Muriel Bowser

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clearer repost of my 13:04 response to the 7:54 comment:



Yes, I think that Mayor Bowser will likely request a larger and more well-equipped force. I'm sure that she will request this in advance -- just as she requested NG forces in advance of January 6th. I think this is true in light of the failures of the NCP and other federal agencies and also because the scale of what the Trumpers seem to be planning for Inauguration Day is possibly going to be larger and is more likely to extend beyond the federal jurisdictions into areas of the city that she does control.

In response to your "what - ifs" -- in addition to calling up the NG, the first line of defense, obviously, were and are the MPD -- which Mayor Bowser does have the ability to call up immediately in a crisis as well as proactively -- again, as she did last Wednesday.

Mayor Bowser has not "shrugged" at any point in this -- in marked contrast to the leadership of the Capitol Police and possibly the DOD.
I'm not sure why you're focused on how Mayor Bowser smells. Again, though, I'd like to point out that Mayor Bowser requested forces that actually were adequate for the tasks that they were responsible for. In addition to that, the MPD -- thanks to Mayor Bowser -- ultimately were what kept the tragic fiasco from being even more tragic.

Honest answer? I think she did not call up a larger, riot control National Guard presence in advance of 1/6 because of not wanting to be perceived as a hypocrite after complaining about NG in the city during the summer (which she had not ordered). I think she has done a good job in standing up to our City Council sine this summer as they have made some pretty arbitrary decisions about police funding, and putting forth measures to limit MPD their use of riot control methods etc. (And Lo and Behold, the MPD was called in FOR riot control on 1/6! Go figure!!). However, I think she was short sighted in the days leading up to 1/6. It may make people feel better to think I'm criticizing her for her gender or race; I'm not. I wish she had pushed back further against the Capitol Police since she voiced concerns about the measures they were taking, and I wish she had gone ahead and "requested" more NG to simply be on the streets prepared for riot control. Instead, they wasted time having to go to the DC Armory to gear up once they were finally authorized to head to the Capitol. My focus isn't Bowser, I'm not obsessed with her, I think she's a mixed bag. I am also not going to hand her mad props. I hope she does better proactively advocating for security in our city for the inauguration, which is one of her Mayoral roles.

You're blaming her for the CP not listening to her. The violence was on Capitol grounds, not DC. DC police maintained order on DC streets. You are obsessed with blaming her because she did not foresee or prevent *other people's* failures. Maybe something could have happened that would have been her fault, but it didn't.

But now you'll get your way. There will be thousands of NG deployed to DC for the days leading up to the inauguration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clearer repost of my 13:04 response to the 7:54 comment:



Yes, I think that Mayor Bowser will likely request a larger and more well-equipped force. I'm sure that she will request this in advance -- just as she requested NG forces in advance of January 6th. I think this is true in light of the failures of the NCP and other federal agencies and also because the scale of what the Trumpers seem to be planning for Inauguration Day is possibly going to be larger and is more likely to extend beyond the federal jurisdictions into areas of the city that she does control.

In response to your "what - ifs" -- in addition to calling up the NG, the first line of defense, obviously, were and are the MPD -- which Mayor Bowser does have the ability to call up immediately in a crisis as well as proactively -- again, as she did last Wednesday.

Mayor Bowser has not "shrugged" at any point in this -- in marked contrast to the leadership of the Capitol Police and possibly the DOD.
I'm not sure why you're focused on how Mayor Bowser smells. Again, though, I'd like to point out that Mayor Bowser requested forces that actually were adequate for the tasks that they were responsible for. In addition to that, the MPD -- thanks to Mayor Bowser -- ultimately were what kept the tragic fiasco from being even more tragic.

