Vincent Gray Continues Tradition of D.C. Mayors (By Getting Arrested)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 7:13AM
Does the roller coaster that is Washington, D.C., city politics ever stop?
The short answer is no.
Take, for example, the most recent loop-the-loop: yesterday's arrest of Mayor Vincent Gray -- as well as six members of the city council -- for protesting outside the Hart Senate Office Building.
Vincent and about 40 others were picked up while demonstrating against the recent congressional budget deal that featured concessions aimed directly at D.C.
The group was charged with blocking Constitution Avenue. All were released early this morning.
The measures included in the bill that raised Vincent's ire would block the use of any government (including city) funds to pay for abortions in the District, as well as needle exchange programs used to combat HIV among intravenous drug users. The bill also features the introduction of a school voucher program that Vincent opposes.
The City Council members reportedly arrested along with Gray were chairman Kwame R. Brown, Yvette Alexander, Sekou Biddle, Michael Brown, Muriel Browser and Tommy Wells.
Ironically, Marion Barry, Washington's most famous mayor/jailbird and a current council member, did NOT attend the protest and was thus not arrested.
Probably because Rasheeda Moore didn't suggest he should go down and demonstrate. ...
