this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2023
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politics

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[–] MsPenguinette@lemmy.world 274 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Thanks a lot, dude. Gonna be hearing about this from the right for forever

[–] kescusay@lemmy.world 116 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yep. Shitty, stupid move. Should be censured for it.

[–] KevonLooney@lemm.ee 116 points 1 year ago (3 children)

No, minor issue. Don't let it distract from the fact that Republicans can't even pass their own budget, or even a stopgap measure.

Republicans can't govern because they have no policies besides tax cuts for the rich.

[–] kescusay@lemmy.world 99 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Minor or not, it was simply a dumb thing to do. I'm not saying he did a terrible thing, but it was stupid and an unforced error that gave Republicans ammo. Censuring is basically just formally being told you did something bad and warned to knock it off.

Imagine what Republicans will say if he doesn't get any response at all.

The sad fact is, Republicans could be spending all day, every day, raping puppies, but it's the fire alarm thing that would get all the press attention, and they damn well know it. Democrats have to be held to a higher standard than the puppy-rapers, because we know exactly how everyone will respond when they're not. It's unfair and stupid, but that doesn't change anything, unfortunately.

[–] KevonLooney@lemm.ee 25 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Imagine what Republicans will say if he doesn't get any response at all.

It doesn't matter what they say. They are going to say something negative about Democrats either way.

This is actually good because they can focus on this minor issue, blow it out of proportion, and look like idiots. Democrats should just respond with:

"He was pulling the alarm to wake up the Republican leadership. Our government needs to be funded as fast as possible."

[–] kescusay@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sadly, it does matter what they say, if it's something that news outlets will blast 24 hours a day.

[–] KevonLooney@lemm.ee 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It doesn't matter. Not only is it only going to be covered for 5 minutes, no one is going to vote based on this issue. Democrats can literally ignore it.

[–] kescusay@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

I hope you're right. It would be nice not to worry about stupid shit anymore. But it was still a dumb thing to do.

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[–] CrazyEddie041@kbin.social 19 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I don't think what Bowman did was smart, but giving ammo to Republicans genuinely doesn't matter. Republicans are currently trying to impeach Biden for literally nothing. If you act perfectly and give them no ammo, then they'll just straight-up make up bullshit instead.

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[–] paintbucketholder@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Imagine what Republicans will say if he doesn't get any response at all.

What are Republicans saying about the fact that Trump is a fraudster and a rapist, that MTG spreads the most idiotic anti-semitic conspiracy theories and that Bobert gets tossed out of a theater for smoking, hollering, getting her boobs grabbed and giving a guy a hand job? What are Republicans saying about the fact George Santos is an obvious liar, huckster and fraud who has been charged with fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and making false statements?

What response did that get from Republicans - as compared to, say, the response Al Franken got from Democrats?

And where's the benefit for Democrats in acting in good faith when dealing with an opponent that doesn't even know the meaning of the term "good faith?"

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[–] Seraph@kbin.social 51 points 1 year ago (9 children)

It's the thing Republicans can't understand though: he's "our team" but we don't care and the appropriate charges should be pressed.

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[–] Veedem@lemmy.world 137 points 1 year ago (4 children)

That explanation that he didn’t think it would set off an alarm has to be the dumbest thing I’ve heard in a while. At least as dumb as the fact that the government is going to shut down because of a few moronic house members.

Charges should be pressed, IMO. Whatever the law says about pulling a fire alarm when there’s no fire. No idea what the code is but he shouldn’t be above the law.

[–] Evilcoleslaw@lemmy.world 43 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Obstructing an official proceeding. Federal felony, what many of the January 6th defendants were charged with. Potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Of course, in practice the results will be much less severe.

[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 17 points 1 year ago

Pretty much. He was trying to bide a bit of time in a moronic way in order to give democrats more than 5 minutes to look at the 45 day budget bill the Republicans were trying to immediately force a vote on before it could be read at all. Surprise surprise, one of the first crooked things found in it was a raise to give themselves.

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[–] gibmiser@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Obstruction of congress too

[–] Rapidcreek@reddthat.com 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There are all sorts of congressmen that could get that charge. Let's start with those that ignored congressional subpoenas.

