Rep. Jamaal Bowman is circulating a list of talking points to fellow Democrats in a bid to stop the burgeoning GOP push to punish him after he set off a House fire alarm during Saturday's chaotic spending votes.
The New York Democrat's press secretary sent a memo on Monday afternoon to all House Democratic offices requesting that they defend Bowman for the flap over the alarm, which has prompted a Republican push to sanction him. A copy of the office's communique was obtained by POLITICO.
One suggested response from Bowman’s office to questions about the incident: “I believe Congressman Bowman when he says this was an accident. Republicans need to instead focus their energy on the Nazi members of their party before anything else.”
Yeah, that didn't go over well:
I just became aware that in our messaging guidance, there was inappropriate use of the term Nazi without my consent. I condemn the use of the term Nazi out of its precise definition. It is important to specify the term Nazi to refer to members of the Nazi party & neo-Nazis.
That was a tweet from the Congressman. Which engendered this:
So he pulls fire alarm. His office sends out talking points to encourage Dems to deflect by discussing "Nazi" Republicans. Then his office deletes talking points because they leaked and mocked. Then he throws his office under the bus for talking points. Do I have this right?
I know playing "GOTCHA!" is all the rage in the Beltway and on political Twitter, but this is becoming stupid. Originally the response was "Bowman I ain't go yer back, sucker!"
Not defending Jamaal Bowman, but…
Nope, that’s it, not defending him.
And that was from people generally pro-Democratic party. Gotta both sides everything, ya know? To be fair.
But here's the story that came out. Bowman offices in the Cannon building. The door he tried to use to get to the Capitol to vote is the one he ordinarily uses; and it's ordinarily open. Because the House doesn't ordinarily meet on weekends. So on weekends it's rigged as a fire alarm, and you can't open it without setting off the alarm.
Now there are even photos (just trust me; I'm not doing all your legwork for you; this issue isn't worth it) showing multiple signs on the doors. But if you look at the photos of Bowman looking at the fire alarm and apparently pulling it (I understand that's what he does in the video, I've only seen still photos), there are no signs propped on the doors. Just one standing before them, apparently warning this is an emergency exit, only.
But only on weekends.
So Bowman went to that door, planning to get to the chamber on time. But then he stopped, confused, and thought pulling the fire alarm would release the door. It didn't, but it did set an alarm off. In the Cannon building; not in the Capitol building.
So there was no delay of the hearing, no evacuation of the chamber (as emptywheel pointed out (again, just trust me!), reporters writing stories about the alarm and the "delay" were standing in the chamber or the Capitol as the alarm sounded, and THERE WAS NO EVACUATION!
Should Bowman be investigated by the Capitol Police? Sure. Should he be found guilty, drawn and quartered without any investigation or opportunity for a defense? Of course not.
Are these "talking points" his office issue stupid? Absolutely. Does anybody really give a shit? Had anybody even heard of this guy before this? Does any of this matter at all, except for Republicans to have a Democrat to pillory so people will quit asking about Speaker McCarthy and asking who supports Gaetz' motion to vacate the chair?
Is this, in other words, even a tempest? Or just a lot of pointless bullshit.
Not unlike Trump's continued storm about the value of MAL (which is irrelevant to the legal conclusions of the summary judgment order.) It just pricks Trump that a court said his property isn't worth what he says it was. It pricks him still:
And you don't get much worse than election interference, especially when we're talking presidential election of 2024," he continued. "So this judge should change his ruling because Palm Beach County said he was totally wrong, and he was ruling based on them."
There is such a thing as "election interference," but it's a DOJ policy and doesn't apply to anything that has Trump in court. Being a DOJ policy, it has no application whatsoever to the NYS civil case currently being tried against him for the consequences of his fraud. And, of course, the Judge based his findings on the value of MAL on the appraisal of Palm Beach County, so Trump lies about that, too. But you know what? As the lady said in the commercial: "That's now how this works! That's now how any of this works!" But I've seen people I respect (like emptywheel) argue endlessly about the valuation of MAL. Which is worse: being Trump's "data mule"? Or wrestling with the pig?
Let me put it this way: Trump is going to appeal that judgment, and the one soon to be made. No appellate court in the land is going to reverse based on the judicial finding of the value of MAL. You might as well be arguing about how much bronzer Trump goes through in a year, and be really earnest about your conclusions.
I'll retire to Bedlam....
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