New Clash in Congress on Gun Case Gone Wrong

[SecularMotion]

WASHINGTON — Representative Darrell Issa told Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Thursday that he was “not a good witness” as the two clashed once again over the botched gun trafficking case known as Operation Fast and Furious.

In a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, Mr. Issa, a California Republican, chastised Mr. Holder as having failed to directly answer a question about whether the department had gathered and indexed all the materials asked for in a subpoena he issued last fall. Mr. Issa has threatened to cite Mr. Holder with contempt.

When Mr. Holder stressed that he had already testified eight times about Fast and Furious and that the department had produced more than 7,600 pages of documents, Mr. Issa cut him off, “Look, I don’t want to hear about the 7,600.”

Republicans pressed Mr. Holder about when senior officials learned that agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Arizona who were working on the case were using the tactic of “gun walking” — allowing guns to remain on the street, rather than swiftly interdicting them, in order to build a bigger case.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/08/us/politics/holder-and-rep-issa-clash-again-over-fast-and-furious.html

[rfranklin]

1. It's the Republican jobs program...

so they can keep their jobs.

[gejohnston]

4. funny

The Constitution calls for oversight over the administration. What the founders did not expect were congresses looking the other way if their their own party is in WH or witch hunts. Either way, why aren't the ATF agents responsible for this in jail or fired?
Frankly, I don't like Issa or Holder. One is a crook and other spent too much time coddling coddling Wall Street crooks and BP.

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. Now Charles Grass seed is spouting about contempt charges

Imaging being ordered to turn information over to that den of misfits.

Yuck.

[SGMRTDARMY]

3. Why do you have a problem

trying to find out what went wrong? A border patrol agent was murdered with one of these FF guns and how many mexican nationals have died because the ATF royally fucked up. Now there seems to be pretty compelling evidence that either Holder or his deputy, Brewer, aren't being honest with the committee investigating this. I don't like Issa, but I like even less the fact that either Holder or Brewer have possibly lied to the committee and I really dislike Congressman Cummins being a shill and not even caring if they in fact lied or misled the committee.

This isn't a Dem v Repub, left or right issue, its about whether any laws were broken and if officials at the DOJ misled or flat out lied to congress, its about a murdered border patrol agent named Bryan Terry, remember him? Its about hundreds of dead mexican citizens who have died because of this bothched sting, its about an arrogant ATF who thought that they didn't even have to inform the Mexican Govt. of what they were doing.

[rfranklin]

5. If you believe this isn't a political sideshow, I can offer you a bridge I own in Brooklyn...

I suppose without those guns all those people you mention would be alive? I think not. Issa is a scumbag crook who is doing this to embarass the WH and gain political capital with his base. He doesn't give a shit about border patrol agents or Mexicans.

[SGMRTDARMY]

6. So in other words

you don't give a shit if laws were broken, if there is possible malfeseance in the DOJ or the ATF?
Right, got it. Suppose this had broken during the BushCo years, and the same scenerio were happening with Congressman Cummins in charge and asking the same questions, would your response be the same?
I think that Issa is an ass but this is not a right v left or a Dem v Repub thing, this is about whether laws were broken, congress was mislead or lied to. Why do you have a problem getting to the bottom of this scandal?
I say investigate and let the chips fall where they may.

[gejohnston]

7. If Cummins were in charge

the issue would not come up because the ATF is doing it and not DEA. If the DEA were doing it, Issa wouldn't care.

[SGMRTDARMY]

8. Agreed

I watched the hearings the other day and it seemed that Holder was less than forthcoming, not saying he was lying, a little bit evasive. Did you watch it and if so, what was your take on it?

[gejohnston]

10. Don't have cable

I rarely watch TV. I'll have to find it online.

[SGMRTDARMY]

12. youtube has it

Issa gets pretty heated when Holder tries to deflect a question.

[rfranklin]

9. If there were any chance of justice being done I would be all for it...

but it will be abandoned and forgotten the minute the Republicans find a better hobby horse to ride.

[SGMRTDARMY]

11. Pretty cynical

outlook, and I agree that you have good reason to be that way. It goes to both Partys, but it still should be investigated and if laws were broken, then the law breakers should be prosecuted. The Terry family and those mexican citizens who have died because of this bothched and possibly illegal sting at the very least deserve that.

[beevul]

13. Why dont you ask the Terry family if its a political sideshow, N/T

[ileus]

14. The government hiring the government to find government abuse...

I've never really understood who they they think they're fooling.


I don't care who is appointed, who is to blame, or who did the appointing, over any issue. When it's nothing but a nested loop of government workers what are we really to expect? Honestly?