ATF Project Gunrunner

In post 2155, Tom Servo offered:

Things get dragged out, and the next thing we know, it's November, and the whole thing is off the radar.

Unfortunately, but all to likely, that is pretty much the way the thingh will go, especially since, for the mos part, media, the vaunted Free Press, has opted to pretty much ignore tyhe problems of/with Operaatiomn Fast & Furious in particular, not to merntion the antics of the "ATF" in general.

Looking at other posts, this entire sad state of affairs gets more and more interesting, as with reference to the actions of the "ATF", which have been problematic, under administrations both Republican and Democratic since enactment of GCA '68.
 
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Showbiz

House Republicans on Wednesday presented an amendment to a Department of Justice spending bill that would prevent Justice from using taxpayer funds to lie to Congress.

...

One Democrat, Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.), said many believe Holder is "one of the best that's ever served in this position," and said he has punished those involved. But Republicans said there is no evidence that anyone has been punished or fired for Fast and Furious.


...

On Tuesday night, the House voted to strip $1 million in funding from Justice in response to the Fast and Furious scandal.
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1. We don't need another law.

2. No one has been punished, unless you count the whistleblowers.

3. They knocked a million off the twentysomething billion the DOJ spends? That'll solve the whole thing! Why didn't they think to do that before???
 
publius42 provided the following quote:
Showbiz [thehill.com]


Quote:
House Republicans on Wednesday presented an amendment to a Department of Justice spending bill that would prevent Justice from using taxpayer funds to lie to Congress.

Sounds absolutely wonderful, but seems to leave open the following question. How in blazes would this proposal, if enacted, ever be made to actually work?
 
This should make everything all better.

President Barack Obama maintains silence on the Brian A. Terry Memorial Act that passed the Democratic-controlled Senate unanimously on Tuesday evening. The Republican-controlled House passed it unanimously in December.

...

It’s also unclear whether Obama will do a public signing ceremony for the act, assuming he chooses to sign it.

...

The act, assuming Obama now signs it, would rename the U.S. Border Patrol station in Bisbee, Arizona to honor Terry’s memory.
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Sounds absolutely wonderful, but seems to leave open the following question. How in blazes would this proposal, if enacted, ever be made to actually work?
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The amendment may be less of a practical nature than of a symbolic one. As Representative Chaffetz stated - "failure to comply with the Fast and Furious congressional subpoena is anything but a partisan political fight" but rather "an issue of separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches."

142 of 183 Democrats agreed that the executive branch cannot lie to, ignore, or stonewall the legislative branch.
 
Tom Servo wrote:

Yep. It passed 381 to 41. There's more commentary at the Daily Caller [dailycaller.com] .

It can't really be branded as partisan politics any more. Now let's see if the issue grows teeth.
__________________
In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.
--Albert Camus

Re "the issue growing teeth", I certainly hope that it does, a mouthful of sharp teeth, along with the jaw muscles necessary for biting and chewing.

Additionally. Rep. Elijah Cummings, who appears to be a DOJ/ATF "water carrier" has been mentioned a couple of times, speaking in defense of DOJ, how long has the man been in The House, and what, if anything has he had to say of the very questionable antics of the ATF/BATFE in the past?
 
When I've heard Cummings speak at the hearings his comments / questions fall into two basic categories:

1) Isn't DOJ doing a wonderful job? And here is proof...

2) Isn't the real problem lax gun control laws?

And occasionally he objects to what others on the committee say - he'll bring up a point of order or something but other than that he's a broken record:

Isn't DOJ doing a wonderful job? Isn't the real problem lax gun control laws? Isn't DOJ doing a wonderful job? Isn't the real problem lax gun control laws? Isn't DOJ doing a wonderful job? Isn't the real problem lax gun control laws? Isn't DOJ doing a wonderful job? Isn't the real problem lax gun control laws?
 
PJ Media apparently has information that DOJ has been coordinating with some Soros-run non-profits to spin the press on Fast and Furious and has filed a FOIA act request for the information. Despite the fact that the departments were clearly listed on the request, DOJ sent the FOIA request to a department NOT listed who responded that there are no such documents concerning Fast & Furious in the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ.

http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/05/24/fast-and-furious-bumbling-concealment-at-doj/
 
thallub said:
PJ Media is right up there with Prison Planet when it comes to factual information.
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Are you confusing PJ Media with some other organization or do you have some examples of where they put out bad information? They've had really good coverage of Fast and Furious, so if they aren't a reliable source of information, I'd like to know about it.
 
if they aren't a reliable source of information, I'd like to know about it.
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While they are biased (and fairly up-front about it), what news resource isn't? The information age has multiplied the number of venues for information exponentially, but it also forces us to be more skeptical.

