Fast and Furious showdown: Holder/Obama defend bloody culture of contempt; Update: Fortress Holder, Stonewall City; vid clips added, Dems advise, “Don’t answer”

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Forget Klownald Trump. This is your story of the day. Attorney General Eric Holder is on Capitol Hill day, facing another round of questions from relentless GOP watchdogs led by House Oversight and Govenrment Reform chair Darrell Issa.
You can watch the proceedings live on CSPAN online here.
The grilling comes as Border Patrol agent Brian Terry’s family files suit against the lying ATF:
The family of slain U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry charged Wednesday that the top federal prosecutor in Phoenix lied to them about the guns found at the crime scene in an attempt to hide the weapons’ connection to the ATF’s failed Fast and Furious gun-tracking operation.
Terry was killed in December 2010, allegedly by Mexican bandits carrying at least two AK-47 semiautomatic rifles that had been purchased in Arizona as part of Fast and Furious. The operation was intended to catch drug lords using illegal weapons, but the ATF immediately lost track of 1,700 firearms.
The Terry family alleged that then-U.S. Atty. Dennis K. Burke told them last March that the two weapons came from a store in Texas and were not part of Fast and Furious.
The family made their allegations in a “notice of claim” stating that they intend to sue the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Justice Department for $25 million. They called the gun-tracking operation “abominable, reckless, nonsensical.”
Burke has resigned and has declined to discuss Fast and Furious. But the family’s claim notice strongly suggests that the federal government initially sought to keep Fast and Furious under wraps and hoped it would not be linked to the slaying.
House GOP leaders repeat what whistleblowers have been telling us from the start: Top White House/DOJ knew. They knew:
Top Department of Justice officials had extensive knowledge of and involvement in Operation Fast and Furious, claims a new report released Thursday, hours before Attorney General Eric Holder’s scheduled testimony to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
The report released by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, top lawmakers investigating the botched gunrunning operation, claims Justice Department officials in Washington and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were involved in the coordination in the early stages of the operation.
Related InteractiveReport released by Issa and Grassley on Fast and Furious
Republican lawmakers Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) released a new report suggesting top Department of Justice officials had extensive knowledge of and involvement in Operation Fast and Furious.
Justice headquarters “had much greater knowledge of, and involvement in, Fast and Furious than it has previously acknowledged,” the memo reads.
Rep. Issa’s preview statement in the advance of the hearing is here:
ate last year, after months of investigation, the Justice Department finally acknowledged the allegations were true. Fast and Furious was both reckless and flawed.
The Justice Department, however, has been less than forthcoming in cooperating with the efforts of Congressional investigators to determine exactly what happened and who was responsible:
• The Justice Department has delivered fewer than 8% of the 80,000 documents we know it has identified as being related to this flawed operation.
• It has refused to allow investigators access to numerous witnesses who participated in the operation – one witness, after being served with a subpoena, invoked his Fifth Amendment right to protection against self-incrimination rather than answer questions.
• Justice Department now asserts that many documents pertaining to internal discussions and decision making about its response to Operation Fast and Furious are off-limits to investigators.
The American people deserve better from our nation’s top law enforcement agency. Thursday’s hearing will feature the nation’s top law enforcement official, Attorney General Eric Holder, who will be asked to explain his decision to withhold this factual evidence from investigators. What he is concerned this information would reveal? Why is the Department trying to keep its internal discussions about Operation Fast and Furious from after February 4, 2011 secret? Why did it take nearly nine months for the Justice Department to acknowledge its earlier denials were false? Why did senior Justice Department officials who knew about and received briefings on the operation fail to stop it? Should Americans have confidence in their chief law enforcement agency even though these same officials remain in their posts?
There is now broad bipartisan agreement that the congressional investigation into Operation Fast and Furious has exposed a serious and deadly failure of government. We know that the life of a brave Border Patrol agent has been lost along with countless Mexican citizens who have been victimized by guns from Operation Fast and Furious. Attorney General Holder has acknowledged that the danger created by Fast and Furious will continue for years.
