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Marion Barry, who served as the mayor of Washington D.C. for four terms, died early Sunday at the age of 78. Barry will forever be remembered as a determined politician who saw his political career go up in flames -- for about 30 seconds until his inexplicable and triumphant comeback -- after he was caught on video smoking crack in a Washington D.C. hotel room with a younger woman.
Barry's family reportedly said in a statement that he died at the United Medical Center after collapsing outside of his home. The cause of his death is unknown.
The man who is said to have "nine lives" certainly managed to carve out a comfortable corner for himself in politics -- and, you have to say this much for him, he wasn't about to give it all up because he messed up royally back in 1990. As the crack cocaine epidemic reached an all-time high in his city, Barry proved that he wasn't immune to its allure.
After an FBI agent burst into his hotel room the night he was caught smoking crack, Barry yelled, "She set me up!" Granted, there were probably more eloquent ways to handle getting caught red-handed, but this incident in no way kept Barry from going down in D.C. history as one of its most popular and even beloved politicians.
More from The Stir: Marion Barry: A Little Racist Slur Can't Touch This
Barry spent six months in federal prison for drug possession, but after he emerged from behind bars, voters elected him mayor again!
Barry reportedly suffered from health problems in the last few years. At the time of his death he was serving his third term on the Washington D.C. City Council.
What did you think of Marion Barry as a politician?
Image via Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
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