Fast and Furious
Attorney General Eric Holder appeared before a House committee today to evade questions and responsibility for Operation Fast and Furious. The operation run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to allow straw buyers to smuggle guns into Mexico resulted in the deaths of more than 200 Mexican citizens and U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.
Some highlights from today’s hearing:
And finally:
Fast and Furious hearing 12/8/11 from Water Cooler on Vimeo.
[That last video has apparently died. Here's a link to a story detailing the exchange.]
And when that video ended, here’s a transcript of what occurred next:
Rep. Matthew Hoy (R-Hoystory): Shame? Shame!? Hundreds of Mexicans are dead. Border Agent Brian Terry is dead. The department that you have authority over allowed more than 2,000 guns to cross the border into the hands of violent drug cartels and you have the gall to chide elected representatives of the American people who seek to hold you to account for your lawlessness?
Shame?
Your deputy submitted a letter to Congress that you withdrew only after subsequent disclosures proved it to be full of lies. You can split legal hairs about there being no “intent” to deceive Congress when that letter was originally submitted, but as time goes by that claim begins to look flimsier and flimsier.
Shame?
We found out just days ago that that ATF officials sought to use the violence in Mexico and the fact that U.S.-bought guns were showing up at crime scenes in that country as a pretext to push for further restrictions on Americans’ Second Amendment rights. You, of course, were ignorant of this.
Shame?
It’s been the better part of six months, or maybe 9 or 12, depending on the quality of your memory and the meaningless difference between “weeks” and “months” in your concept of time, since you knew about this operation and not a single individual has lost their job, let alone has had charges filed against them for violations of federal laws.
Hundreds are dead as a direct result of actions undertaken by your subordinates and you wish to shame Congress?
Mr. Attorney General, if you had any integrity. If you had any honor, you would fire those most responsible for this travesty and then resign yourself.
The only person in this committee room who should be feeling shame is you and what you allowed—either by design or by neglect—to happen in Operation Fast and Furious.
Chairman: Member’s time has expired.
UPDATE!
Welcome Instapundit readers. I don't blog as much as I once did, but when I do it's the same high-quality blogging found in the tony corners of the web. And, for the record, this idea wasn't stolen from Tim Blair. I was furious after watching those videos--especially the last one--and just went off on a "if I was there I would've...."
19 comments on “Fast and Furious”
Tags
Worse than Iran-Contra.
I would go further and say that Holder's boss should resign.
But what can we expect from Chicago-On-The-Potomac?
Holder is dirty and arrogant, EXACTLY like John Mitchell, he's slime and needs not only to resign but to be prosecuted. Would that Congress would pursue this relentlessly and take down all who are involved and the "justice" that Obama prattles on about will mean hard time for all of them.
WOW, finally a Congressman that isn't scarred to death of Holder and Obama based upon skin pigment.
I've become so angry at this whole affair that I've actually passed over into the calm twilight zone. Nothing surprises anymore. Walter Reed Hospital tries to ban Bibles being brought in and NOT A SINGLE CONGRESSMAN calls for those responsible to appear before Congress to question their attmpt to infringe on the First Amendment--merely another time to make some jaw-jaw. "Congress shall pass no law" but government employees are free to do as there Allah tells them. Sworn to protect the words on the Constitutional page but a beaurocrat can do as they wish with impunity. ho hum
"We found out just days ago that that ATF officials sought to use the violence in Mexico and the fact that U.S.-bought guns were showing up at crime scenes in that country as a pretext to push for further restrictions on Americans’ Second Amendment rights. You, of course, were ignorant of this."
Addendum:"Since the very oath of office sworn by you and your minions requires you to 'uphold and defend' the Constitution, you and they have been illegally holding office for at least the past year, and every regulation, prosecution, and other official action were actually 'acting to deny Constitutional rights under color of law.' That's a crime, sir, and you should be prosecuted for it."
How convenient for AG Holder to determine there was no intent to mislead Congress, so no law was broken. I’m sure he would extend me the same courtesy if I submitted inaccurate written testimony to a subpoena.
Didn’t Martha Stewart go to jail for lying to federal investigators? How is this not worse?
I'm not a lawyer so I don't know for sure, but seems that the actions of DOJ officials comes real close to the definition of accessory in the murder of Agent Terry and the couple hundred Mexican citizens.
Operation Fast and Furious killed more innocent people than Oklahoma City bombing. Domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh was executed for the 168 innocent civilians he killed.
Where is Holder's indictment for capital crimes?
blah blah blah,
When holder is impeached and those responsible in law enforcement are fired I will be impressed. Hot air doesn't cut it.
[...] Hoystory takes it from there: Shame? Shame!? Hundreds of Mexicans are dead. Border Agent Brian Terry is dead. The department that you have authority over allowed more than 2,000 guns to cross the border into the hands of violent drug cartels and you have the gall to chide elected representatives of the American people who seek to hold you to account for your lawlessness? [...]
"There's a cancer growing on the Presidency!" -nothing new under the sun!
It will take impeachment to get him out of office, along with a lot of time and money.His boss,Obumma will grant
immunity or pardon for anything Holder does, and possibly make it a race issue, further dividing the country.And who
might I add, prosecutes the Dept. of Justice?
If Iran had smuggled 2000 rifles into Los Angeles, giving them to the local Bloods and Crips, wouldn't we now be talking about it being an act of war?
I'm sickened that anyone can defend this crime. But, I guess, to some the victims don't count.
[...] So, he claims, he didn’t read the memos (addressed to him) detailing the “operation run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to allow straw buyers to sm...“, a program which “resulted in the deaths of more than 200 Mexican citizens and U.S. [...]
There is one big difference between the cases of Attorneys General Mitchell and Holder. The "news" media flushed out Mitchell's corruption, and he was forced from office. But the media shelter Holder. Most Americans still know nothing about Fast And Furious.
Very good speech by Matthew Hoy.
Interesting comparson between Watergate and Fast and Furious. Watergate has always been considered the worste of US scandals, but nobody died as a result of Watergate, while they did as a result of Fast and Furious. I think the only thing keeping Fast and Furious from becomming the mother of all scandals, is it needs a shorter and cooler name. Of course it also helps that the MSM is still covering for Obama, while it cheerfully fanned the flames in both Watergate and Iran Contra.
CLAP...CLAP...CLAP...CLAP...CLAP!!!!!!!
Now somebody pass me a cigarette! 😉
Can someone start a collection to send Holder to a speed reading class? He doesn't read memos sent him, just as he didn't read the AZ statute he sued to declare unconstitutional. Perhaps if he could get past the lip moving and need to use a ruler underliner, he'd find time to do his job.