Marion Barry, the Rob Ford of his day, dies at 78

"Marion Barry dies at 78; 4-term D.C. mayor the most powerful local politician of his generation"

When it comes to crack-smokin' mayors, Rob Ford merely followed a trail. Marion Barry blazed it! Like Mr. Ford, Barry caused the office of the mayor to be stripped of much of its power. As the NY Daily News noted, "Congress moved to strip Barry of much of his mayoral authority in 1995 as the city flirted with bankruptcy. Congress installed a financial control board, and Barry decided not to seek a fifth term. He held authority over little more than the city's parks, libraries and community access cable TV station in his last years as mayor." Astoundingly, he had been elected to that fourth term after being caught smoking crack on tape, then serving his prison time.

He continued to serve on the D.C. City Council for more than a decade after his last mayoral term, and continued to run afoul of the law and his fellow councilors.