From the diaries by Erick . . .
Eric Holder testifies before Congress today on his department’s outrageous Operation Fast and Furious scandal. Eager to provide political cover for Obama’s embattled Attorney General, House Democrats yesterday released a report attempting to exonerate Holder and his political appointees for failing to do their jobs.
Of course, their report says Holder’s innocent. The facts say he’s guilty. I say he must resign.
This cynical ploy is just the latest effort by Democrats to cover up the truth. Slowly but surely, their web of misstatements, falsehoods, and shifting blame is coming unraveled, revealing a reckless and incompetent administration.
First, a recap: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) lost track of more than 2,000 weapons in a 2010 trafficking sting operation gone bad. Most ended up in the hands of Mexican drug cartels. Many ended up at crime scenes. Some were used in murders, kidnappings, and other violent crimes. Two were found at the murder scene of a U.S. border agent.
It’s a disaster and tragedy that could have been prevented, and the Justice Department refuses to take responsibility.
First came the denials. ATF chief Kenneth Melson claimed he didn’t know about Fast and Furious until January 2011. But DOJ officials said otherwise in a letter sent to Congress. Melson was briefed in December 2009, before the operation began, and received periodic updates afterward.
Attorney General Eric Holder also feigned ignorance when questioned. First he said he hadn’t heard of Fast and Furious until Spring 2011. Then documents showed he received briefings in 2010. When called out, Holder admitted his testimony was “inaccurate” and “imprecise.”
Holder frantically backpedalled again when it was discovered that DOJ officials sent a letter with false information to Sen. Chuck Grassley. When asked if they were lying, Holder dodged: “It all has to do with your state of mind.”
Democrats will do anything to avoid blame. The DOJ withheld information. The White House accused congressmen of “playing politics.” Officials “screamed” and “cussed at” CBS investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson. The administration sealed the court documents connected to the murder of the border patrol agent.
If Holder and Obama’s appointees are innocent, why won’t they hand over relevant documents? Why won’t they answer forthrightly in congressional inquiries? Why won’t they talk politely to investigative reporters instead of screaming and cursing? Why do they seal court documents from public view?
It begs a bigger question: What more are they hiding?
Amid all this, Obama still insisted in October that he has “complete confidence in Attorney General Holder and how he handles his office.” That’s the biggest problem. Obama has “complete confidence” in a scandal-ridden department. Perhaps it “all has to do with your state of mind.”
Americans, meanwhile, have lost their confidence in this administration, and I, along with many other Republicans, have repeatedly called for Holder’s resignation. It’s time he heed those calls.
In his State of the Union address, President Obama said, “I am asking my Attorney General to create a special unit of federal prosecutors and leading state attorneys general to expand our investigations into the abusive lending and packaging of risky mortgages that led to the housing crisis.”
A new agency run by Eric Holder? I wouldn’t get my hopes up on that one.
Steve Maley
He will...
banzaibob (Diary) Thursday, February 2nd at 9:17AM EDT (link)only get the boot if 0bama is defeated in November.
Prefiero morir de pie que vivir de rodillas
It’s better to die upon your feet than to live upon your knees!
Emiliano Zapata
All the way to the top
teridavisnewman (Diary) Thursday, February 2nd at 9:45AM EDT (link)This scandal goes all the way to the White House and makes Watergate look like a Boy Scout picnic. Holder is stalling because when this all comes out, Obama, Jarrett and the rest of the thieves will be joining him in the impeachments, indictments and incarcerations to follow. The corrupt Holder is the firewall between the White House and the truth about the incredibly corrupt Obama. It’s so refreshing to see Holder and Obama on the list of ten most corrupt politicians in America and Obama has made the list for the SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR. I fear for my country. Another four years with Obama as POTUS will finish America off. It will take decades to undo all of the damage Obama has done and if there is any justice, he’ll be watching the rebuilding of America on a prison TV.
Teri Davis Newman
Consultant
2010 Republican Nominee for Congress
12th Congressional District of Illinois
www.terinewman.com
The Watergate Scandal of the month
NickDeringer (Diary) Thursday, February 2nd at 9:18AM EDT (link)If One-bama and Holder get away with this, then we owe Richard Nixon and apology. I remember when Watergate hit the fan. I remember the feeding frenzy in the media. I never understood the fuss. If anything this shows the corruption of the Marxist Media. They will look the other way when their fellow travelers like Clinton and One-bama are embroiled in scandal and will excoriate anyone on the Right.
This is a make or brake moment for the GOP. If they fail to prosecute Holder then we truly are a one party country: The Democrats and their weak sister the GOP.
NickDeringer
The larger picture
Michael Harrington (Diary) Thursday, February 2nd at 9:18AM EDT (link)Eric Holder seems to play a game of slowly releasing documents as well to buy time.
What we see is a slow release of documents over a very large period of time.
Now call me archaic but seems to me having a person read his email and see if there was a National Secret inside, print it, censor the Secret, have it examined by another person.. would not take much time.
We should have had all documents already.
Unless Holder or another high ranking person is personally vetting the political side of each document…
I would already have impeached Holder over the way they handled the Black Panthers however.
Fighting for America Brietbart style!
MichaelHarrington.org
Running for office in North Portland – Oregon! State Representative or Bust!
Veteran, Truck Driver, and Permament Conservative Activist!
If a tree....
Strike_Twice (Diary) Thursday, February 2nd at 9:22AM EDT (link)….falls in the forest, and nobody is there to hear it……..
