-Amerikans look at Barry's penchant for arrest and re-election and wring our hands, wondering what the hell our poorer brethren must be thinking, supporting the man. I look at his recent flip-flopping on gay marriage and want to wring his neck. But there is something so gloriously triflin' about Marion Barry that I somewhat admire despite myself.

I mean, I once read in Freedom Riders (a great book, by the way), how Barry organized this great march in Albany, Georgia, as he worked as one of MLK's lieutenants. He got everybody all riled up, organized hundreds of folks, and, on the day of the march, he mysteriously came up "sick." Everybody marched on without him, inspired by his leadership, got their asses whupped and thrown in jail, while he lay up "coughing" at home.

I mean, damn, how can someone so horribly wrong and out-for-self survived this long in politics? How can someone who constantly gets arrested breaking this nation's laws keep getting re-elected to protect and write those laws? How can you not love a man who damn near always gets away with it?

This latest episode is just a not-so-subtle reminder of how we're all going to miss DC's "Mayor for Life" when he finally goes to the Great Crackhouse in the Sky.