Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 13:18     Subject: Re:Muriel Bowser
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.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 13:10     Subject: Re:Muriel Bowser
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.



Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 13:04     Subject: Re:Muriel Bowser
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:



Point well taken. I'm not super adept at this. Simply adding a thought. When Bowser "called up" a limited number of National Guard with zero riot control authority before this, my husband and I just shook our heads. We literally were like, "what is she thinking?" My husband is in the military and I have experienced (not participated in) many riots, including a few involving bloodshed. DC is a complex city (I'm a DC native). If you call yourself Mayor, you have to straddle a lot of weird relationships and areas of domain. Metro Police and WMATA Police is just one example of law enforcement brokering. She has the authority to both coordinate with Capitol Police and DOD, and to call up Guard. She should have seen this coming given the crowd, their social media postings and just the size and emotional tenor, and had more armed guard at the ready. Yes, the ultimate failure lies with the Capitol Police, but I am not giving Mayor Bowser a hall pass because she called in MPD after the fact.


Just wanted to add and ask: Where did you get the idea that Mayor Bowser “has the authority...to call up” the National Guard?



Words matter, and I take your point. She can "request" NG and describe how she would like them deployed. Let me flip it back to you, do you think she will "request" a larger force in advance of the inauguration and share her views with DOD and any other Federal 3rd Parties on whether they should have riot gear? Or do you think she will shrug and say "whatevs". The 1/6 fiasco will be analyzed. Obviously, the Capitol Police Planning failed miserably and we want to know why. Since the title of this thread is MB however, I don't think she came out smelling like roses. think she could have "requested" r a larger, prepared presence of NG in the city even if she was met with resistance by the Capitol Police. Who is to say the mob would have ended up at the Capitol anyway? They could have just as easily headed elsewhere and destroyed something else. What would the plan have been then? Better to be prepared.


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.



Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 12:38     Subject: Re:Muriel Bowser
BTW, I posted the last response and I’m a new poster to this thread.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 12:37     Subject: Re:Muriel Bowser
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
jsteele wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So, you obviously don't know how the NG works. She could have requested them in advance, as she did, and as she is doing (rightly) for the inauguration. In that request and back and forth with DOD, they work out the number and the capacity. For 1/6 she asked for a small, unarmed number and it was granted. However, the NG isnt a quick reaction force - as we saw on 1/6. That's why, as a city manager, you exercise foresight. And yes, DC Cops did a great job. Yay DC cops, you are back in favor! Take a lap!


Is your point that Bowser failed to adequately request troops for a facility that she has no authority or responsibility to defend? If so, I will again ask why you don't have the came criticism for the governors of Maryland and Virginia. For that matter, why not make the same criticism of the governor of Texas who shares the same lack of authority and responsibility as Bowser?


For a city. A city of which she is the CEO. No one knew the Capitol would be attacked. We did know that the city would have many "visitors" that day with an element of unpredictability.


Even my guinea pigs knew the Capitol would be attacked.


Side argument. Anyway, the major sticking points with what happened at the Capitol seem to be with the Capitol Police lack of planning, and the unwieldy approval process on the DOD side once the irregular requests for NG started flooding in. They should review the entire process to make sure the latter is not an issue in the future; perhaps changes should be made. However, it is clear (since she is doing it for the inauguration that Bowser can request more Guard in an enhanced capacity. I personally think she should have done it for 1/6, since her own spokespeople were warning about the potential for violence anywhere. I'm glad she is doing it now.


