More on Marion Barry

Gene Weingarten on the Barry-Page dustup (courtesy Metroblogger):

The controlling fact, for me, would have been this: The only reason this became public is that Marion Barry chose to make it public. And he chose to make it public in a quite hilarious way: Marion Barry, suspected and convicted scuzzball, tax evader, former crack user, erstwhile obtainer of oral sex in a crowded prison reception room, calls the elegant, sophisticated Tim Page, and I quote, a "lowlife."

Might we add Page is a Pulitzer Prize winner.

The Crack Addict Still Has Bite

Marion Barry, DC's former Mayor for Life and current Councilman, the same Barry who got busted for smoking crack and muttering into the survelliance camera "the bitch set me up" (referring to the prostitute he was with), doesn't cotton to criticisim and proves he's still got the punch to move the Washington Post.

After Barry's communications director sent a blast email to the DC media, including, for some reason, the Washington Post's venerable music critic, Tim Page, Page responded with this missive:

Must we hear about it every time this Crack Addict attempts to rehabilitate
himself with some new - and typically half witted--political
grandstanding?

I'd be grateful if you would take me off your mailing list. I
Cannot think of anything the useless Marion Barry could do that would interest
me in the slightest, up to and including overdose. Sincerely, Tim Page.

Barry put down the crack pipe long enough to call Len Downie, Executive Director of the Post, and get Page suspended.

As Metroblogger wrote, Page didn't say anything that was factually incorrect. So why'd the Post cave?