A lot of baloney flying fast and furious

As previously noted, the “Fast and Furious” program run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. attorney in Arizona was a badly conceived operation made worse by incompetent leadership. It began as an effort to track the illegal flow of guns from U.S. gun shops across the border to Mexican drug cartels, with the hope of using the information to break up those cartels, and in the end it may have contributed to scores of deaths, including the death of a U.S. Border Patrol officer.

Nobody — with the exception of some who were directly involved — disputes that it was a bad idea gone wrong. And as a result, most of those in the ATF and the U.S. attorney’s office in Arizona who planned and led the effort have been fired or reassigned.

So what’s the controversy in Washington all about? Republicans have two working theories about Fast and Furious, and through the House Government Oversight Committee are attempting to find evidence to support those pet theories. But so far, despite having subpoenaed a veritable haystack of documents from the Justice Department, they have been unable to find the needle that they seek.

The response to that failure has been to demand still more haystacks to search. Committee Chairman Darrell Issa insists that the Justice Department release thousands of additional documents that go right to the core of ongoing criminal investigations in the case, even though as a matter of law and practice such documents are considered exempt from congressional subpoena.

Attorney General Eric Holder, backed by President Obama, has refused to release those documents, which is why he is now in danger of joining a long list of officials in both parties to have been held in contempt of Congress over the years.

Issa and his colleagues believe that somewhere, documents exist that will show that Holder and others at high levels in the Obama administration helped to plan and execute Fast and Furious, although again, there’s no evidence that is true. But what really drives the investigation is a deeply held conviction among many conservatives that instead of being an effort to track guns back to the drug cartels and then arrest cartel leadership, Fast and Furious was a government plot intended to make guns look bad and to build public support for undercutting the Second Amendment.

Here’s how Rush Limbaugh explained it to the faithful yesterday:

“Now, we all know what the purpose of this was. The purpose of this was to gin up anti-Amendment 2 sentiment among the people of this country. The objective was — and this is where the irony steps in — the objective was to have news stories where everybody was shocked and stunned and saddened, guns purchased by drug cartel members in America. Look how easy it was, end up in Mexico, owned by violent drug gangs, and used in the commission of heinous crimes. Why, our gun laws are too lax. The sentiment in this country among the people is to maintain the Second Amendment. The America people don’t want, by a vast majority, any gun control legislation. But that doesn’t matter to people like President Kardashian or Eric Holder or any of the Democrat Party or the left.

They don’t want you to have guns, and so it doesn’t matter about the Constitution and it doesn’t matter about the will of the American people. If they don’t want you to have guns they’re gonna try to find a way to make sure that you don’t. And that’s what Fast and Furious was, as simply put as I can make it.”

The theory has no more basis in fact than do claims that Obama is a Kenyan plant or that he intends to confiscate all firearms in private hands. It also ignores the reality that the Bush administration had run similar if smaller scale operations, and that Fast and Furious — botched though it was — was simply an extension of those previous programs.

Unfortunately, these days a story with a basis in fact is much less valuable than a bogus story line that gets people stirred up and angry, certain that their country is being stolen from them as they watch.

– Jay Bookman

609 comments Add your comment

Stevie Ray

June 21st, 2012
11:23 am

Jay,

Obama is not different that Bush and Romney will be no different than Obama. If the spineless one released the documents, no issue would exist and the Lefties could easily quell this political issue. What could be in those documents that requires executive priviledge? Can anyone help me on this? Hope and change my arse…

JohnnyReb

June 21st, 2012
11:25 am

There is more than the obvious wrongdoing within F&F the adminstration does not want to come out. Otherwise, this now 18 month process would be routine and not where we are today. The money is on a coverup. Perhaps Holder lied to Congress, or even Obama is involved.

Executive Privilege cannot be used to coverup illegal activities. That was decided by SCOTUS when Nixon was POTUS. That means, to determine if EP is legal in this case the requested documents will have to be identified and a suitable explanation given of each as to why EP applies. That also means court and not until after the election.