This hearing is not about controversial struggles between gun control advocates and supporters of the Second Amendment. It is about the unifying, and what should be bipartisan, expectation that the Justice Department be held to a high standard and that those who failed to meet this standard should be held accountable. I look forward to Attorney General Holder’s testimony.
After Issa threatened contempt charges against the Department of Justice Obstructionists, DOJ responded with…more obstruction:
The Justice Department response Wednesday rejected Issa’s February 9, 2012, deadline to produce all demanded documents. Cole called the deadline “impossible” to meet because of the broad scope of the request.
He did not directly refer to the threat of a contempt charge by Issa.
…The hearing Thursday will not be the end of the battle over Operation Fast and Furious. The Justice Department’s inspector general continues to work on a detailed account of the origins of the operation, and who was involved. The report is not expected to be complete for at least a couple more months.
Holder has promised when it is completed, he is prepared to make individuals accountable. But Holder says he has no plan to seek resignations or administer discipline until that report is complete.
The corruption keeps piling up. Matthew Boyle has a hard-hitting investigative piece in the Daily Caller exposing yet another DOJ scandal involving alleged bribery of top officials involved in a financial fraud probe:
A U.S. Justice Department source has told The Daily Caller that at least two DOJ prosecutors accepted cash bribes from allegedly corrupt finance executives who were indicted under court seal within the past 13 months, but never arrested or prosecuted.
The sitting governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, his attorney general and an unspecified number of Virgin Islands legislators also accepted bribes, the source said, adding that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is aware prosecutors and elected officials were bribed and otherwise compromised, but has not held anyone accountable.
The bribed officials, an attorney with knowledge of the investigation told TheDC, remain on the taxpayers’ payroll at the Justice Department without any accountability. The DOJ source said Holder does not want to admit public officials accepted bribes while under his leadership.
That source said that until the summer of 2011, the two compromised prosecutors were part of a team of more than 25 federal prosecutors pursuing a financial crime ring, and at least five other prosecutors tasked to the case were also compromised by the criminal suspects they were investigating, without being bribed.
Washington knew what it was getting when it confirmed corruptocrat Eric Holder. Innocent people have paid with their lives. Ignoring this man and his boss’s utter, systematic contempt for the rule of law has yielded deadly consequences.
America, let’s not make that mistake again.
***
Update:Go to my Twitter account for live-tweeting of the hearing.
Most jaw-dropping moment so far: Indignant Holder demanding he get “credit” for his work at DOJ.
Running joke: Every time gun-control Democrats call for more “tools.” There are plenty enough of them in charge in Washington.
Side note: Donald Trump stepping on this important hearing tells you everything you need to know about his purported interest in advancing conservative/GOP interests. Circus, circus.
Video clips:
GOP Rep. Issa’s opening statement:
GOP Rep. Patrick Henry underscores that there’s been no accountability for 13 months:
GOP Rep. Anne Marie Buerkle confronts Holder with Terry family’s plea for action. At the five-minute mark, you can’t hear it, but Democrats advised Holder: “Don’t answer:”
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Categories: Corruption,Eric Holder,Guns,Immigration

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Almost all the dead are Mexicans. Who cares about dead Mexicans? We have a country to disarm, DAMMIT!!!
Isn’t it sad that Ron Paul has been the lone voice in the wilderness in Congress fighting against this all these years, yet people chastise him for his Congressional record for not getting things done. It’s not his fault the rest of Congress would rather continue spending ourselves into oblivion! Mob rules.
None of the crimes committed against this nation and its citizens will be pursued, let alone prosecuted simply because those in government are complicit in some manner. Translation: the majority in government are criminals themselves.
I’m looking at this a little differently than some. I’m thinking that Eric Holder (and a cadre of other higher ups in DOJ, FBI and BATFE) are putting their “fall guys” in place and that is another reason they are delaying. Once they get their scapegoats in place, they’re gonna let them take all the blame and all the punishment. Mr. Issa is to be commended to pushing forward. Holder knows too much and Obeyme will find a way to make sure he’s not prosecuted. So, this is going to drag on for a while to get Obeyme past the upcoming election. These are people with no scruples. Remember when the Clintons used “cut outs” to take the rap for them. Same thing.
