It’s a hoot to observe the ease with which Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry cloaks himself in the mantle of the “betrayed” whenever he finds himself in a tight spot. And, true to form, that’s just what we got after he was arrested on a stalking charge over the weekend. “The best word to describe Mr. Barry at this hour is betrayed,” said the spokeswoman he trotted out.

It’s hard to know what to make of this latest drama -- who’s zooming whom, why Barry and political consultant Donna Watts-Brighthaupt and Watts-Brighthapt’s ex-husband were all in Anacostia Park, and how Barry ended up in U.S. Park Service Police custody. Barry and Barry’s spokespeople and Watts-Brighthaupt and the police have all given different accounts. Perhaps we should leave it to the U.S. Attorney's office to sort out.

But after writing about Barry for nearly 20 years, I do know that “betrayal” has been a recurring theme in his life. Here’s just a sample from The Post archives:

• March 10, 1998: Barry said of a confidant believed to have aided federal authorities in a probe of the D.C. government, "[he] has betrayed my trust in him, and he also betrayed the trust of the office of the mayor.'"
• March 11, 1985: "The mayor [Barry], repeating what for him has become an economic mantra, said Congress has financially betrayed the District."
• Oct 28, 1990: Concerning Jesse Jackson's endorsement of a Barry opponent in his bid for an At Large Council seat, "This week, [Barry] said Jackson 'betrayed' him."
• Aug. 9, 2004: Barry's pastor, the Rev. Willie F. Wilson endorsed another Barry opponent years later. That bothered Barry, who said he felt betrayed by his longtime friend.

Someone is always violating poor ol' Marion, to let Barry tell it.

The truth is that it’s Marion Barry -- the four-term mayor, the multi-term council member, one of the longest-tenured public officials in the District of Columbia -- who has repeatedly, and without any semblance of shame, betrayed the public by his willful disregard for the standards of behavior for officials in a position of trust. Whether he has a crack pipe in hand, or has failed to pay his taxes, or has one foot in the nursing home and is still chasing skirts, Barry is always the victim -- even as he victimizes himself, his office and his city.

By Colbert King  |  July 6, 2009; 6:29 PM ET