The Latest on the Post Reporter and Barry

If you saw my report on Nine News Now Monday at Six then you know Tim Page, Washington Post classical music critic is apologizing for his remarks about Marion Barry. Here's what Page, a Pulitzer prize winning journalist said to me in an email on Monday.

Dear Bruce --
If you could do me one favor, I'd be happier if rather than suggest that I'm taking any pleasure in the fact that the viewers are lining up against Barry (I'm not) that you'd quote me, the guilty party, as calling this the stupidest thing I've written in 30 years of journalism. I consider myself a kind and courteous person and this note was neither. I have no excuse and I couldn't take any pleasure in anything about this.
Again, it doesn't represent the Post or anybody who ever would write about Mr. Barry. And I would never have written it myself had I thought it wasn't a personal communique -- indeed, I had asked Andy Gregory before to take my name off the mailing lists. Small comfort, but it is the truth.
Best,
Tim

The name of Barry's Communications Manager is actually Andre Johnson; For time purposes I wasn't able to get the entire email on the air; but there you have it here.

Tim Page was placed on leave by Washington Post Management.

In his column Tuesday morning, Post media critic Howard Kurtz reported... that Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie Jr. called Page's e-mail "a terrible mistake" and said he has taken "appropriate internal action," but neither he nor Page would disclose it. Page plans to take a previously scheduled four-month leave starting Jan. 1.
Downie said Page "has nothing to do with our local political coverage, as a music critic. On the other hand, it was sent on Washington Post e-mail, and he represents The Washington Post in everything he does."

Meanwhile, Marion Barry, The DC Councilman and former four term Mayor wants an apology. He added on camera Sunday night that Page should be fired.

Posts to my blog and email since I first broke the story have been overwhelmingly in favor of Tim Page.

Bloggers are citing either his first amendment freedom of speech right or their disgust with Barry over the years for getting busted for smoking crack or his other scrapes with the law and drugs.

A smaller number of bloggers say Pages comments were over the top and he misused his company email in which he called Barry "a crack addict" and "useless".