I have not exactly gone out of my way to cozy up to City Council Chairman Vincent Gray. To the contrary, I have sought opportunities to point out how often he has knuckled under to Mayor Adrian Fenty.
Last week I predicted that he would decline to reprimand Marion Barry, after the Ward 8 council member was accused of giving shaky contracts to his lover and taking kickbacks in return.
Allow me to reverse course — for once.
Gray confronted a “Marion Moment.” Faced with reports that Barry had abused his office — once again — would Gray make him pay? Or would he let the old war horse walk?
The answer came at yesterday’s unprecedented council hearing. Led by Gray, the council censured Marion Barry and stripped him of his committee chair. It was the first time in its relatively short history that D.C.’s legislative body had taken such action.
It was not easy for Gray; it took guts, preparation and organization. He had to enforce a unanimous vote against Marion Barry, the most popular political figure in D.C. history. And he got it: 12-0, with Barry taking himself out of the two votes.
Barry did not go down easily. After Gray introduced and described the censure resolution, he asked:
“Discussion?” Barry stepped up.
The former mayor-for-life delivered a 20-minute oration. Garbled though he may be at times, Barry can still mount a defense and inflict pain.
“This report reduces Marion Barry’s 40 years of service to a petty thief,” he said. “Forty years of service to a Southeast hustle.”
Yup.
Barry declined to play the race card. He would have, but Gray and the majority of council members are African American. Barry had to resort to attacking Robert Bennett, the esteemed local attorney who led a task force of lawyers and accountants who produced the special counsel report that nailed Barry.
“The only basis for censure is Mr. Bennett’s work,’ he said. And later: “He’s trying to trap me.” And later still: Bennett was “discriminatory.”
Losing the censure vote, Barry played some nasty cards to protect his committee chair. He tried to smear Jack Evans for helping him find the pot of money from which he took his contracts. He accused the council of using a “double standard” for stripping his committee assignments.
Nothing worked.
Finally, he looked at Gray: “We go back 35 years. You know my heart and soul.” And later: “I love you — you are my friend.”
Unmoved, Gray kept his wayward colleagues in line against Barry.
Gray’s demonstration of resolve and command of the council do not bode well for Fenty. Having stared down Barry, he is empowered. No doubt there will be more calls for Gray to challenge Fenty for mayor, but the city would be better off if Gray stayed put and ran a legislature that kept the mayor in check, whoever that might be.
E-mail Harry Jaffe at [email protected].
