Grace Note

I can’t believe I’m using the word “grace” in a post regarding Gene Weingarten, but I’m running out of  simple music terms for titles on this thread. I take some comfort in this quote: “In bagpipe music there is extensive use of grace notes.” There. Now I feel better.

Gene Weingarten chimed in about the Tim-Page-Marion Barry affair during his on-line chat yesterday. Read the Washington Post’s self-described humor columnist’s words on this subject, for his column two weeks from now is a record of how he did exactly what Tim Page did to get off a PR email list:

“What Tim wrote was NOTHING compared to what I wrote. But I was not writing about a powerful politician who is willing to feign outrage and shamelessly deal out the race card, as Barry did here.”

 

Image by Mike Licht, with apologies to Eric Shansby.

Theme and Variations

Bruce Johnson’s Monday follow-up to his Marion Barry — Tim Page story on WUSA 9- TV added a significant new element:

“Page doesn’t cover Barry and has objected in the past to receiving emails from the legislator’s staff.”

So Tim Page’s regrettable email did not come out of nowhere. It was preceded by a history of staff incompetence in Mr. Barry’s office, and previous futile attempts by Mr. Page to correct it.

Sour Note Coda

Council Member Marion Barry’s Media Consultant/Communications Director is upset that I emailed him. And it wasn’t even spam.

After Bruce Johnson broke the Tim Page – Marion Barry story late last night, details were few. I sent the following email to Andre M. Johnson, listed on Mr. Barry’s Web site as “Media Consultant” and described by the Post as “Communication Director”:

Sent: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:32 am 
Subject: Tim Page 
 
Mr. Johnson:  
  
I wondered why Council Member Barry’s office sent a press release to Tim Page. Was it about a Classical Music event?  
  
Regards,  
  
Mike Licht  
_______________________  
  Mike Licht  
NotionsCapital.com  
Box 15346  
Washington, DC 20003  
(202) 546-9659  
_______________________  

Sour Note

Bruce Johnson of USA Channel 9 reported this story late Sunday night.

D.C. Council Member Marion Barry’s office sent an email press release to Tim Page, Pulitzer Prize-winning Classical Music Critic of the Washington Post, last Wednesday.

It is, to say the least, unusual for Mr. Barry’s staff to have Mr. Page on their email list. Mr. Barry’s Web site lists Andre M. Johnson as “Media Consultant;” the Post calls him Mr. Barry’s “Communication Director.”

Mr. Page replied to the Barry press release, asking to be taken off the email list. His reply was wildly inappropriate, full of rage, venom and personal insults to Mr. Barry. The Council Member complained to the newspaper, and Bruce Johnson reports that the Post has instituted disciplinary action against Mr. Page, placing him on leave.