‘vince gray blogger roundtable’
courtesy of ‘Dave Stroup’
It’s going to be a long day for Vince Gray, Mayor-Elect of the District of Columbia. Instead of attending the funeral of Officer Paul Dittamo, who died last week in the line of duty, Gray was in the dining room at the 4th Estate, the restaurant in the National Press Club, according to the restaurant’s Twitter account. We called The Fourth Estate, and he arrived at 1pm for a lunch with Council Chair-Elect Kwame Brown, where he still sits at press time.
According to the Post’s Mike Debonis, Fraternal Order of Police chief Kris Baumann was “apoplectic” at the no-show. You can understand his frustration and anger, given that Baumann and the Police union were leading supporters for Gray on his campaign.
I may not be a political consultant, but I can tell you that missing the funeral of an officer who died in the line of duty is probably a pretty bad idea, and you’re going to be doing more apologizing than you probably should be the first week of your transition.
Update, 4:25 PM: Gray told ABC7 that he missed the funeral because his staff didn’t tell him it was happening. (Which seems odd to us, because we sure knew it was happening and we’re not mayor-elect of anything.)
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
Man, Gray is such a jerk. (see 100000 articles about Fenty).
Sincerely,
Still Bitter.
This was a jerk move, even by Fenty standards.
Gray’s no show is a demonstration of someone who lacks character, integrity, and leadership. Gray breaks campaign promise.
Is anyone at all surprised by this? Vince’s first two days post election have been a disaster. It’s not going to get any better, people.
Welcome back to Barryland!
“Staff didn’t tell him” WTF – way to pass the buck right from the get go. Party at “LOVE” with back tax-owing cronies. Sounds like Barry to me.
oh and he must have friends at 4th estate too, they removed that tweet.
How many times can Gray blame his staff? First for the streetcar fiasco, now this. So much for transparency and honesty…
Anyone who voted for Vince Barry have buyer’s remorse yet?
what a jerk move. blaming the staff is even jerkier.
Leaders that can’t bring the city together break the city. Leaders that have to be told about everything break the city. Gray Fails.
#Gray #Fail – that is all…
Are you all fuc—– kidding me, Gray didn’t make a funeral, the city has a 500 million dollar deficit and the highest level of unemployment and poverty sticken chiildren in the country and Gray didn’t do what? Seriously folks don’t make this into something that it doesn’t have to be.
SHAME SHAME SHAME.
Glad I loved outa DC years ago, otherwise I’d be WAY PISSED OFF, as a citizen.
Current Citizens need a better answer. Blaming the staff is NOT ACCEPTABLE.
Where is Carol Schwartz when we need her?
SHAME SHAME SHAME.
Glad I moved outa DC years ago, otherwise I’d be WAY PISSED OFF, as a citizen.
Current Citizens need a better answer. Blaming the staff is NOT ACCEPTABLE.
Where is Carol Schwartz when we need her?
Are you kidding me SuperS? Is having lunch his way of solving DC’s poverty and deficit problem? That officer put his life on the line so YOU and the CITIZENS of DC can be safe. Mayor Gray SHOULD have been there.
I live in DC and to hear the Mayor Elect Gray and the City Council Members did not show up for the DC Police Officer funeral that put his life on the line for the residents of the District of Columbia. To me that is the highest disrespect he and the City Council Members could ever do. Just like we send Fenty a clear message during the election Mayor Elect Gray the same thing could happen to you and the rest of the City Council Members. Do the right thing show respect for those that put their life on the line for others.