GOP REPORT FINDS NO CONNECTION BETWEEN WHITE HOUSE AND ‘FAST AND FURIOUS’

[kpete]

Source: Think Progress

GOP REPORT FINDS NO CONNECTION BETWEEN WHITE HOUSE AND ‘FAST AND FURIOUS’ | Despite insistence from GOP leadership that the White House was behind the so-called “Fast and Furious” gunwalking program, a report from House Republicans released Tuesday names five officials at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms as culprits in the misguided effort. All five were reassigned before the release of the report — the first of three. The indictments in the report contradict House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) insistence that the President invoked executive privilege over the Justice Department’s information on ongoing investigations to protect his personal interests. The indication, however, is that the upcoming reports will try to tie the President to the program. It will “address the unprecedented obstruction of the investigation by the highest levels of the Justice Department, including the attorney general himself,” according to the Republicans who wrote the report.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/07/31/614491/fast-furious-report-white-house/

[sinkingfeeling]

1. And that sound is the tears of thousands of Tea Baggers crying.

[freshwest]

3. And there will be no apology issued, from any of those dissing Holder, either.

[SaveAmerica]

27. And how about those Dem asses who voted that he was in contempt?

How you like it now?

[freshwest]

37. Have you got more of a problem with the Democratic or Republican Party?

[SaveAmerica]

49. In this case they are the same

One of the Dems who voted to hold Holder in contempt is my Congressman. I have been frustrated to watch as Obama worked hard to stay above the fray and volley against the hate and lies that have been thrown at him while my Congressman has shown no interest in educating his constituents on the truth instead of embracing tea party lies.

He jumped on that crazy bandwagon against Obama and Holder without waiting for details and the truth.

[freshwest]

50. My Democratic congressman sure didn't. I hope you get rid of yours, so I'm happy with mine.

Yes, I agree with you that Obama was classy and stayed out of it, he did all the right things and has a lot of work to do. While the GOP is doing nothing but stirring up hatred and telling lies 24/7. The ones who started the circus on Holder were all GOP. There is a difference in the two parties. Sorry your man let you down on this one, you are so right to be angry at him. But is most of your area teaparty?

[Thav]

17. There will be no such sound.

They will continue to repeat the lie because it bolsters their position.

They have no need for facts.

[caraher]

42. Sadly, you are correct

Facts are simply not part of their worldview. If anything, they'll only get more outraged that Obama didn't fix this before it happened... even before he took office

[Champion Jack]

51. Lol!

[tk2kewl]

2. It must be the UN!

[onehandle]

4. Doesn't matter. The lie is out there for gun nuts to spew. nt

[SoapBox]

5. Ditto

[mlevans]

6. Which was most likely their intention from the beginning. n/t

[Javaman]

18. Exactly...

and it will become part and parcel of the right wing nuts lexicon much like the right wing memes of "Obama is a Muslim" and "He was born in Kenya".

They don't want to reason or facts, they want a way to vent their colossally misplaced anger of self loathing.

[louis-t]

7. From what I've read, there was no "gunwalking".

ATF was trying to stop straw buyers from selling to gun runners who were smuggling weapons to Mexico. They could NOT have stopped the legal sale of weapons. They could NOT have stopped straw buyers from 'changing their minds' about personal use clause in the paperwork and selling to third parties. There is no evidence of 'gunwalking'. Am I missing something?

[GoCubsGo]

11. That is what I have been hearing, too.

There is an article about it in some prominent magazine. Fortune, maybe? If I find it, I'll post a link. I understand there was also an issue with some judges refusing to help stop what was going on.

[louis-t]

13. I've read the article. And it was the US attorney that refused

to do anything, saying what they were doing was NOT illegal. that's the problem. The NRA wrote those weak laws in AZ through ALEC. Now repugs are saying it's Obama's fault.

[gejohnston]

34. not exactly

they were violating federal law, Gun Control Act of 1968 to be exact. Why the US attorney refused to do anything, after seeing cash and guns exchange hands on video tape, is a mystery to both of us.

[louis-t]

45. So gun laws in AZ are in conflict with federal law?

I need to find out more about this.

[PavePusher]

46. No, they aren't. This had nothing to do with Arizona laws.

It was a Federal investigation into violation of Federal gun laws. The U.S. District Attorney refused to charge anyone, saying that no Federal laws had yet been broken.

[louis-t]

48. OK, duh, US attorney=Federal laws.

And I still have not seen any proof that the ATF "allowed" guns to be sold to drug cartels in Mexico.

[gejohnston]

52. federal law trumps state law

My guess is the AUSA in Arizona, one of the ones Bush put in to help suppress votes, was either lazy or on the take, because the ATF agents had money and guns changing hand on video. For example Vermont says it is OK for a 16 year old to buy a gun. Federal law, which trumps state law, says "18 for long guns and 21 for handguns". If I'm working at a gun store, with federal license and ATF inspectors over seeing my operation, I'm going to follow the stricter federal law. It is wise for a private seller to as well, but that is a more complex issue that it seems because of privacy laws, commerce clause etc.
Meanwhile, Vermont figures why have a redundant law? If the feds updated the rules for them, why bother? So while they didn't violate AZ law, the ATF is there to enforce federal law.

