Since Navigatorgate broke, several councilmembers have taken the opportunity to take jabs at Kwame “Fully Loaded” Brown.

Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells has pointedly said that “if we’re going to have a relationship to the people who are paying our bills, we’ve got to show that we’re being smart and frugal.” At-Large Councilmember Sekou Biddle called the whole thing “an exercise of poor judgement.” And Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans wrote in his newsletter to constituents that Brown needs to compensate the city for all of the costs associated with returning the two SUVs. “If it means paying the city $17,000, so be it,” says Evans.

Meanwhile, a chastened Brown has taken to driving an old mail truck.

But in the good old days, politicians helped other politicians who had lost their rides. Back in Washington City Paper’s Jan. 4, 1991, issue, the original LL wrote:

Will Marion Barry find a new car to replace the chauffeur-driven Lincoln Town Car government limo that has ferried him around town the past 12 years? Can he even drive? What kind of car will he buy? Will he remain the Town Car man-about-town? Or will the newly sober Barry become a four-door Toyota Corolla type?

A few months later it appears that then-councilmember H. R. Crawford was trying to come to his carless friend’s rescue. As LL reported in City Paper’s March 8, 1991, issue:

Former Mayor-for-Life Marion S. Barry Jr. has become the favorite charitable cause for many in this town…. Ward 7 Councilmember H. R. Crawford put the touch on his friends for several thousand to buy the fallen mayor a new Chrysler.

But it gets better—in addition to the car, Barry’s friends got something even more memorable. From the same issue:

The latest fund-raising effort on behalf of the former mayor is LL’s favorite—the Marion Barry Jr. Official Legendary Calendar. A group of Barry stalwarts calling itself the D.C. Concerned Citizens Caucus Inc. and headed by the Ward 4 Democrat Betsy Tibbs has sent mailings out to all of the city’s 323 Advisory Neighborhood Council Commission members offering a “first edition” of the calendar for only $29.95. Or a “Limited Edition Personalized Copy” for only $17.50 Now try and figure that one out.

So, which councilmember is going to order Brown his own “fully-loaded” calendar?