As far as doing something individually? I say write any and all Congress people, whether they are representing you or not and tell them we are really angry about this. Even if they don’t respond–it will get chatter going on amongst them because all they care about is getting reelected.
On February 02, 2012 at 01:44 pm, conservative hispanic said:
Operation Fast and Furious could be considered an act of war against Mexico.
BATFE is a state sponsor of terrorism.
Well, I certainly care and have big concerns about what is going on in Mexico.
It’s too bad the MSM will spend all of its time trying to figure out how to make Romney the nominee while showing that he doesn’t care for the poor.
And I’m sure you understand that the DNC only cares about Mexicans and Hispanics to organize them to vote Democrat.
As el Rusbho once noted, if the Hispanics were voting Republican consistently, the left would suddenly be in favor of border control and would have snipers there.
If I’m not mistaken, the NSA has plenty of sophisticated software to analyze huge document and electronic transmission databases. Should not be a problem to build a case if they are truly serious about it.
Hey CH @#101: I care about the average Mexican citizen. I fear for those in Mexico who love their country and are watching it being turned into a third world cesspool by drug cartels. I fear they will run to America, not for a job or for “free stuff”, but rather they are running for their very lives. All the while, our government does nothing to protect American citizens and the innocent Mexican citizen. What I’d truly love to see is Holder’s ass handed to him on a plate.
Whoa! Conservative Hispanic, I guess for some readers you need a sarc/ tag.
Yeh, all dem Mexicans was going to die sooner or later. So what if some F & F guns got ‘em versus a bad enchilada?
A lot of the problem is that the Mestizo peoples of Mexico that live in Mexican States along or near OUR border, are treated as second-class citizens in their own country.
Nearer the Federal District in central Mexico, many of the Mexicans are fairer skinned, certainly more “European” in appearance. They have thumbed their noses at the mixed-blood Mexicans for centuries now.
Look at the Mexican soap operas on TV. The maids and gardeners all look like extras in a spaghetti western. The fairer Mexicans are all rich, drive nice cars, and have huge mansions.
I have long felt that it is our duty to arm the Mexican peoples, but only to enable them to overthrow their own corrupt government.
Don’t put anything in writing. Have all meetings in coffee shops. WORK FASTER ON THE BUNKER!!
Note to Obama – aren’t you supposed to be dating someone named Eva?
Hi, Hangfire@#111 – I agree totally. There is rampant class discrimination in Mexico, there is loose drugs restrictions (according to their idiot Presidente Calderone), there are minimal liberties allowed the average Mexican citizens. The ones in charge in Mexico will never allow the citizens to personally own guns. I am wondering if there will be a revolution when the average/non-wealthy citizenry have had enough. Right now, the rich like it just the way it is since they are paying off their politicians.
Hangfire:
Why the /SARC? I’m being serious. Deadly serious. This country’s in deep enough trouble as it is. We don’t need another 4 years of this excrement pile. Or his boss.
hangfire:
I should have put Holder: at the beginning of post 101. I mean, that’s HIS attitude, IMHO.
On February 02, 2012 at 12:15 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:
You’re right Rogue, huge, embarrassing losses do have a way of making history.
On February 02, 2012 at 12:41 pm, Hangfire said:
I seem to recall over 300 pages of Army regs on how to make chocolate chip cookies.
Contempt of Congress!?! FILE IT!!!
Bottom line: We were intentionally arming terrorists in Mexico.
When is Mexico going to invade us and remove our government and build roads and bridges and schools for us, all at their expense?
Question, why did none of the GOP members request that those Democrats on the committee be reseated at Holder’s table as his counsel seeing that they were giving him legal advice? They cannot be both members of an investigative committee and counsel for a witness without violating conflict of interest rules.
I watched way too much television as a kid….. as Sargeant Schultz used to say: “I hear nothing, I see nothing, I know nothing!” or the shortened version “I see nothing, NOTHING!”