It's a sorry state of affairs....
jiminga Thursday, February 2nd at 9:24AM EDT (link)when elected Democrats abandon facts and basic morality to support a failed AG that screwed up this badly. Holder’s incompetence is not a basic political tenet, but instead is proof he is not up to the job. He has proven the DOJ runs him, not the desired opposite. And it the reverse is true he should be impeached and brought up on criminal charges.
The fact of him remaining in office is further proof the Republic is fatally ill.
Please remember the following,
funwithknives Thursday, February 2nd at 9:35AM EDT (link)when ever this topic is brought to the fore:
Massive glitch on my end & gremlins abound!
funwithknives Thursday, February 2nd at 10:01AM EDT (link)To continue: After F & F was made public , ATF issued a letter to border state firearms dealers to report multiple Semi-Auto sales in a 48 hour span . This was done , allowed with a Presidential Authorization {variance?} to “make it so.” This was butt-covering, pure and simple.
If a President has to make Variances in written law as-noted , why was it not done for F & F ?? It too, was Varying/Breaking the law, as -written. Yet to this day, all we see is Obfuscation, Stonewalling and even Race Baiting by The CLEO of Justice in this country.{Who? apponted him and what is his name?} To even allow this {and by his silence, condone same} illustrates that Barry does not acknowledge the Honor the American People who voted for him, & thereupon granted him.
When ever anyone even begins to start off on the rant that “.. you at least HAVE To respect The Office of POTUS…”, point to Crud such as this and ask them them,”… when is he going to start Earning Respect, isn’t 3 years enough time to wait”?
He sullies the very large nest we all live in, and his removal is shouted for.
“Let his name be removed from all Monuments, Temples,and Obelisks…” ( Hearing started, here comes some fun!!)
I wonder if this will be a campaign issue
jaykali (Diary) Thursday, February 2nd at 9:39AM EDT (link)There is SUCH a long list of things to run attack ads for Obama its ridiculous but the way politics go I wonder where emphasis will go. I am wondering if the American public has even HEARD of fast and furious.
Top 4 things maybe:
1. Obamacare
2. Stimulus
3. Deficit spending / debt credit downgrade
4. Failed green initiatives like Solyndra
Then some other items, many of which I wonder will make the top 10 list?
5. Gulf oil spill
6. Cap and trade (never passed)
7. Keystone pipeline + other obstruction of domestic energy
8. Fast and furious
9. Iran mis-handling
10. Guantanamo bay + NYC trials (not sure anyone cares) + ‘muslim’ issues like the mosque in NYC + mis-handling of underwear bomber + not calling Ft Hood shooter a terrorist.
That’s off the top of my head, I am sure I am forgetting some obvious ones. Some might not even capture the American consciousness like the Dodd-Frank bill.
How about appointing the Chair of *LA RAZA*
funwithknives Thursday, February 2nd at 10:24AM EDT (link)to be Chief Domestic Policy Pdvisor?
Screwing each and every G M bondholder ,while violating standard bankruptcy rules /laws?
Slow-walking Gulf Oil drilling permits.
Not issuing a variance to allow foreign-owned skimmers to assist in Gulf Oil (Macondo) clean-up.
Fining Oil Companies for not selling Celluostic Ethanol even though none is currently being produced. ( There IS a ManDate,and a timeline to be achieved, you know!)
Allowing Our tax dollars to assist Brazil to drill for Their Oil, through Ex-Im bank financing.
The Fed, under Barry’s watch, printing/ distributing $ 442 billion to European banks and institutions with virtually no notice ” before the fact’, and damned little, post-occurance.
Please “do not mention” the recent SCOTUS decision re; religous schools and what constitutes a minister/employee. ObamaJustice’s Brief/contention was HILARIOUS, and is hanging on my wall. The recent Catholic Bishop’s edict is just icing on the cake.
Anything the NLRB has done in the last 2 years.{especially during Craig Becker’s Chairmanship}
N E X T ???
Another big issue coming:
anotherindyfilmguy (Diary) Thursday, February 2nd at 3:06PM EDT (link)That the POTUS who kept saying to the effect that we need to go into Pakistan before he was elected is going to unilaterally repeat the mistake of the Vietnam war and let the insurgents hiding across a border wait while we abandon the war shortly after the election.
Razz Etc!
“Best Poker book written ever!!!” – Author’s unbiased opinion…
Mr. Preibus
gazill Thursday, February 2nd at 11:11AM EDT (link)while appreciate the facts as you have laid them out, you are presenting them to the wrong audience. Folks at this site do not need convincing of nearly all of the extra-Constitutional activities of the current administration, F&F included. I think your efforts should be focused on how to penetrate the Obama media wall so that the general citizenry understands precisely what happened. I wish I could tell you how, but the media are so entrenched up the Democrat collective backsides, I don’t know.
Obama’s America-the paucity of hope
I love to compare and contrast
bk (Diary) Thursday, February 2nd at 11:32AM EDT (link)When Abu Ghraib happened, you’d thought Bush was joining the dogpile while Cheney was shooting the pictures. They were considered personally responsible for anything anyone did anywhere while “on their watch”.
Now Obama and Holder are doing their best impersonations of Sgt Schultz from Hogan’s Heroes and the press is mostly silent.
most distasteful of all in the cover-up
bk (Diary) Thursday, February 2nd at 11:37AM EDT (link)Is how Holder used the NY Times to play the race card.
So think about it. If you believe him, then you believe that the GOP would have no problem with giving guns to Mexican gangs that are used to kill border patrol agents and innocent civilians as long as the President and AG are white.
Disgusting.