Honest answer? I think she did not call up a larger, riot control National Guard presence in advance of 1/6 because of not wanting to be perceived as a hypocrite after complaining about NG in the city during the summer (which she had not ordered). I think she has done a good job in standing up to our City Council sine this summer as they have made some pretty arbitrary decisions about police funding, and putting forth measures to limit MPD their use of riot control methods etc. (And Lo and Behold, the MPD was called in FOR riot control on 1/6! Go figure!!). However, I think she was short sighted in the days leading up to 1/6. It may make people feel better to think I'm criticizing her for her gender or race; I'm not. I wish she had pushed back further against the Capitol Police since she voiced concerns about the measures they were taking, and I wish she had gone ahead and "requested" more NG to simply be on the streets prepared for riot control. Instead, they wasted time having to go to the DC Armory to gear up once they were finally authorized to head to the Capitol. My focus isn't Bowser, I'm not obsessed with her, I think she's a mixed bag. I am also not going to hand her mad props. I hope she does better proactively advocating for security in our city for the inauguration, which is one of her Mayoral roles.

I think you’re stuck. I don’t know why. I am clear, though, that there’s little point in my continuing to rehash issues that address your particular peculiar viewpoint — that none of the many informed articles that I’ve read share. As I have said multiple times, Bowser effectively handled her responsibilities to the city, and went beyond that to provide critical MPD resources when the Capitol Police failed. Your “honesty” really hasn’t addressed these points. You do seem obsessed, but an anonymous forum is probably not the most effective place to address that. You may enjoy reading this article from NPR.

https://www.npr.org/local/305/2021/01/11/955647925/d-c-mayor-says-inauguration-should-remain-public-calls-for-enhanced-security

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clearer repost of my 13:04 response to the 7:54 comment:



Yes, I think that Mayor Bowser will likely request a larger and more well-equipped force. I'm sure that she will request this in advance -- just as she requested NG forces in advance of January 6th. I think this is true in light of the failures of the NCP and other federal agencies and also because the scale of what the Trumpers seem to be planning for Inauguration Day is possibly going to be larger and is more likely to extend beyond the federal jurisdictions into areas of the city that she does control.

In response to your "what - ifs" -- in addition to calling up the NG, the first line of defense, obviously, were and are the MPD -- which Mayor Bowser does have the ability to call up immediately in a crisis as well as proactively -- again, as she did last Wednesday.

Mayor Bowser has not "shrugged" at any point in this -- in marked contrast to the leadership of the Capitol Police and possibly the DOD.
I'm not sure why you're focused on how Mayor Bowser smells. Again, though, I'd like to point out that Mayor Bowser requested forces that actually were adequate for the tasks that they were responsible for. In addition to that, the MPD -- thanks to Mayor Bowser -- ultimately were what kept the tragic fiasco from being even more tragic.

Honest answer? I think she did not call up a larger, riot control National Guard presence in advance of 1/6 because of not wanting to be perceived as a hypocrite after complaining about NG in the city during the summer (which she had not ordered). I think she has done a good job in standing up to our City Council sine this summer as they have made some pretty arbitrary decisions about police funding, and putting forth measures to limit MPD their use of riot control methods etc. (And Lo and Behold, the MPD was called in FOR riot control on 1/6! Go figure!!). However, I think she was short sighted in the days leading up to 1/6. It may make people feel better to think I'm criticizing her for her gender or race; I'm not. I wish she had pushed back further against the Capitol Police since she voiced concerns about the measures they were taking, and I wish she had gone ahead and "requested" more NG to simply be on the streets prepared for riot control. Instead, they wasted time having to go to the DC Armory to gear up once they were finally authorized to head to the Capitol. My focus isn't Bowser, I'm not obsessed with her, I think she's a mixed bag. I am also not going to hand her mad props. I hope she does better proactively advocating for security in our city for the inauguration, which is one of her Mayoral roles.

You're blaming her for the CP not listening to her. The violence was on Capitol grounds, not DC. DC police maintained order on DC streets. You are obsessed with blaming her because she did not foresee or prevent *other people's* failures. Maybe something could have happened that would have been her fault, but it didn't.

But now you'll get your way. There will be thousands of NG deployed to DC for the days leading up to the inauguration.

Um...

[Anonymous]

I do not understand why she refused to enforce the curfew. That was entirely her failure. She wouldn’t even commit to saying that she would force it on CNN. She was bizarrely evasive about the whole thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why she refused to enforce the curfew. That was entirely her failure. She wouldn’t even commit to saying that she would force it on CNN. She was bizarrely evasive about the whole thing.