Other than rollback years of legislative and judicial abuse, I don’t want Congress to do a damn thing legislatively. Americans have bought into the notion of an activist congress, an activist president, and an activist judiciary. Sometimes I ask myself whats left of America that’s worth “conserving”. The very fabric of our nation looks nothing like it did when I was a kid, a mere 40 years ago (and many thought those were bad times!). We’re drowning in debt with no end in sight and no consensus at any level of government of how to handle it. We’ve completely lost the education system and the media. 50,000,000 abortions later government is now dictating that religious organizations provide services contrary to the tenets of their faith. Gay marriage is on the march. Ten years after 911 the muzzies are going to build a mosque in the shadows of the Twin Towers, and name it after one of their greatest historical conquests. Electing Romney, Gingrich or Santorum, might slow it all down, but I doubt it. But this much I know, the answer does not lay in the political realm, electing a few more conservatives to congress won’t do it.
Sorry for the negative rant but it is what it is.
Tru dat, but I know we’re not on the same page.
Loud and Clear!
I understand. The Founders were genius in the way House and Senate were structured to prevent things getting done. They did not want bipartisan BS. They wanted it to be contentious. The less damage to the Constitution. People have forgotten that.
Marginally improving the leadership, all by itself, won’t reverse the trend, but trying to reverse the trend while electing the Greater Evils is like trying to shovel back an incoming tide.
Whenever you are facing an impossible task from which you cannot just walk away, you give your all to achieve the best results you can get, and you pray for a miracle.
The bottom line is “when do they throw this sleaze bucket in jail?” We’ve gotten rid of others in Government for far lessor crimes. This has become really irritating!
Still, I think it’s a good thing that this is in the news….people pay attention when something is repeated (even if by idijjit talking heads) over and over again. This will stay with people if Mr. Issa can keep Holder’s name out there connected with F&F.
That’s pretty much all we have left to us.
Voting for the Gutless Obsequious Pussies does no good at all.
They ALL sat on their hands and let an ineligible marxist assume office.
What has anyone done about the shredding of the rule of law?
G.M. (contract law? what’s that?)
Amnesty (what he’s doing right now by stopping deportations)
Demanding under penalty of law that citizens buy health insurance.
Attempted undermining of the 2nd Amendment with F & F is treason, imho.
The GOP thinks Romney is the answer….
Romney invented Obamacare
VA Patriot – there are significant differences between Obamacare and what Romney voted for….I’ll look up some references for you.
Why isn’t this tool and his cronies in jail?
Anne Marie Buerkle represents the district immediately east of mine. I wish I lived there. Instead, I’m stuck with Louise “Deem it passed” Slaughter. Makes me want to puke every time I see her in Wegman’s.
dtb: What’s a Wegman’s?
On February 02, 2012 at 02:48 pm, FirstSkirt said:
Yahoo carried a link to Matt Boyles article for less than half a day…a few hours at most…before going back to coverage of which school some HS football player chose.
I’ve noticed Yahoo covering lots of sports since Urkel was immaculated.
Drudge had it, but I doubt many others will report on it…or the advice from the rat bastages on the committee to witHolder to not answer.
On February 02, 2012 at 02:48 pm, FirstSkirt said:
Yahoo carried a link to Matt Boyles article for less than half a day…a few hours at most…before going back to coverage of which school some HS football player chose.
I’ve noticed Yahoo covering lots of sports since Urkel was immaculated.
Drudge had it, but I doubt many others will report on it…or the advice from the rat bastages on the committee to witHolder to not answer.
Never thought I’d catch myself saying this but the depravity, dereliction, outright lawlessness and perjury of the Obama Spite House makes the Nixon thugocracy look like a group of rank amateurs. One can only hope and dream that Otrocious will be resoundingly voted out of office or be forced to become the second Commander-in-Chief to resign the office in shame.
The names of any Dimocrat Congresscritter who is advising Holder or any of his underlings to “keep their mouths shut”, or words to that affect, need to be published far and wide so as to expose Holder’s fellow corruptacrats.
I hope we’re not counting on the same people to unearth the facts surrounding the Fast & Furious malfeasance as we did with the fraud known as Obama.