There has to be more than Jay would have us believe or Obama would not be taking the chance on how it will affect his reelection. The Left will try to spin this as an over-reaching Right. Most voters won’t buy that just as they are not buying Obama’s illegal change in immigration law.

Stevie Ray

June 21st, 2012
11:25 am

JAY,

Are you 100% certain that the outstanding documents evidence no problems for your pal President Trillions? If so, you are truly amazing and deserve respect from all….

RIcky G

June 21st, 2012
11:25 am

Byte Me — Read my post again. I am not claiming Executive privilege doesn’t cover the Executive Branch. I am claiming it doesn’t cover the Legislative Branch. The Justice Department, inlcuding Eric Holder, are part of the Legislative Branch.

Tundra Dude

June 21st, 2012
11:26 am

they’re trying to find something, ANYthing, to embarrass Obama and they want HIM (via Holder) to provide it.

Yup. They’ve seen the electoral college maps, the clock is ticking….might not get another chance to find *something* to bring down the Marxist/Secular Socialist, Kenyan anti-Colonialist
(did I miss any?)

Doggone/GA

June 21st, 2012
11:26 am

“Christ should always be capitalized, by the way”

Why, it’s not a proper name. That’s like saying you should always capitalize president.

Peadawg

June 21st, 2012
11:26 am

Steve

June 21st, 2012
11:26 am

Grasshopper

June 21st, 2012
11:26 am

Call me crazy all you want.

It does not change the fact that this AG and this President are now complicit in covering up the details surrounding the death of Brian Terry.

And you all are A-OK with that. As long as it keeps their incompetent butts in office.

Road Scholar

June 21st, 2012
11:27 am

Adam; Thanks for the Maddow link. Quote of the day from a Repub, “They play us like fools!”

Oh, what a gift! So easy…

Towncrier

June 21st, 2012
11:27 am

“What could be in those documents that requires executive priviledge? Can anyone help me on this?”

Fingers tapping….

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:27 am

good try at covering your a** ByteME

Awww… you don’t like it, you can stick it under your tin foil hat… if there’s room.

FYI, there is no provision for “executive privilege” in the Constitution

There’s also no provision in the Constitution for congressional oversight of the day-to-day operation of the Executive branch. See how that works?

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:29 am

What could be in those documents that requires executive priviledge? Can anyone help me on this?”

Read the link I posted before to see what’s exactly being covered. You’ll see its internal documents discussing how to handle Congressional and media requests. Internal deliberations. Not activities that they actually did, just what they discussed.

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:30 am

Call me crazy all you want.

You’re crazy
You’re crazy
You’re crazy
You’re crazy
You’re crazy
You’re crazy

Ok, I’m done for now, but that doesn’t mean I won’t come back later and add to it.

Towncrier

June 21st, 2012
11:31 am

“LMAO I love Luckovich’s cartoon today!!!”

Luckovich strikes me as a coward since he (unlike a number of political cartoonists) doesn’t allow comments to his cartoons. I guess the AJC is not as “accurate and balanced” as they profess.

josef

June 21st, 2012
11:32 am

Ricky G

The Justice Department is of the Executive Branch

http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/Federal/Executive.shtml

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:32 am

Luckovich strikes me as a coward

So says the blogger who complains using an alias to hide his real identity.

Steve

June 21st, 2012
11:32 am

Americans are sick of witch hunts. We want jobs. We want to fix the income disparity and the distribution of money/power to a very few. We want to live in a safe, prosperous, balanced society.

This Holder thing is going to be dead long before the election. Just another distraction.

Joe Hussein Mama

June 21st, 2012
11:32 am

Grasshopper — “You can start with Steve at 11:05.”

Rejected. He’s quite clearly outlining a dismissive attitude on *your* part.

He didn’t dismiss Terry’s death. He asked how come y’all care so much about *one* particular death when the standard line from the GOP during the war was ‘they knew what they were signing up for.’

Insert quarter, try again.

Towncrier

June 21st, 2012
11:32 am

“See how that works?”

No, I am afraid I don’t. I don’t see many things “working” at all.

Talking Head

June 21st, 2012
11:33 am

The questions that should be asked now are: how much does Obama know? And when did he know about it?

