Morning Bell: D.C.’s Mayor Arrested for Not Understanding the Constitution

Mike Brownfield / April 12, 2011

The federal government might not have shut down on Monday, but rush hour traffic stopped in our nation’s capital when the mayor of Washington, D.C., Vince Gray, already serving under a cloud of corruption, was arrested while protesting Congress’ budget agreement. Gray, city council members and more than 200 protesters blocked Constitution Avenue and diverted police resources, shouting, “Free D.C.” and “We can’t take it no more,” all in response to new restrictions on spending that Congress placed on the District of Columbia. But they should have been protesting outside Constitution Hall, not the Capitol, because that is where the Framers created the role for our nation’s capital that Gray is complaining about today.

Chief among Gray’s grievances are Congress’ funding of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program–which provides vouchers for low-income students to attend their school of choice, rather than be stuck in the District’s failing school system–and the prohibition against the use of government funds for abortion services. During the protest Gray said, “This is an absolute travesty. D.C. deserves to be free. All we want to do is spend our own money.” Well, actually, all Gray wants is to have his cake, eat it too, and let the federal government pay for it. Oh, and he also wants the District of Columbia to become the 51st state. (more…)