O/T, but did anyone see that Komen’s donations have gone up 100% – doubled – in the two days since they severed ties with Planned Parenthood?
Wonderful!
Their differences don’t matter, considering what they have in common.
“Individual mandates” are, IMO, a violation of the 4th, 5th (by implication and extension) and above all 9th Amendments, and an unconscionable violation of individual liberty.
Regardless of the differences between ObamneyCare and RombamaCare, Romney keeps defending his support of the individual mandate. Watershed legal concept that will set a precedent giving the government the power to do whatever it wants. The Constitution will be officially repealed. Case closed.
Gingrich would do the same thing. Not clear with Santorum. Ron Paul would repeal RombamaCare, rip up the bill and burn the remains.
Like I keep saying, the enemy isn’t Obama. It’s the corrupt and entrenched one-party system. And conservatives keep voting for it.
No need. Too close for my comfort. I will not engage in self-delusion on the part of Romney. I know what Romneycare is. I know what he is. A northeast liberal Republican chameleon who will say anything to get elected. GOP’s John Kerry.
Nominate anyone else….
No need. Too close for my comfort. I will not engage in self-delusion on the part of Romney. I know what Romneycare is. I know what he is. A northeast liberal Republican chameleon who will say anything to get elected. GOP’s John Kerry.
Nominate anyone else….
I want Holder to do a perp walk.
Big-deal grocery store here in NY, NJ, VA, PA. It’s like Rome: if you stay in a Wegman’s long enough, eventually you’ll see everyone you’ve ever known
*I can see it now; Holder in prison some time in the future coming face to face with some inmates from Puerto Rico; Not for the faint of heart; We know P-BO loves him some reprobate AG, but shame on the RINO rat bastards that allowed this all to happen by confirming this enemy of the state; Blood on the hands applies here as well!
On February 02, 2012 at 04:53 pm, bicentennialguy said:
Didn’t hear that, but did hear the leftist media claiming the butchers received private donations enough to cover the loss of the grant.
If that’s the case, why don’t they leave grants to better organizations and get their blood money privately? Why do they have to rely on leftist thieves in congress giving them tax money?
A wide receiver with soft hands.
Just shows that some crimes are higher than others.
Some senators failed to do due diligence when Holder was confirmed.
Slightly OT (on the subject of corruption):
The Senate recently voted on Term limits see how yours voted.
Term limits without Office Staffers going too is a waste of energy.
If they’re striving for accuracy let’s go all the way!
After a brief reverie enjoying the thought, reality strikes, and you know this cretin will skate. Worst case for him, he is “allowed” to resign, opens a firm and goes into the liberal lobby for lucre business.
Remember Alberto Gonzalez was pounded by calls for his resignation and threats of impeachment for, ummm, what was that again? Oh yeah, personell changes. Gonzales replaced 9 US attorneys – which every administration does.
* By law, each U.S. Attorney serves at the pleasure of the President and is subject to removal by the President for any and no reason.
* Clinton canned dozens – but THAT was apolitical. Yeah, right.
* Holder has replaced 14, and dozens of states are still waiting for an attorney.
But of course, “Adolf” Gonzalez was a Bushie – the definition of evil. Though an Investigator General found no wrongdoing, he fell on his sword for Bush and resigned. You’d have thought the progs would have been all diverse-delighted about a Latino AG. Nope. Crucify him!
So what about Holder? Intrade says 45% prob Holder falls on his sword for God, Obomber and Country – and to save his arse. I don’t think so. These people are too arrogant and egotistical to give up anything for Obupkus, and of course JugEars doesn’t have the nads to fire anybody.. That is part of what will bring him down. IMAO
I am proud to remind others that it was John Dingell (D.MI) who referred to the ATF as “Jack Booted Thugs” long before Waco and the Murrah Building, probably as a result of Ruby Ridge. Is it true that there were NO ATF agents in the building on the second anniversary of WACO? That’s what I heard but I really don’t know.
Did you see how ours voted?
I believe it’s a store where you can purchase a henway.
The fishing sucks today! I can’t believe no one bit on this all day!