Brosephus™

June 21st, 2012
11:33 am

Committee Chairman Darryl Issa insists that the Justice Department release thousands of additional documents that go right to the core of ongoing criminal investigations in the case, even though as a matter of law and practice such documents are considered exempt from congressional subpoena.

If that is indeed the facts as they stand and not just opinionating, then I think we’re at the forefront of a USDA Grade A witch hunt. I’ll reserve judgement, but I think this is more about politics than it is about actually trying to determine how things really went down.

——————————-

Why isn’t the Department of Justice focused on prosecuting crimes instead of expensive, pointless witch hunts that cost tax payers millions? See Clemons, Roger.

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ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:33 am

I don’t see many things “working” at all.

Your blindness doesn’t mean something didn’t just fly by you.

JohnnyReb

June 21st, 2012
11:34 am

Towncrier

June 21st, 2012
11:31 am

“LMAO I love Luckovich’s cartoon today!!!”

Luckovich strikes me as a coward since he (unlike a number of political cartoonists) doesn’t allow comments to his cartoons. I guess the AJC is not as “accurate and balanced” as they profess.
________________

I agree with Towncrier. Luckovich should allow comments to his cartoons.

The hardcopy Sunday addition now publishes a Conservative cartoon, but as long as Luckovich goes unchecked during the week the AJC will be an obvious Liberal rag.

Tom

June 21st, 2012
11:34 am

I think the whole F&F stuff started at the White House, and now they are afraid of the Latino vote disappearing when they (Latinos) find out how many Mexicans died because of the guns and the WH involvement? If they didn’t have anything to hide, then release the stupid documents! Such a nice transparent President – NOT.

Grasshopper

June 21st, 2012
11:34 am

“Americans are sick of witch hunts. We want jobs. We want to fix the income disparity and the distribution of money/power to a very few. We want to live in a safe, prosperous, balanced society.”

And apparently some of us don’t want to hear any more about dead federal agents – that’s too messy for our Dear Leader and his minions.

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:34 am

The questions that should be asked now are: how much does Obama know? And when did he know about it?

And then complain about whether he did/did not know for exactly opposite reasons. Doesn’t matter what the answer is to those whose brain stems are infected with ODS.

rightwing troll

June 21st, 2012
11:35 am

Isn’t the second amendment universal and doesn’t it come from our creator? Then cartels have the right to own fireams as well…no?

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:35 am

I think the whole F&F stuff started at the White House

You would be wrong, then. Thanks for playing. Wikipedia can be your friend.

Joe Hussein Mama

June 21st, 2012
11:36 am

Grasshopper — “Another dismissive attitude Joe. ByteMe at 11:07″

Rejected. Find me someone who’s clearly saying that Terry’s death is unimportant, or not that big a thing, or irrelevant.

Don’t waste my time with picayune crap simply because you don’t agree with the posters.

Jay

June 21st, 2012
11:36 am

I see a lot of allegations/insinuations, often stated as plain fact, that Obama and Holder planned this operation. Do any of you have actual evidence to support such a claim?

Or do you think that evidence is an old-fashioned concept, that the charge alone should suffice as truth?

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:36 am

Then cartels have the right to own fireams as well…no?

My thought on that was that the operation screwed up in not using confiscated Afghanistan heroin instead just for symmetry.

Grasshopper

June 21st, 2012
11:36 am

You choose to waste you own time, not me.

Billybob

June 21st, 2012
11:37 am

“Issa and his colleagues believe that somewhere, documents exist that will show that Holder and others at high levels in the Obama administration helped to plan and execute Fast and Furious, although again, there’s no evidence that is true”
then turn over all the documents and let’s find the truth jay…..holder is like you, a complete aand utter liberal political hack…..the most political attorney general in a long time….he is the chief law enforcement officer of the land, but with the leftists like you, holder and obama, if you don’t like a law you just decide to arbitrarily not enforce it…..please keep talking all you leftists out there….jay, looks like my prediction last month of dems publicly jumpling ship by the end of the month is happening right before our very eyes…..keep hanging on until the end…..the best advice you could give the statist in the white house is to not say another word until the election…….enjoy the november smackdown liberal hack

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:37 am

Do any of you have actual evidence to support such a claim?

