In the scheme of things the Capitol got off easy. I’m not excusing actions of the protesters. I think every side of the argument bears some responsibility. To be fair, I think the blame needs to be attached where it belongs. Lumping all in one place may be good politics but is lousy problem solving. The British burned the Capitol and the White House during the war of 1812. I can’t help wondering if any Pelosi ancestors had a role in setting up security.
I’m just a broke down retired narc. What do I know? I read about the events in D.C. and some things don’t make sense. In any other context, the “riot, insurrection, seditious act, would have been characterized an act of civil disobedience. But these folks were supporting President Trump. They were demanding that Congress refuse to certify the Presidential election. The same thing democrats have done.
For this the MSM labeled them insurrectionists. As far as I know, they did not demand the immediate overthrow of the government. Unlike ANTIFA and BLM in Portland and Seattle. They occupied the Capitol, which houses the House of Representatives and the Senate. To hear the MSM tell it, the actions of the protesters rivaled the French storming the Bastille. The Capitol is just another Federal building. You know like the post office, Federal Courthouse and Immigration Office in Portland.
According to the Huffington Post the Capitol Police gave directions and posed for selfies. Sure was a spirited defense. I could be wrong but it seems like much of the action happened on the House side of the Capitol. It’s all Trump’s fault. Or was it?
Before I continue, compare and contrast democrat attitudes and MSM coverage of the D.C. protest with other demonstrations. Same actions, different reactions. Enough With the Outrage | Power Line (powerlineblog.com)
Back to where I was heading. One thing you gotta know about D.C.. There are more “police” agencies there than Carter has pills. Just a taste:
There’s this thing called the separation of powers. There are three branches, Executive, Legislative and Judicial.
This list is by no means all inclusive. For all I know there is a one man Federal Police Force out there dedicated to protecting an agency that no longer exists.
Most of these agencies owe their existence to the Executive. This is because the agency they protect is part of the Executive: Department of Justice, Treasury, Homeland Security or of Office and Management and Budget. There are two exceptions represented in the gallery. The Capitol Police and the Supreme Court police. The Capitol Police falls under Congress. The Supreme Court Police falls under the Supreme Court (judicial).
This means that Congress determines the mission, role, priorities and culture of the Capitol Police. The Congress picks the leadership. It has the ultimate say into the development and implementation of policy and procedure.
https://www.uscp.gov/the-department/oversight/capitol-police-board
The Capitol Police are managed by the Capitol Police Board. It is comprised of the Sergeant of Arms of the Senate, the Sergeant of Arms of the House and the Architect of the Capitol. Each of them are elected to the office. The Capitol Police Chief is a non-voting member of the board. It should come as no surprise that the majority party usually makes the selection which is then ratified by all the members. Here is a description of the position and responsibilities straight from the website:
As an elected officer of the House of Representatives, the Sergeant at Arms is the chief law enforcement and protocol officer of the House of Representatives, and is responsible for maintaining order in the House side of the United States Capitol complex. The Sergeant at Arms reviews and implements all issues relating to the safety and security of Members of Congress and the Capitol complex. The Sergeant at Arms also coordinates extensively with the U.S. Capitol Police and various intelligence agencies to assess threats against Members of Congress and the Capitol complex.
Duties include overseeing the House floor and galleries, the House Appointments Desk, the House garages and parking lots, as well as administering all staff identification badges.
Mr. Irving serves as a member of the U.S. Capitol Police Board, responsible for policy oversight over the Capitol Police Force, and is the chairman of this Board in alternating years. As Sergeant at Arms, Mr. Irving also serves on the Congressional Accessibility Services Board.
Here is what Wikipedia has to say about the duties of the Sergeant of Arms of the House of Representatives.
As the chief law enforcement officer of the House, the Sergeant at Arms is responsible for security in the House wing of the United States Capitol, the House office buildings, and on adjacent grounds. Under the direction of the Speaker of the House or other presiding officer, the Sergeant at Arms plays an integral role in maintaining order and decorum in the House chamber.
In the interest of brevity, the same goes for the Sergeant of Arms of the Senate.
Okay, so what? Here is the letter of resignation from Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund. Look at who the the addressees on the letter. See Trump’s name anywhere? See any mention of any of the agencies of the Executive Branch.
The Capitol Police and the Capitol Police Board are wholly owned subsidiaries of Congress. Congressional leadership is responsible for the security of Congress, the grounds and members. If the Capitol Police failed to perform the first question to ask is what guidance did they get from leadership?
Given Pelosi’s attitude regarding President Trump, I suspect that the Capitol Police were set up to fail. Trump didn’t order additional resources because to do so would have been seen as an attempt to usurp the authority of Congress. National Guard rolling up to supplement security would likely have been reported as a military take over by Trump.
I am not suggesting that Pelosi directed the Chief and the board of the Capitol Police to go in the tank. However, intentionally or unintentionally she set the stage. The Capitol Police Chief and the Board had additional recourses to draw upon, but didn’t, why not? From what I’ve seen officers within the Capitol were not equipped to deal with a riot situation. No helmets, no riot batons, no flying squad to respond to incidents. Why not?
I see pictures of protesters occupying’s Pelosi’s office. Are there any pictures of protesters in Mitch’s chair on the Senate side? Capitol Police have to cover both houses of Congress. But security posture of each house is dictated, in part, by the philosophy of the person in charge. The Sergeant of Arms of the Senate, under McConnell may have instituted more robust physical security features and protocols than his counterpart, the Sergeant of Arms of the House. This is where the culture of an organization comes into play.
This leads me to my next question. Where did the most egregious security breach occur, House or Senate? Again this is not to suggest that Pelosi was holding the door open to the protesters. However, if House security was based on faulty premises with Pelosi’s input the effect is the same.
Pelosi is from the school of: “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” If one can manipulate things from behind the scenes to ensure the crisis, so much the better. She succeeded beyond her wildest dreams. Course, she had help from the MSM. Even some balless Republicans joined in the chorus. So a demand for government and political accountability is an act of insurrection. But advocating the overthrow of the entire government and execution of elected officials is not.
I’m sure the MSM will ask the hard questions.