Heavy handed law enforcement is not "woke". Our City Council has been busy ALL SUMMER passing legislation limiting what MPD can do under any circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why she refused to enforce the curfew. That was entirely her failure. She wouldn’t even commit to saying that she would force it on CNN. She was bizarrely evasive about the whole thing.

Heavy handed law enforcement is not "woke". Our City Council has been busy ALL SUMMER passing legislation limiting what MPD can do under any circumstances.

Well it seems disingenuous to act as if she did everything in her power to protect the city when the one thing she had total control over (locking all of the insurgents up for breaking curfew after they breached the Capitol using her police force) she refused to actually commit to doing. These idiots were out and about for hours on the streets of DC which is completely her jurisdiction after this happened. Thus, I think she does partially bear some blame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why she refused to enforce the curfew. That was entirely her failure. She wouldn’t even commit to saying that she would force it on CNN. She was bizarrely evasive about the whole thing.

Heavy handed law enforcement is not "woke". Our City Council has been busy ALL SUMMER passing legislation limiting what MPD can do under any circumstances.

Well it seems disingenuous to act as if she did everything in her power to protect the city when the one thing she had total control over (locking all of the insurgents up for breaking curfew after they breached the Capitol using her police force) she refused to actually commit to doing. These idiots were out and about for hours on the streets of DC which is completely her jurisdiction after this happened. Thus, I think she does partially bear some blame.

It's all Muriel Bowser's fault for not locking the barn door after the rioters had already rioted! Or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why she refused to enforce the curfew. That was entirely her failure. She wouldn’t even commit to saying that she would force it on CNN. She was bizarrely evasive about the whole thing.

Heavy handed law enforcement is not "woke". Our City Council has been busy ALL SUMMER passing legislation limiting what MPD can do under any circumstances.

Well it seems disingenuous to act as if she did everything in her power to protect the city when the one thing she had total control over (locking all of the insurgents up for breaking curfew after they breached the Capitol using her police force) she refused to actually commit to doing. These idiots were out and about for hours on the streets of DC which is completely her jurisdiction after this happened. Thus, I think she does partially bear some blame.

It seems disingenuous to hold Bowser responsible for results that occur because the Feds dropped the ball.
Capitol Police handle a situation treacherously badly. Part of this “treacherously badly” includes loosing potential terrorists onto the streets. So, in addition to having to get MPD to rescue the Capitol Police from their failures, you now want her to do: what exactly? Really? Exactly. Step by step. Since you claim to know — block out some procedures. Prove yourself right!

You haven’t bothered to note that since there actually was NOT widespread disruption in the city, maybe, just maybe it’s because Bowser’s interventions worked reasonably well — even if they didn’t address all of the scenarios roiling about in your imagination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why she refused to enforce the curfew. That was entirely her failure. She wouldn’t even commit to saying that she would force it on CNN. She was bizarrely evasive about the whole thing.

Heavy handed law enforcement is not "woke". Our City Council has been busy ALL SUMMER passing legislation limiting what MPD can do under any circumstances.

Well it seems disingenuous to act as if she did everything in her power to protect the city when the one thing she had total control over (locking all of the insurgents up for breaking curfew after they breached the Capitol using her police force) she refused to actually commit to doing. These idiots were out and about for hours on the streets of DC which is completely her jurisdiction after this happened. Thus, I think she does partially bear some blame.

Excellent points.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:She doesn't have authority over the Capitol. You may as well ask if Governor Hogan could have done more.

They coordinate all the time. Next!

"It is routine for the Capitol Police to coordinate with the federal Secret Service and the Park Police and local police in Washington, DC, before large demonstrations. The National Guard, commanded by the Department of Defense, is often on standby too."

https://news.yahoo.com/among-americas-military-allies-believe-135838118.html?ICID=ref_fark

Do you actually understand the meaning of the word "coordinate"? If so, there is really no difference between what you and I are saying.

I think she could have exercised foresight and pushed harder.

