Entrant Webster Barnaby incensed with what he sees as patently racist comment to 'minimize' his candidacy and that of County Council at-large incumbent Joyce Cusack
DELTONA -- One day after Headline Surfer® broke the story that highly-respected Deltona City Commissioner Webster Barnaby had entered the race to challenge Volusia County Council at-large incumbent Joyce Cusack, the Daytona Beach Beach News-Journal was playing catch-up on the newest entrant, but it's a quote attributed to the third candidate in the race that is a major whopper.
Pat Northey, term-limited in her in district 5 Deltona seat and apparently desperate to hang on after 20 years on the dais, said of Cusack, well-respected for her tenure in the Statehouse, and of the popular conservative Barnaby,"It's certainly welcome to the jungle or welcome to the ring."
Describing a fight in the ring is one thing, but welcome to the jungle? That didn't sit well with Barnaby, who is African-American, who immediately got on the horn with Headline Surfer®, "asking, "Have you heard of this reporter, Andrew Gant, and can you believe what Northey is being quoted saying about Joyce and I, that it's welcome to the jungle? She's trying to minimize us."
Barnaby was monitoring what the News-Journal was putting online in advance of its Thursday morning paper because he was contacted for a comment or two on his campaign.
Northey's apparent quote floored Webster, 54, an ordained minister, who immediately got on the horn with Headline Surfer®, just before 10 p.m. "You really don't expect to that kind of dehumanizing garbage and so close to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. She needs to resign. "
A voice mail message left with Northey by the 24/7 internet newspaper for Northey went unanswered. Headline Surfer® contacted Joyce to get her reaction. Joyce, known for taking the high road more often than not, at first said, "It's not even worthy of a comment." Then there was a pause on the line with Cusack firing back, "Actually, I would expect she's say something like that. She has no class."
Northey, who perhaps has hung on far too long, jumping from one seat to another as council members are not allowed more than two consecutive four-year terms, took the unprecedented step last year of announcing her candidacy for Joyce's seat, despite the fact they are both Democrats. Joyce took it as a personal affront and the two have gone out of their way to avoid interaction as much as possible.
Headline Surfer® called the News-Journal and was told by a desk editor she would leave a mesage for the reporter.