Newspaper Page Text
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January 19, 2006
National World
Marion Barry’s hospital visit shrouded by questions about cocaine addiction
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Marion S. Barry
Lynn Swann tackles governor’s office
By C. DENISE JOHNSON
SEccial to the NNPA
PITTBSURGH (NNPA) -
While most think of the post
season taking place on the foot
ball tield, tormer Steelers wide
recerver Lynn Swann hopes to
re-detine the term. Instead of
providing television commen
tarv on tootball, Swann contin
ues his quest o secure the
Republican nomination to be
the Kevstone State’s next gover
nor.
The Sewickley Heights resi
dent has faced tough oppo
nents on the gridiron, but the
opposition in this bartle will be
the hearts and minds of a Black
constittency that knows litde
ot his exploits beyond sports.
But that hasnt deterred him
trom the challenge.
Swanmns campaign is very
much an atypical black cam
paign to date, he has not
made direct or specific appeals
to the Atrican-American com
munity.
In a phone interview last
month when Swann was asked
how his campaign would ben
efit Atrican-Americans and
why he was running as a
Gore assails domestic
By LARRY MARGASAK
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON -
Former Vice President Al
Gore asserted Monday
Jan. 16 that President
Bush “repeatedly and
persistently” broke the
law by eavesdropping on
Americans without a
court warrant and called
for a federal investiga
tion of the practice.
Speaking on Martin
Luther King Jr.’s national
holiday, the man who
lost the 2000 presiden
tial election to Bush only
after a ruling by the
Supreme Court on a
recount in Florida, called
Bush’s warrantless sur
veillance program “a
threat to the very struc
ture of our government,”
Gore charged that the
program has ignored the
Republican, he replied, “Its
important that people under
stand that real treedom comes
trom options and choices, not
only one direction.”
The benefits of his vision of
leadership tor Pennsvlvania,
Swann says indude “an equal
playing field for evervone and
every business, better quality
education for all Pennsylvani
ans, family swability and re
structured property and busi
ness taxes.”
Swann also pointed out his
memberships in the Urban
League and Sigma Pi Phi Fra
ternity along with his life
NAACP membership. He's
especially proud of the mentor
ing work hes done with Big
Brothers/Big Sisters.
The Hall of Famer has been
floating the idea of a candidacy
for a number of months and
hes done his way — without
going through the usual hoops
and barrels of most Black can
didates. That may be the rea
son the first-time candidate has
crossed a significant hurdle in
his week-old candidacy.
After state Senator Jeffrey
Piccola of Dauphin bowed
out, Swann went on to score a
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Former Vice President Al Gore
checks and balances of
the courts and Congress.
Gore said that Bush’s
actions which the
president has defended as
indispensable in the war
against terrorism rep
resented a “direct
assault” on the special
federal court that consid
ers, and decides whether
to authorize, administra
tion requests to eaves-
By VAIENCIA MOHAMMED
Special to the NNPA
WASHING]ION
(NNPA) — The front of
world-renown Howard
University Hospital in
Washington, D.C. was a
spectacle for some patients
on January 11, as a crowd of
reporters gathered for an
interview with D.C. mayor
for-life, Marion S. Barry.
According to his physician,
Dr. Robert H. Williams,
lead physician at Howard,
Barry was hospitalized for
hypertension. He entered
the hospital on Jan. 9 and
was being discharged that
same day.
While patients at the hos
pital stood around waiting
for a quick glimpse of the
mayor, Councilman Mari
on Barry (D-Ward 8)
walked casually out of the
figurative touchdown, winning
a regional state caucus of cen
tral counties. He garnered 77
votes, his nearest opponent,
tormer Lt. Governor William
Scranton got 32 votes.
“We are not strong as we
should be, we need to change
direction. State government
lacks leadership,” Swann said
in reference to incumbent
Democrat Gov. Ed Rendell.
“We need to step up and get
involved; and not be armchair
quarterbacks. | bring a fresh
perspective, not traditional
political thinking, | dont come
into this as elected officials
professional politicians. I'm
running for one term, I'm not
looking at this as a stepping
stone - after the first term, after
assessment, maybe (I wont
run) again.”
Swann is not the first black
man to run for Pennsylvania
governor. State Rep. Dwight
Evans from Philadelphia threw
his hat in the ring as a Democ
ratic candidate and melted into
the landscape.
The difference is that Swann
says he is the only person who
can garner the kind of support
in Philadelphia and Pitsburgh
drop on Americans.
