President Obama expressed his condolences to the family of Marion Barry, the former mayor of Washington, D.C., who passed away Sunday.
The president said he was sad to hear that Barry had died and honored the former mayor for his commitment to civil rights and the poor.
“Marion was born a sharecropper’s son, came of age during the Civil Rights movement, and became a fixture in D.C. politics for decades. As a leader with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Marion helped advance the cause of civil rights for all. During his decades in elected office in D.C., he put in place historic programs to lift working people out of poverty, expand opportunity, and begin to make real the promise of home rule,” Obama said in a Sunday statement.
“Through a storied, at times tumultuous life and career, he earned the love and respect of countless Washingtonians, and Michelle and I extend our deepest sympathies to Marion’s family, friends and constituents today.”
Rob Ford vs. Marion Barry: Who said it best?
Someone should check on Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and what’s her name in Alaska? I’m sure that one of their heads must have exploded.
“Through a storied, at times tumultuous life and career…”
That’s one way to put it.
Stack Barry up against Reagan, pros and cons, damages and benefits, then decide what a man should be judged by. Or at least, remembered by.
Pretty much. We went to Canada for a weekend in August and stayed at a B and B. One morning, we met a couple from Toronto, and I said I was surprised that a man like Ford could be elected because Canadians as a whole seem smarter (or maybe I see too many stories about ignorant Americans).
The wife mentioned Marion Barry. She also said that the poorer areas around Toronto are filled with people who thought he was God, telling them what they wanted to hear and promising he’d make things better.
I don’t know much about either guy’s record on making life better for the people they represented.