Brian Terry’s family deserves answers.  The American people deserve answers.  Operation Fast & Furious gave U.S. weapons to drug cartels in Mexico; somehow this was justified because this way, we would “know where the guns were.”  They were going to acquire weapons anyway, so someone inside some federal agency (we still don’t know which) got this program approved and running.  Now, eighteen months after the murder of one of our border patrol agents who was killed with a weapon linked to Fast & Furious, the President has reached a new height of arrogance as he exerted Executive Privilege over the remaining Fast & Furious documents.

Eight months ago, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa issued a subpoena to Attorney General Eric Holder; he requested all documents pertaining to Fast & Furious.  The Attorney General has been questioned extensively on this issue yet has still failed to provide legitimate answers.  The Oversight Committee has requested the appointment of a special prosecutor to the case in order to make sure the case is investigated objectively.  The Attorney General has declined any such actions; presumably because he knows he is guilty and doesn’t want any more investigation into the case than is necessary.

Last night Chairman Issa, Attorney General Holder, and various other members of the Oversight Committee met in private.  Chairman Issa informed AG Holder beforehand that unless he came with the missing documents in hand, the contempt of Congress vote would proceed today.  Instead of complying, the Attorney General came with an offer to brief the Chairman on those documents in exchange for dropping the investigation.  In Chairman Issa’s words, “No good investigator would agree to that.”

Now, President Obama has issued Executive Privilege over these documents.  Why?  If his Attorney General is found in contempt of Congress and faces the possibility of jail time if he is found guilty of knowing about Fast & Furious, it would put President Obama in a less than desirable position.  However, this act of arrogance on the President’s part may be more detrimental to himself than he thought.  It appears now that he also may have had knowledge regarding Fast & Furious– nothing is proven, of course, but it is enough to make you wonder.

This assertion of Executive Privilege by the President reaches a new level of arrogance.  If he was supposedly a “Constitutional scholar”, how is he so able to forget the checks and balances that keep every branch in order?  Our checks and balances are vital to keeping our country running properly.  But only days after bypassing Congress and signing a law to grant amnesty to illegal citizens, President Obama has now sealed documents that no doubt provide the answers to the failed Operation Fast & Furious.  Obviously there is information in those documents that AG Holder is terrified of being made public.  There were clearly many high-ranking officials involved in Fast & Furious and sealing those documents ensures that they remain unknown a bit longer.  President Obama has previously proven that he has no regard for the Constitution; but this is just a new level of that pride and arrogance.  Politics should not be a consideration when our border patrol agent was murdered; and that’s exactly what is happening here.  President Obama is willing to risk not having a thorough investigation just to protect his political allies.

Kudos to Chairman Issa for remaining so faithful to this investigation and not compromising when the situation becomes more difficult.  He’s one of the few members of the House who has a backbone– many others would have “reached a settlement” long ago and Brian Terry’s family would never have the answers they deserve.  However, under Chairman Issa those responsible for Fast & Furious will most certainly be brought to justice– even with the President openly displaying arrogance in the process.