The D.C Council was set to have their annual retreat of discussions on Tuesday when the mood changed as two members got into a bitter confrontation, full of profanity and personal attacks. By the end of the meeting, councilmembers David Catania and Marion Barry were shouting at one another. Catania referred to Barry as a “despicable human being” and Barry countered stating that Catania treats black councilmembers with little respect. The meeting on Tuesday was to discuss winning public trust back after the corruption of scandals filled media outlets.
The argument began when Catania accused Barry of “protecting his friends’ jobs,” after Barry asked a question about funding for the United Medical Center. The two men battled and spit profane words at one another as councilmembers tried to diffuse the situation. One person who attended Tuesday’s meeting reportedly called the altercation “typical behavior” by both men. Barry and Catania have been on different pages since Barry voted against same-sex marriage. Catania is one of two openly gay members of the council and sponsored the gay marriage legislation.
