Former DC Mayor Marion Barry dead at 78

[Algernon Moncrieff]

(CNN) -- Former Washington Mayor Marion Barry is dead, a Washington hospital spokeswoman said early Sunday. He was 78.

Barry was elected four times as the city's chief executive and was a council member in the District of Columbia for 15 years. The one-time leader of the city's old Board of Education, Barry was, at one time, revered nationally as a symbol of African-American political leadership and beloved for his prowess at local politics. But his professional accomplishments were often overshadowed by bad behavior in his personal life that made for startling headlines.

Barry was infamously busted in 1990 on law enforcement surveillance tape smoking crack cocaine in a drug sting involving the FBI and Washington police. That footage was televised. Barry was convicted of possession and served six months in prison.

But he made a tremendous political comeback.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/23/us/marion-barry-death/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

He was the epitome of the political survivor. He had many fans and countless detractors. Personally, I'll miss him. RIP.

[elleng]

1. a lengthy article about him here, in WaPo,

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/marion-barry-dies-4-term-dc-mayor-the-most-powerful-local-politician-of-his-generation/2014/11/23/331ad222-c5da-11df-94e1-c5afa35a9e59_story.html

and another in NYT:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/24/us/politics/marion-s-barry-jr-former-mayor-of-washington-dies-at-78.html?&hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0