I’m not sure if you’re being deliberately obtuse or if you have poor comprehension skills. Any NG support requested by Bowser that was or is approved would be limited to protecting non-federally-owned land. So, even if she requested and received approval for 1 million NG troops, they cannot act on the Capitol grounds, the White House, etc. unless DOD specifically approves it. Bowser is not responsible for planning to protect federally-owned land. Her job was not to ensure that enough law enforcement was present on the Capitol grounds. That was and is the job of the Capitol Police, DHS, FBI, Secret Service (since Pence was there), etc. By all accounts, Bowser had sufficient law enforcement personnel in place to protect non-federal lands in DC on 1/6 and also enough to send reinforcements to the Capitol when they were requested. She. Did. Her. Job. And she went above and beyond (as did Hogan and Northam). I would presume, though I don’t know, that if she requested NG troops in advance with the express purpose of protecting the Capitol grounds, she would’ve been told that that was not an appropriate request from her and such a request would have had to come from the Capitol Police. IOW, Bowser could only request NG troops sufficient to provide support for areas under her control.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 10:20     Subject: Re:Muriel Bowser
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Words matter, and I take your point. She can "request" NG and describe how she would like them deployed. Let me flip it back to you, do you think she will "request" a larger force in advance of the inauguration and share her views with DOD and any other Federal 3rd Parties on whether they should have riot gear? Or do you think she will shrug and say "whatevs". The 1/6 fiasco will be analyzed. Obviously, the Capitol Police Planning failed miserably and we want to know why. Since the title of this thread is MB however, I don't think she came out smelling like roses. think she could have "requested" r a larger, prepared presence of NG in the city even if she was met with resistance by the Capitol Police. Who is to say the mob would have ended up at the Capitol anyway? They could have just as easily headed elsewhere and destroyed something else. What would the plan have been then? Better to be prepared.


Do you not read/listen to the news? https://wtop.com/dc/2021/01/dc-mayor-bowser-requests-dhs-heighten-security-measures-in-district-ahead-of-inauguration/

The National Guard has been deployed to DC through the inauguration.



It is both telling and repugnant that you are blaming the black woman who successfully protected her citizens and bailed out Capitol Police rather than the various men who refused the help she offered to begin with. You are absolutely part of the problem.

And who requested it? Oh! So she does have the ability. Hmmm....
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 10:12     Subject: Re:Muriel Bowser
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
jsteele wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So, you obviously don't know how the NG works. She could have requested them in advance, as she did, and as she is doing (rightly) for the inauguration. In that request and back and forth with DOD, they work out the number and the capacity. For 1/6 she asked for a small, unarmed number and it was granted. However, the NG isnt a quick reaction force - as we saw on 1/6. That's why, as a city manager, you exercise foresight. And yes, DC Cops did a great job. Yay DC cops, you are back in favor! Take a lap!


Is your point that Bowser failed to adequately request troops for a facility that she has no authority or responsibility to defend? If so, I will again ask why you don't have the came criticism for the governors of Maryland and Virginia. For that matter, why not make the same criticism of the governor of Texas who shares the same lack of authority and responsibility as Bowser?


For a city. A city of which she is the CEO. No one knew the Capitol would be attacked. We did know that the city would have many "visitors" that day with an element of unpredictability.


Even my guinea pigs knew the Capitol would be attacked.


Side argument. Anyway, the major sticking points with what happened at the Capitol seem to be with the Capitol Police lack of planning, and the unwieldy approval process on the DOD side once the irregular requests for NG started flooding in. They should review the entire process to make sure the latter is not an issue in the future; perhaps changes should be made. However, it is clear (since she is doing it for the inauguration that Bowser can request more Guard in an enhanced capacity. I personally think she should have done it for 1/6, since her own spokespeople were warning about the potential for violence anywhere. I'm glad she is doing it now.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 10:02     Subject: Re:Muriel Bowser
Anonymous wrote:
jsteele wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So, you obviously don't know how the NG works. She could have requested them in advance, as she did, and as she is doing (rightly) for the inauguration. In that request and back and forth with DOD, they work out the number and the capacity. For 1/6 she asked for a small, unarmed number and it was granted. However, the NG isnt a quick reaction force - as we saw on 1/6. That's why, as a city manager, you exercise foresight. And yes, DC Cops did a great job. Yay DC cops, you are back in favor! Take a lap!


Is your point that Bowser failed to adequately request troops for a facility that she has no authority or responsibility to defend? If so, I will again ask why you don't have the came criticism for the governors of Maryland and Virginia. For that matter, why not make the same criticism of the governor of Texas who shares the same lack of authority and responsibility as Bowser?


