Scandals are taking metro D.C. back to the bad old days, historian says

“It’s not only our local politicians,” said Bernard Demczuk, a professor of African American and D.C. history at George Washington University, and for many years a political aide to Barry when he was mayor. “It’s John Edwards and Anthony Weiner, too. It’s a much more attuned and demanding citizenry powered by new media and social media.”

Although the alleged improprieties took place before Gray assumed office, some say his failure to fully address the accusations has paralyzed his administration.

“The Fenty campaign made the argument that if Gray was elected, we’d go back to the old days of a government that didn’t hunt very well,” said Howard Croft, a historian of D.C. politics and former urban studies chairman at the University of the District of Columbia. “And now we have a kind of Keystone Kops feel to the Gray administration — the idea that it could take Gray so long to put a competent chief of staff in place. This whole ‘here we go again’ feeling we’re getting from these scandals seems like a continuation of last fall’s campaign.”...