Capital city cocaine

Well, just when I think Madison's political leadership contains some of the most shameful folks in America, I am forcefully reminded of my roots.

Alas, I grew up around Washington, DC. When I was little, the city's mayor, Marion Barry, was arrested as part of a drug sting. He was a crack addict and his famous words, while being dragged out, were “The bitch set me up.”

Mr. Barry served time in jail, got released and was re-elected to office. Take a second, process that one. The city elected a crack addict to be its mayor. Chris Rock may have said it best:

How the hell did Marion Barry get his job back? Smoked crack, got his job back. How the hell does that happen? If you get caught smoking crack at McDonalds, you can't get your job back. They're not going to trust you around the happy meals ... How you gonna tell little kids to not get high, when the man's on crack? Don't get high, you won't be nothing. I can be mayor.

But it gets better. Mr. Barry had a few further run-ins with the law that seem to have each rendered absolutely no impact on his political career. He retired as mayor, longed to return to city politics and was elected to the city council. Meanwhile allegations, convictions and plea bargains swirled.

Well now we are back to where we started with his criminal record. The Washington Post is reporting that Mr. Barry has tested positive for cocaine and, once again, may be facing jail time.

But this is Washington, DC, and so the citizens are, for the most part, left asking themselves only one question: “How long before I can vote for him again?”