Fortenberry And Bacon Don’t Back The Blue
In the 2022 election cycle, the Republicans are running on their alleged crime fighting credentials and so-called “support” for the police. The reality is that the D.C. Republicans are failed crime fighters and have shown a shocking disdain for the police since President Biden has taken office.
The Republicans are blaming the Democrats for the increasing murder rate, but, in reality, it’s elected Republican officials who are to blame. The reason why we are undergoing a crime wave is because it’s simply too easy for unsuitable people to obtain guns. And the blame for that falls squarely on the shoulders of Republicans due to their long time fealty to the National Rifle Association or the gun lobby.
Former Bill Clinton adviser James Carville in a 2021 Wall Street Journal op/ed (correctly) advised the Democrats to blame the GOP for the current crime wave: “From 1993 to 2019, crime steadily decreased in the U.S. Every president since Bill Clinton inherited a declining crime rate and left office with a further decline in crime rate, until Donald J. Trump came along. During Mr. Trump’s final year in office, violent crimes and homicides spiked.”
Since President Biden took office, the D.C. Republicans have tried to sabotage Biden’s plan to reduce the increase in violent crime. The American Rescue plan contained billions of dollars to enable state and local governments to retain and hire more law enforcement officers. The reality is that every Republican voted no on the American Rescue Plan. In other words, Jeff Fortenberry — who is indicted — and Don Bacon voted to defund the police.
President Biden has repeatedly urged state and local governments to spend stimulus funds from the American Rescue Plan to fight crime by hiring new police officers. Biden stated that the rise in violent crimes meant that it was “not a time to turn our backs on law enforcement or our communities.”
The following cities have used stimulus funds to boost public safety, according to a Biden Administration report:
- Utica, N.Y., plans to support “gun violence prevention and law enforcement career recruiting efforts.”
- Walla Walla, Wash., will “fund new police hires.”
- Tucson, Ariz., “plan[s] to invest at least $7 million in community safety, health and wellness, and violence interruption programs.”
- Cincinnati, Ohio, is using Rescue Plan funds to increase its policing and emergency services budget.
- Philadelphia, Pa., is spending “$1.3 million to expand proven violence interruption programs” and “$2 million for a Transitional Jobs Program to address a root cause of violence, lack of job opportunities.”
- Albuquerque, N.M., is investing “$3 million to expand a gunshot detection system, $5 million to refurbish station houses, $1 million for new cars and $450,000 to recruit more officers.”
- Watertown, N.Y., will use some of its Rescue Plan funds “to reinstate four police officers and two other city staff positions.”
- Kansas City, Mo., seeks to “restore police departments to pre-pandemic levels.”
- Syracuse, N.Y., will invest in an “enhancement of the police department’s ShotSpotter system, which helps locate gunfire; a collaboration with mental health providers to assist with mental health-related police calls; [and] increased police transparency.”
At an event last week at New York City police headquarters with New York City mayor (and former police officer), Eric Adams, Biden said: “The answer is not to defund the police, it’s to give you the tools, the training, and the funding to be partners, to be protectors…You can count on me to be a partner in that effort.”
The D.C. Republicans not only voted to defund the police, they also boycotted a tribute to the police officers who saved their lives on January 6. The only Republicans who bothered to show up were former Vice President Dick Cheney and Representative Liz Cheney. Jeff Fortenberry — who is indicted- and Don Bacon were conspicuous by their absence.
In a moving ceremony, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi read the names of the four officers who lost their lives on January 6 protecting the members of Congress: “Because of them, Congress was able to defeat the insurrection and return to the Capitol that same night to ensure the peaceful transfer took place. Because of them and our members, the insurrection failed. ..I want to acknowledge our fallen heroes of that day. US Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick. US Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood. Metropolitan Officer Jeffrey Smith. US Capitol Police Officer Billy Evans of a later assault. Now I ask all members to rise for a moment of silence in their memory.
Thank you.”
Jeff Fortenberry doubled down on his lack of respect for law enforcement when he falsely accused a FBI agent of racism as part of his increasingly desperate legal defense. You can’t make this stuff up. The Trump appointed judge said Fortenberry’s false allegation was “mistaken, injurious to the agent’s reputation, and filed without meaningful consultation with prosecutors. “
Republican disdain for law enforcement hit a new low when the RNC passed a resolution declaring that the attack on the Capitol on January 6 was “legitimate political discourse.” Trump’s thugs killed four police officers and wounded 140 others. Do Fortenberry and Bacon agree with this resolution?
Fortenberry and Bacon’s stunning disrespect for law enforcement is yet more evidence of GOP extremism. “Today’s Republican party. Anti-military, anti police and anti-democracy.” Joe Lockhart tweet. As Democrats we need to make a major effort to educate the voters that the GOP is radical and outside of the mainstream.
In CD01, please support Patty Pansing Brooks. In CD02, Tony Vargas and Alisha Shelton are challenging Bacon. Let’s send them to D.C. and chase the money changers out of the temple of democracy!