[cheapdate]

33. The US attorney refused to issue an arrest order

even though the field agents were begging him to do so. In the case that led to the shooting of a field agent, they knew that the guns were being bought by a straw buyer for the cartels and begged the US attorney to allow them to arrest the straw buyer. The attorney said their case wasn't strong enough to hold up in court, so they let him walk. All of the events are well known at this point.

Yes, you've got it exactly right as far as I understand. The laws are such that there's nothing necessarily illegal about an individual of no real means buying fifty guns today and then buying fifty more tomorrow.

[wordpix]

38. that's how I understand it, too. AZ gun laws are so weak that with all the evidence, it was still

a case "too weak" to prosecute.

The NRA and weak gun control are to blame for this. Mexico has been asking the US to control our side of the border where the guns are coming from but NRA says "no way" so the guns keep flowing in to the cartels.

[PavePusher]

47. Wrong. See #46. n/t

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

8. What will the Democrats do? Will they be cowards and refuse to demand an apology for how

Republicans treated Holder, even holding him in contempt of Congress over this fabricated, political theater?

Do hold your breath. I have little confidence that an apology is forthcoming.

[Mz Pip]

9. You won't see this on Fox.

It doesn't fit with their Obama-is-responsible-for-everything-bad-that-has-ever-happened-or-will-ever-happen meme.

[Kingofalldems]

10. And we had a couple DUers from the gungeon raving

about this. Guess they were wrong.

[azurnoir]

12. It must have been so frustrating for them

but I wonder just how much did this 'effort' by the GOP cost us?

[kestrel91316]

14. They'll just keep investigating until they FIND (or fabricate) a connection.......

[wordpix]

39. maybe they'll find the blue dress if they look hard enough

[Panasonic]

15. So will Issa stop chasing after Holder for contempt?

And have Congress levy a contempt of Congress on Issa and kicked out of Congress for lying to Congress.

[xtraxritical]

21. Issa, that fucking teenage car theif, is my congressman.

[Qutzupalotl]

35. He has the courage of his prior covictions.

[wordpix]

40. don't forget the arson suspect, and lots more

[la la]

43. he was on greta's show tonight....

....and, yeah...i have to admit to watching it....he said 'there's more to come'....lordy, lordy...the man just doesn't know when to shut up and go away...i'm surprised he showed his face on 'the teevee' after this report/money spent/harassment of Holder/Obama....

[lastlib]

16. you'd think they would've made one up.....

we couldn't put it past 'em, that's for certain!

[mamayo]

19. f & f

has Issa heard about this? any chance of an apology??? yeah, right

[RedStateLiberal]

20. The RW conspiracy theory about the WH

and 'Fast and Furious' was just cover for the fact that it was actually Arizona's lax gun laws that allowed guns to "walk" into Mexico.

Republicans knew that once people learned the facts they'd see these gun laws are ridiculous because they allow anyone to buy a bunch of guns and then immediately sell them to whoever they want no questions asked.

That's why they concocted the conspiracy theory that the WH intentionally did this in an attempt to increase gun control. So when these facts came to light they could head off any attempts to increase gun regulations by making people believe it was really the Obama admin creating a controversy by intentionally letting guns walk - which they obviously didn't do.

Now whenever anyone mentions 'Fast and Furious' the question is whether the WH did something inappropriate and not whether these gun laws need to be looked at so they may not have gotten Holder, but they've changed the narrative - just like they always do.

[xtraxritical]

22. Astute you are.

[sakabatou]

23. Like they give a shit about it.

They'll keep hammering the meme that F&F and the WH are connected.

[Yeah Its Spin]

24. Read some comments on The Hill link...

Obama will just pardon them...
The Dems are shaking in their shoes now and so forth.

[ThoughtCriminal]

25. I thought this one went away after the Forbes article

apparently, at least a few Republicans are still some clinging to bizarre conspiracy theories.

[Hoyt]

26. Those in RKBA Group here won't apologize either. They've been after Holder, and presumably Obama,

since Issa started this crud.

[billky]

28. Fast and Furious

Have any of the news organizations even spoken about this? I haven't heard anything.

[proud2BlibKansan]

36. The vast majority of Americans have no idea about Fast and Furious

I find that hilarious. The Obama haters and fringe wing nuts are wetting their panties over this and no one else in America has any idea about this.

[rks306]

29. I would like to hear an apology

I know that happen.

[slackmaster]

30. Good news! Purge the BATFE of the handful of bad apples and be done with it.

[LynneSin]

31. Can I see a show of hands of DUers here who are SHOCKED to find this out

[Dont call me Shirley]

32. Plenty of connection to the bush/chainey WH, so those gops had to shush up.

[wordpix]

41. i think you're right

[Berlum]

44. Reublicans love to tell lies and squander taxpayer money

as they demonstrate once again...