Isn't that what we look to politicians for, "vision"? Seriously.

ffs, you people again. This has been explained a thousand times here 200 different ways. This isn't on her.
Lemme guess, you think DC should never have statehood, right?

[Anonymous]

It may make people feel better to think I'm criticizing her for her gender or race; I'm not.

The tone of many of the posts in this thread have been oddly obsessive and oddly barren of actual well-supported facts. The arguments posed by some(one?) are in such contrast with other analyses of the terrorist attack on the Capitol, that I thought this thread was worth a re-read. The bolded statement: "It may make people feel better to think I'm criticizing her for her gender or race; I'm not." might be a clue. Why mention race -- when no one else is, or gender -- when no one else is, unless it is somehow twisted up with the already twisted illogical take on this? I guess this is right up there with those who insisted that Obama was a horrible president "because of his policies" -- even though they could not accurately state what any of his policies -- achieved or aspired to -- might be.

What I used to see as willful obtuseness might really be the culmination of generations of less than adequate education coupled with generations of treating cesspools of "info-tainment" as news.

In any case, I'll accept that I've been trolled. I'm not a Muriel Bowser fan overall, but props to her and Hogan and all who stood up to keep us safe from the rot within.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It may make people feel better to think I'm criticizing her for her gender or race; I'm not.

The tone of many of the posts in this thread have been oddly obsessive and oddly barren of actual well-supported facts. The arguments posed by some(one?) are in such contrast with other analyses of the terrorist attack on the Capitol, that I thought this thread was worth a re-read. The bolded statement: "It may make people feel better to think I'm criticizing her for her gender or race; I'm not." might be a clue. Why mention race -- when no one else is, or gender -- when no one else is, unless it is somehow twisted up with the already twisted illogical take on this? I guess this is right up there with those who insisted that Obama was a horrible president "because of his policies" -- even though they could not accurately state what any of his policies -- achieved or aspired to -- might be.

What I used to see as willful obtuseness might really be the culmination of generations of less than adequate education coupled with generations of treating cesspools of "info-tainment" as news.

In any case, I'll accept that I've been trolled. I'm not a Muriel Bowser fan overall, but props to her and Hogan and all who stood up to keep us safe from the rot within.

I previous poster mentioned race + gender as the real reason people might question Bowser's actions on 1/6. Please read the entire thread before getting needlessly perplexed.

[Anonymous]

Today's Post 1/13

"Officials from the Capitol Police and D.C. government have said the Pentagon responded slowly to urgent requests for military assistance and initially denied help beyond a small force of Guard members overseeing traffic stops. Pentagon officials, meanwhile, have blamed the Capitol Police and D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) for not requesting adequate assistance ahead of time and then expecting part-time soldiers to immediately appear."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/military-biden-inauguration-violence-threats/2021/01/12/0a45cac8-5503-11eb-89bc-7f51ceb6bd57_story.html

[Anonymous]

Nobody forced her to try and discourage federal law enforcement agencies from preparing to assist. She’s the one who posted this: https://twitter.com/mayorbowser/status/1346530358674792466?s=21

The threat was not secret. It was openly mocked ( https://www.washingtonian.com/2021/01/05/maga-geniuses-plot-takeover-of-us-capitol/ ) and apparently she didn’t believe it credible either.

She should not escape responsibility for her part in allowing this event to occur. Had federal agencies come out like they did for some of the BLM events and been prepared to make a show of force, we’d not have had the Capitol overrun and hopefully fewer or no lives lost.

[jsteele]

Folks, read this article about MPD's performance at the Capitol:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/01/14/dc-police-capitol-riot

DC Police raced to the Capitol as soon as the attack began. They held the door they were guarding.

MPD was prepared. There were no issues in the parts of the city under their control. The Capitol Police were unprepared and the Defense Department was slow to respond, but that had nothing to do with Bowser.

There is one poster who is determined to blame Bowser despite not being able clearly articulate what blame Bowser deserves (the best she has come up with is a failure to arrest curfew breakers). Yet, we are to believe race and gender are not motivations.