Ward 8 Councilmember Marion S. Barry Jr. disapproves of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty.

Proof of this unqualified statement comes not only from Barry’s public pronouncements, which have gained volume in recent months, but from a parliamentary quirk of D.C. politics—the “disapproval resolution.”

An uncommonly invoked measure at the disposal of the 13 members of the D.C. Council, the disapproval resolution does exactly what its title suggests. It scolds the executive branch for rash or ill-conceived contract awards, budget shuffles, or rulemakings. During the whole of Anthony A. Williams’ second term as mayor, councilmembers filed about 30 disapproval measures, according to council records.

But during the first two years of Fenty’s mayoralty, councilmembers have filed disapproval resolutions 132 times. And Barry has introduced approximately 90 of them.

Now, many of those have been filed with one or more colleagues—including dozens filed early this summer halting school construction awards—but since then, scores have been introduced by Barry alone. In the past three months, he has filed disapprovals on virtually every contract and budget reprogramming submitted by the city for council review, with few exceptions.

Much like Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn has made a name for himself in the U.S. Senate for personally blocking all sorts of legislation, Barry has become his body’s most reliable obstructionist. But where Coburn’s legislative obstreperousness represents the mania of a raving ideologue, Barry’s moves are pure politics.... Continued