That said, they seem to be fairly conscientious. I don't recall ever seeing them run bogus or exaggerated scare stories about Rex 84 or the like.
 
thallub said:
PJ Media is right up there with Prison Planet when it comes to factual information.
Click to expand...

I don't know what others are reacting to in the PJMedia story, but I did not like the way DOJ tried to duck a FOIA request. That is documented by links to the source documents regarding the FOIA request.
 
New information on Fast & Furious:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/5/issa-fast-and-furious-documents-show-officials-had/

Rep. Issa's staffers have been able to review some of the wiretap applications concerning Fast & Furious

"He said six applications for wiretaps obtained by the committee, which have been sealed by a federal judge, detail specific actions taken by agents in Fast and Furious, including “conscious decisions not to interdict weapons that agents knew were illegally purchased by smugglers taking weapons to Mexico.” Mr. Issa said the applications were approved by senior Justice Department officials in March, April, May, June and July of 2010."

Apparently Lanny Breuer signed off on all of them.

These are some of the same documents that had been sought in the subpoena and some of the same documents that Holder had been withholding from the committee. Not sure yet how Issa got his hands on these six applications; but a big development.

CBS News has a story on it as well that doesn't explain the origin of the applications; but apparently Issa has sent Holder a letter saying he has seen the applications and that DOJ jerking him around must stop. The applications are under seal currently, so no public release.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_...ous-wiretap-information-obtained-by-congress/

6-page letter that Issa sent to Holder: http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/2012-06-06-DEI-to-Holder-Wiretap-App.pdf

Also, according to this interview with Rep. Chaffetz, it appears House Speaker John Boehner sent Eric Holder his own letter asking some very basic questions and giving him a deadline of Memorial Day to respond. DOJ apparently did not even bother answering the questions Boehner sent. Chaffetz speculates that this will embarrass Boehner into pushing forward with contempt. VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLyQnVYnwUY)

And for you CSPAN fans, it appears that Eric Holder will testifying before the House Judiciary Committee (not the Oversight Committee) this Thursday:

Thursday, June 7
DOJ Oversight: The House Judiciary Committee will hold a Department of Justice oversight hearing. Attorney General Eric Holder will testify.
( I don't know if there is a set topic.)
ETA:
Full Committee
9:30 a.m. in the 2141 Rayburn House Office Building
 
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Haven't found a cite for a summary but reading tweets it appears the hearing today was more of the same, with Holder in denial of everything, blaming Bush and still promoting stricter gun control measures to add to the ones ATF bypassed to walk the firearms over the border. With some of the other comments, such as how "NRA radicals" concocted the whole F+F scheme up,
Sheila Lee Jackson "briefing" Holder before his appearance...it sounds a little unhinged. Not a surprise, I guess.
 
I can only imagine the informative usefulness of a briefing from Sheila Jackson-Lee on any subject...

I wasn't able to listen to the hearing either; but your summary seems correct with one important exception... Issa showed Holder that he had the sealed wiretap applications.

The Hill is reporting that a DOJ mole is handing Rep. Issa information on Fast & Furious, including the sealed wiretap applications, at great personal risk to himself (he can be prosecuted for leaking a sealed record). Issa hasn't revealed who the source is and says he will not do so; but it must be interesting over at DOJ right now.
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/231387-mole-helps-rep-issa-whack-doj
 
Cite, with video. Things got fairly nasty, with Democrats on the committee trying to save the irredeemable.

Bart, you are right. Holder knows now that Issa knows and has evidence Breuer was signing off, which means Holder incredibly incompetent by omission or comission, or he's a rank liar, probably both.

This is not deception for political gain, it's damage control of a "Reichstag Fire" op to justify laws to disarm citizens and turn back Heller, MacDonald, etc. It is only "botched" in that the perps got caught and the fingerprints of Holder and his cadre didn't get buried deep enough. The cynicism that figures spilled blood (even if a lot of them were thugs), serial felonies by those sworn to uphold said laws...I better stop. What is too dirty for these guys not to do?

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/06/07/issa-to-holder-on-ff-you-are-not-a-good-witness/
 
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Not a new thread, not actually a "reply", however for those with about 1 hour to spare, go to the JPFO website (jpfo.org).

Once there, download and listen to the intereview with Katie Pavlich, who has written a book about Obama's Operation Fast & Furious.

I just finished listening, and found the interview interesting, others might also.
 
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