Gore said the concerns
are especially important
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hospital with his physician
to address questions about
his health.
As Barry walked closer to
reporters the media frenzy
began. “Are you in the hos
pital for treatment of your
cocaine addiction? What is
your response to what was
in the paper today? Will
you have to go back you
jail?” asked several
reporters,
In a calm demeanor Barry
simply said, “My lawyer has
instructed me not to com
ment on anything that was
written in the paper today. |
am here along with my doc
tor to address questions
about my hospital stay.”
Barry was alluding to a
recent story that appeared
in a daily newspaper this
week alleging in November
last vear he tested positive
for cocaine and faces up to
I o l
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-
/
Lynn Swann
necessary to defeat Rendell.
Johann Calhoun, city editor of
the Philadelphia Tribune,
thinks Swann may not be
blowing smoke with that state
ment.
“Rendells been invisible in
the community since his elec
ton,” says Calhoun. “Folks are
wondering, what has he done
for us l.ll(j). Beyond the strate
gic nomination of Cynthia
Baldwin, there hasnt been
much.” Calhoun says the local
Black radio walk shows have
been impressed with Swann,
while accusing Rendell of tak-
See Swann pagc 9A
wiretapping program
on King's birthday
because the slain civil
rights leader was among
seven years in jail time for
violation of his parole.
According to the article, a
magistrate in federal court
ordered drug testing as a
preliminary matter when
Barry appeared for failing to
file taxes for several years.
Not filing taxes is a practice
quite common in the Dis
trict by its residents in
protest of “no raxation
without representation.”
However, tfic issue for
many legal experts is viola
tion of the privacy act.
According to a representa
tive of the courts, the exec
utive branch of the court is
forbidden from making
public information about
the results of drug testing.
Barry’s attorney could not
be reached.
Although the local televi
sion anchors, especially
Tom Sherwood, autfior of a
Steele Breathes New
Life into SCLC
By MAYNARD EATON
SEecial to the NNPA
ATLANTA (NNPA) -
Charles Steele, an electric,
engaging funeral home owner
and former Alabama state Sen
ator, has done in just over one
year as SCLCs radical new
president what most critics of
the venerable Adanta-based
cvil rights organization
deemed improbable, if not
impossible. Not only has he
been a breath of fresh air regard
ing activism, but Steele’s mag
netism and fund-raising mas
tery has brought the revered
organization back from the
brink of extincion and ndicule
by refocusing its mission and
meaning,
When he rtook office
November 12, 2004, the lights
were off, the phone was discon
neced and the venerable
organization launched by Dr.
King and his top aides 48 years
ago couldnt meet its payroll.
The group was reeling from
controversy and inner turmoil.
Steele succeeded the Rev. Fred
Shuttlesworth, who wrote a
blistering resignation letter in
thousands of Americans
whose private communi
cations were intercepted
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book about the life of Mar
ion Barry, kept pounding
the former mayor of D.C.
for answers to the allega
tions, he shrugged them off
politely.
“Why can't | just live a
normal life? I take good care
of myself. Look at me. I eat
right. | exercise. | do what |
am supposed to do to stay
healthy. I am not God,”
said Barry.
“Yeah, but what about the
dirty urine?” another
reporter asked. Barry shook
his head in disbelief.
According to a court servic
es representative there is no
court record of the “dirty urine”
matter in Districc court. Nor
was the federal court was not
able to support the allegation.
“We can not confirm that there
is any court action taken or
Scc Basvy's, page 9A
which he proclaimed, “We
have become our own worst
enemy.” Those were dark days.
“The Atlanta Jowrnal Consti
tuion had a headline saying
SCLC was on the verge of col
lapse,” Steele ruefully recalls.
The subtide was, ‘Only God
can resurrect the dead.” We did
nt die, but we were on life sup
port. Now we are breathing on
our own.
“People were saying that we
had lost our way; we haven' lost
our way. We havent had leader
ship that wanted to take us in
the direction that Martin
(Luther King Jr) has already
arved for us,” says Rev. CT.
Vivian, a former high-ranking
SCLC offidgal and Dr. King
confidant. “Martin King left us
with an agenda; it just hasnt
been followed. Martin was a
prophet and prophets set the
agenda for a proper future.”
“Charles brought a vision
and vigor that was sorely lack
ing,” observes Alabama attor
ney Jock Smith of the Cochran
Group.
“SéLC is now in trusted
hands. Now, as a result of
See SCMC page 8A
by the U.S. government.
"~ Scc Gorepage 8A
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