David Catania Won't Apologize For His 'Despicable' Marion Barry Comments

WASHINGTON -- District of Columbia Councilmember David Catania (I-At-Large) is standing by the harsh words he used to describe his colleague Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) in a recent incident that prompted Chairman Kwame Brown (D) to introduce a resolution that would ban profanity during the council's public proceedings.

At a Valentine's Day retreat, Catania called the former mayor "a despicable human being" and "full of s***." This in turn erupted into a larger shouting match where expletives were hurled between the councilmembers.

As The Washington Post's Tim Craig relayed via Twitter:

@timcraigpost
Tim Craig

Catania will "not apologize" for calling Marion Barry bad words and a "despicable human being." "I meant every word I said," Catania said

February 21, 2012 4:22 pm via web Reply Retweet Favorite

Catania mocked Brown's anti-profanity measure, saying that the chairman seems more interested in banning curse words than taking effective steps to curb public corruption.

It's a point that the D.C. Republican Party has hit on as well.

In a statement released Tuesday morning, local Republican Party Committee Chairman Bob Kabel said:

Kwame's idea of forcing his Council colleagues to act like adults shouldn't require an act of the Council, unless it includes term limits and ending pay-to-play. The reason why the Council is dysfunctional and they have no moral compass are for the same reasons why they allowed disgraced Councilmember Harry Thomas to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the District Treasury.

Thomas, who previously represented Ward 5, pleaded guilty to charges related to stealing more than $350,000 in city funds through a non-profit organization he controlled.

As DCist reports, Brown's resolution would mandate that "a Councilmember shall treat other Councilmembers with dignity and respect, and refrain from using profane, indecent, or abusive language directed at another Councilmember or the Council as an institution."

Photo by Flickr user dbking

Earlier on HuffPost:

Heated Argument Between Marion Barry and David Catania at DC Council Retreat: MyFoxDC.com

Comments

[American Person]

10:38 AM on 02/22/2012

Set aside his personal issues and Mr. Barry is one of the greatest politicians of contemporary times! I hope Mr. Catania has a squeaky clean life as those who throw stones in America better not live in a glass house.

[Olaugh]

09:50 PM on 02/21/2012

It doesn't matter what Marion Barry does, he has won the loyalty of his constituents. Every time he runs they turn out because they feel he represents them. Every time someone attacks him, they take it personally and their support only becomes more fanatic. He is their champion against the people they see as their oppressors and to a degree they are right. In the end run, though, Barry is doing them no favors.

[Italia58]

09:25 PM on 02/21/2012

Does he know where he is? You're in D.C. bro, not Arizona! Beware!

[POR4319]

08:21 PM on 02/21/2012

I love Marion - He represents Democrats perfectly.

[Olaugh]

09:44 PM on 02/21/2012

Corrupt, decadent, refuses to take responsibility for his actions, and backed up by a constituency which cares less about what he does than that he belongs to their group...nope he sounds more like a Republican to me.

[POR4319]

08:20 PM on 02/24/2012

And yet he is reelected for decades by one of the most liberal constituencies in the country.

[InfinteShibumi]

10:56 PM on 02/21/2012

No, he doesn't. And only a Republican or right-leaning Indie would write that.

[POR4319]

08:20 PM on 02/24/2012

And his district is almost 100% Democratic.

[Dan Dolan]

08:07 PM on 02/21/2012

Barry is reprehensible and despicable.

[bootstrap bill]

07:22 PM on 02/21/2012

The only survivors of a nuclear holocaust would be 1) cockroaches and 2) Marion Barry.

[Jean Carr]

05:45 PM on 02/21/2012

Republicans are a joke even on the municipal level...

[hydeparkblvd]

05:40 PM on 02/21/2012

Who crowned Catania Queen for a Day? Pun intended!!!

Sure Barry has made mistakes but he has helped a lot of Black people in the struggle for equal opportunity. Save the word despicable for folks like Limbaugh & Hannity.

[Wingsweaver]

10:51 PM on 02/21/2012

Barry did some very good things, but then he let the power go to his head and has consistently gone on to do bad after bad after bad.

Catania may think he's queen for a day, but Barry's followers treat him like he's emperor and it's time they realized the big man has no clothes.

[TARthritis]

04:54 PM on 02/21/2012

His Honor, Marion Barry, may have been many things in his life, good and bad, but the guy was certainly entertaining.

[kapitan1]

03:22 PM on 02/21/2012

I agree that, as a public figure, Marion Barry is trully despicable. What kind of example he sets to the kids in DC? Narcotics, prostitutes, tax evasion... He contributed to DC problems, not to their solutions.

[Jean Carr]

05:45 PM on 02/21/2012

Good to know you're familiar with DC and historical politics...oh wait...that's right...you're not!

[Dan Dolan]

08:08 PM on 02/21/2012

I have lived in Metro DC for 45 of my 57 years and kapitan1 is 100% CORRECT.

[nomoretv]

03:00 PM on 02/21/2012

Actually, the person I find even more despicable, is this whining, cursing, name calling Catania person.

[OneUnstableSOB]

02:52 PM on 02/21/2012

*#$%& the both of them. That's why I moved to Maryland...

[merrylander]

03:51 PM on 02/21/2012

of course, we do have Jack Johnson & his money-in-bra stuffing spouse...

[bolmah]

04:07 PM on 02/21/2012

You forgot her panties, too.

[KeepNIt2Real]

04:37 PM on 02/21/2012

Uhm, he's in jail now....Maryland's problem no longer.

[InfinteShibumi]

02:44 PM on 02/21/2012

Pot, meet kettle. These two deserve each other.

[MarieNat]

02:36 PM on 02/21/2012

If we knew what was good for us we would vote Catania in as mayor and purge the Council of the fossils who only want to bleed the District dry - either by taking lifelong paychecks, or just plain ol' ripping us off. I suspect David Catania knows a lot more about Marion Barry than is publicly available and let's face it, what's publicly available ain't pretty.

[mrs young]

02:26 PM on 02/21/2012

I feel the same way about Marian Barry - but when he told the woman with about 15 kids to "quit having so many babies" it was priceless.