You can call Councilmember Marion Barry a lot of things:  Civil Rights Leader, Mayor-for-Life, Addict, Male Slut. You can now add Incurable Optimist to the list. In his rocky relationship with Donna Watts-Brighthaupt, he endured one rejection after another. And the man kept coming back.

A Hotel spat in Denver where he threw her out of his room for refusing to give him a blowjob. A fight in Las Vegas. Pleadings over e-mail that involved a high-ranking staffer and public money.  Now we know there were plenty of intense moments closer to home between Barry, Donna, and Donna’s ex-husband Delonta Brighthaupt.

In this week’s cover, we detail the love triangle and pay particular attention to the councilmember using his office and authority in an attempt to get Delonta out of the picture.

Barry’s move backfired. Within a few days, he would be arrested on stalking charges. The charges were later dismissed. But the police report surely shows a man in hot pursuit.

We’ll post the police report tomorrow.