[–] Mirshe@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

Or the one that just showed revenge porn in front of Congress?

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[–] Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 120 points 1 year ago (6 children)

STOP GIVING THE RIGHT AMMO YOU FUCKING DUMBASS!

In any case, isn't this basically the whole "yelling fire in a crowded theater" example of speech that isn't protected and is explicitly criminal? Charge his ass.

[–] evatronic@lemm.ee 91 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The story I'm hearing elsewhere is he pulled the alarm to delay the vote, as Republicans are violating their "72 hours to read the bill" rule they agreed to at the start of this Congressional term.

While I don't condone the actions, the result was a delay, long enough for representatives to read a bill they are voting on, which is something that should always be allowed.

[–] jonne@infosec.pub 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I just find it hilarious that it's a former school principal that pulled this shit. He's probably expelled kids for doing the same.

[–] SSX@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago

At the same time, he finally gets to experience the hilarity of it.

[–] scottywh@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago

That certainly adds interesting context.

I previously read that the 72 page bill was given to House members initially with only about an hour before the vote to read and review it so that helps me make more sense of it than my own face value first conclusion.

[–] Lemminary@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago (2 children)

If only people got this riled up whenever the other side broke the rules...

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 16 points 1 year ago

The fucking rage of people doing minor dumbshit stuff for kind of good reasons. Won't someone think of the precious norms.

[–] Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I'll own it: I over reacted.

The older I get, the more critical I realize politics is - when we fuck up, people lose their rights and push our planet closer and closer to non-life-supporting, so seeing dumb shit from the left is especially aggravating cuz that's where our hope is. Dig through my recent posts and you'll find several chewing out Feinstein, and it's for the same reason. We cannot afford that shit in today's political environment - the stakes are just too high.

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[–] Reptorian@lemmy.zip 18 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Reading a bill is part of a normal procedure and the outcome is more important. So, while I don't condone the action, at the end of the day, if the outcome benefits people other than himself, then I can understand his action. The thing is they weren't given enough time to read as Republicans violated their own 72 hours to read the bill rule.

[–] treefrog@lemm.ee 15 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Unless it's a felony they're immune to prosecution while im session.

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[–] Rapidcreek@reddthat.com 86 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Many people are saying he pulled the alarm because McCarthy's pants were on fire

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[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 64 points 1 year ago

Dude, this is what your Congressional aids are for...

[–] TserriednichThe4th@lemmy.world 61 points 1 year ago

seems like most people owe this guy an apology. the signage was genuinely confusing / missing according to the images and recordings. he legit was trying to get out.

[–] Lifecoach5000@lemmy.world 48 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Following reports of Bowman pulling the fire alarm, his spokesperson released a statement claiming he “did not realize he would trigger a building alarm as he was rushing to make an urgent vote. The Congressman regrets any confusion.”

I don’t even understand how this non-answer even makes any logical sense.

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[–] mateomaui@reddthat.com 35 points 1 year ago (1 children)

he “did not realize he would trigger a building alarm as he was rushing to make an urgent vote. The Congressman regrets any confusion.”

huh?

[–] kescusay@lemmy.world 29 points 1 year ago (13 children)

Translation: "He really, really didn't think this through and would like everyone to forget about it."

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[–] DigitalTraveler42@lemm.ee 20 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Between this idiot and Menendez refusing to resign after his second corruption investigation, the Dems are having a bad week, not even sure what Bowman was thinking, but punishment must be swift and severe, because the Right wing clout chasers are already chirping about it.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago

I thought it was Menendez's THIRD investigation?

Aha, third INVESTIGATION, second INDICTMENT.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2023/09/22/bob-menendez-nj-sentor-indicted-charges-history/70930479007/

2006 - Investigation
2015 - Investigation + Indictment
2023

[–] LEDZeppelin@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago

What an idiot

[–] ghostdoggtv@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago (7 children)

I can't say it was a great move, but on the other hand he fucking did something

[–] ripcord@kbin.social 11 points 1 year ago

He did worse than nothing, this was just boneheaded.

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