For a city. A city of which she is the CEO. No one knew the Capitol would be attacked. We did know that the city would have many "visitors" that day with an element of unpredictability.


Even my guinea pigs knew the Capitol would be attacked.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 09:54     Subject: Re:Muriel Bowser
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DC National Guard is uniquely controlled by the federal government, and there's a process to how they are deployed.

D.C. Council issued this statement via Twitter on January 6:

"Today, the Department of Defense denied a request by Mayor Muriel Bowser to expand the responsibilities of the District of Columbia National Guard so that they would be authorized to protect and restore order at the Capitol Building. That request was denied."

Governor Hogan said Thursday that he mobilized Maryland forces, including Maryland State Police troopers and the Maryland National Guard to help, but that his requests were denied by the federal government.

I don't even live in DC, but I know how to Google!


This. Bowser asked, they told her no.


https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2021/01/07/this-is-why-the-national-guard-didnt-respond-to-the-attack-on-the-capitol/

"DCNG announced Monday it had mobilized 340 troops to support MPD, but that organization’s jurisdiction does not cover any federal land within the District, and so its officers ― and its Guard support ― could not have just rushed to the Capitol.

Further, once they got there, Guard troops who had been acting in a traffic control capacity, not as law enforcement, would not have been able or authorized to forcibly push back rioters or help clear the building, a task that fell to the Capitol Police and the FBI tactical forces they requested to help out.

So when chaos unfolded Wednesday afternoon and reports surfaced that there had been a request for additional Guard troops and the Defense Department had denied it, here’s what really happened.


Because of D.C.’s finicky federal status, any entity ― whether its the mayor, or the Interior Department, which controls federal parks within the District ― has to put in a request for National Guard troops through the Army secretary, who gets it endorsed by the defense secretary.

The Capitol’s request for Guard back-up went beyond what Bowser had already gotten approved, so it needed a new sign-off.

“We quickly worked to move our resources forward in support of Metro PD and the Capitol Police,” McCarthy said Thursday.

The process took about an hour, the source familiar told Military Times, from the time McCarthy received it around 2 p.m. on Wednesday."

Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 09:52     Subject: Re:Muriel Bowser
Who pays for the national guard? Does DC have to pay every time they get called out? Per person? Per vehicle?

Bowser activated the national guard and MPDC personnel she believed she needed to control and secure the streets of DC, and it turns out she had the correct number of people for that job.

It's not her fault the federal forces completely abdicated their duties.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 09:51     Subject: Muriel Bowser
The Capitol Police force is 2,300. Just to put that into perspective Montgomery County is 1,300 for a population of over 1 million. Montgomery County's police budget is $281 million for a population of over 1 million. The Capitol Police has a budget of $460 million.

They probably didn't need assistance if they did their job and used their resources. All the neat new toys they got after September 11th, nowhere to be seen. The oversight of the Capitol Police needs to be examined.

This committee has been asleep at the wheel if they allowed a budget of $460 million and they have nothing to show for it.

Appropriations Committees
House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
Chairman: Tim Ryan (Ohio)
Ranking Member: Jaime Herrera Beutler (Washington)
Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
Chairman: Cindy Hyde-Smith (Mississippi)
Ranking Member: Christopher Murphy (Connecticut)

Authorizing Committees
Committee on House Administration

Chairman: Zoe Lofgren (California)
Ranking Member: Rodney Davis (Illinois)

Senate Committee on Rules and Administration

Chairman: Roy Blunt (Missouri)
Ranking Member: Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota)

Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 09:46     Subject: Re:Muriel Bowser
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Words matter, and I take your point. She can "request" NG and describe how she would like them deployed. Let me flip it back to you, do you think she will "request" a larger force in advance of the inauguration and share her views with DOD and any other Federal 3rd Parties on whether they should have riot gear? Or do you think she will shrug and say "whatevs". The 1/6 fiasco will be analyzed. Obviously, the Capitol Police Planning failed miserably and we want to know why. Since the title of this thread is MB however, I don't think she came out smelling like roses. think she could have "requested" r a larger, prepared presence of NG in the city even if she was met with resistance by the Capitol Police. Who is to say the mob would have ended up at the Capitol anyway? They could have just as easily headed elsewhere and destroyed something else. What would the plan have been then? Better to be prepared.


Do you not read/listen to the news? https://wtop.com/dc/2021/01/dc-mayor-bowser-requests-dhs-heighten-security-measures-in-district-ahead-of-inauguration/

The National Guard has been deployed to DC through the inauguration.



the scope of her request is to protect DC. Plainly put, MPD is very, very competent at handling protest and crowd control. Based on her experience during BLM she didn’t need/want federal troops, especially given their antics last time. It was the Capitol Police’s job to secure the Capitol, and they failed. MPD saved their butts, in fact.

And who requested it? Oh! So she does have the ability. Hmmm....
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 09:45     Subject: Re:Muriel Bowser
Anonymous wrote:DC National Guard is uniquely controlled by the federal government, and there's a process to how they are deployed.

D.C. Council issued this statement via Twitter on January 6:

"Today, the Department of Defense denied a request by Mayor Muriel Bowser to expand the responsibilities of the District of Columbia National Guard so that they would be authorized to protect and restore order at the Capitol Building. That request was denied."

Governor Hogan said Thursday that he mobilized Maryland forces, including Maryland State Police troopers and the Maryland National Guard to help, but that his requests were denied by the federal government.

I don't even live in DC, but I know how to Google!


This. Bowser asked, they told her no.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 09:43     Subject: Re:Muriel Bowser
Anonymous wrote:
jsteele wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So, you obviously don't know how the NG works. She could have requested them in advance, as she did, and as she is doing (rightly) for the inauguration. In that request and back and forth with DOD, they work out the number and the capacity. For 1/6 she asked for a small, unarmed number and it was granted. However, the NG isnt a quick reaction force - as we saw on 1/6. That's why, as a city manager, you exercise foresight. And yes, DC Cops did a great job. Yay DC cops, you are back in favor! Take a lap!


Is your point that Bowser failed to adequately request troops for a facility that she has no authority or responsibility to defend? If so, I will again ask why you don't have the came criticism for the governors of Maryland and Virginia. For that matter, why not make the same criticism of the governor of Texas who shares the same lack of authority and responsibility as Bowser?


For a city. A city of which she is the CEO. No one knew the Capitol would be attacked. We did know that the city would have many "visitors" that day with an element of unpredictability.


First, that's not true. Lots of people predicted this, based on the fact that some of the planning took place online.

And, second, there was minimal violence in DC. The actual insurrection took place on the Capitol grounds. DC cops arrested people before and after, for firearms and curfew violations. It's fair to criticize Bowser/MPD for foreseeable violence that occurs in DC that they failed to properly prepare for. But here, the primary failure was that of the Capitol Police, who were unprepared for and failed to prevent a breach of the Capitol. DC police were clearly prepared for people trying to carry firearms in the city, and planned to focus on those offenses.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 09:43     Subject: Re:Muriel Bowser
Anonymous wrote:
jsteele wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So, you obviously don't know how the NG works. She could have requested them in advance, as she did, and as she is doing (rightly) for the inauguration. In that request and back and forth with DOD, they work out the number and the capacity. For 1/6 she asked for a small, unarmed number and it was granted. However, the NG isnt a quick reaction force - as we saw on 1/6. That's why, as a city manager, you exercise foresight. And yes, DC Cops did a great job. Yay DC cops, you are back in favor! Take a lap!


Is your point that Bowser failed to adequately request troops for a facility that she has no authority or responsibility to defend? If so, I will again ask why you don't have the came criticism for the governors of Maryland and Virginia. For that matter, why not make the same criticism of the governor of Texas who shares the same lack of authority and responsibility as Bowser?


For a city. A city of which she is the CEO. No one knew the Capitol would be attacked. We did know that the city would have many "visitors" that day with an element of unpredictability.


capitol building is not part of DC municipal authorities.