But… but… but… OBAMA!!! :lol:

Towncrier

June 21st, 2012
11:37 am

“So says the blogger who complains using an alias to hide his real identity.”

So illogically responds the blogger who has done the same but without seeming to realize that the identity of the cartoonist in question is already known and he would be considered a “public figure” and that my comments are open to criticism by others here.

Fly-On-The-Wall

June 21st, 2012
11:38 am

Johnny Reb – I agree with Towncrier. Luckovich should allow comments to his cartoons

It’s a frik’en cartoon – grow up and get over it.

Joe Hussein Mama

June 21st, 2012
11:38 am

Ricky G — “The Justice Department, inlcuding Eric Holder, are part of the Legislative Branch.”

Cabinet-level officers and their departments are part of the Executive Branch.

Erwin's cat

June 21st, 2012
11:38 am

JHM – “I challenge you to produce one post by any regular liberal poster on here that demonstrates a dismissive attitude about of Agent Terry’s death.

here ya go

Steve – “3 people die every hour from gun violence in this country. thousands died in failed wars. One border agent dies and Obama is the anti-christ?”

Peadawg

June 21st, 2012
11:39 am

“I see a lot of allegations/insinuations, often stated as plain fact, that Obama and Holder planned this operation.”

I don’t think they planned it. But I DO think they knew about it and are hiding something.

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:39 am

It’s a frik’en cartoon – grow up and get over it.

You should be a doctor. Excellent diagnosis and recommended treatment plan.

Tundra Dude

June 21st, 2012
11:39 am

I’ll reserve judgement, but I think this is more about politics than it is about actually trying to determine how things really went down.

Back in 2011, (a non-election year) this Issa character was singing a different tune.
Just one example:

“This isn’t the first time the FBI and other agencies have been involved in investigations in which bad people are allowed to continue doing bad things in the name of going after bad people,” Issa said”

getalife

June 21st, 2012
11:39 am

It is all about taking your guns cons.

Grasshopper

June 21st, 2012
11:39 am

“I see a lot of allegations/insinuations, often stated as plain fact, that Obama and Holder planned this operation. Do any of you have actual evidence to support such a claim?”

No…remember. Holder and Obama are burying the documents as we speak. Executive privilege and all that. They have been caught in two lies about this already. You think it really stops there?

ty webb

June 21st, 2012
11:39 am

“Fast and Furious started under Bush.”

this is a lie.

Joe Hussein Mama

June 21st, 2012
11:39 am

E. Cat. — “here ya go”

Already rejected, and not just by me. If you want to discuss why I reject it, I’ll gladly discuss that.

East Cobb RINO

June 21st, 2012
11:40 am

I have heard rumblings of the House Republicans wanting to impeach Obama. Good luck in the Senate trial with that. In a way I hope they do as I think it would be a bad stategy during an election year.

Towncrier

June 21st, 2012
11:40 am

“I see a lot of allegations/insinuations, often stated as plain fact, that Obama and Holder planned this operation. Do any of you have actual evidence to support such a claim?”

I am not sure why anyone would think they “planned” the operation. But you must concede it would be very unflattering (to say the least) for Obama to admit he signed off on the operation in an election year.

josef

June 21st, 2012
11:40 am

Just in case anyone needs to know what is and what is not picayune…

http://www.nola.com/t-p/

Billybob

June 21st, 2012
11:41 am

it’s the cover-up after the fact that is at issue jay and you know it…..your post intentionally misses the point, kind of like msnbc, nbc, cbs, and abc not even doing their job on this issue…..liberal media exposed on a daily basis, which coincidentally helps the conserv conservative vision for this country…..

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:42 am

But I DO think they knew about it and are hiding something.

I think they were brought into the loop long after it went off the rails. People act like these are small companies where everyone knows everything and gossips about everyone’s business instead of massive government agencies with personnel and activities spread across the globe.

getalife

June 21st, 2012
11:43 am

Thanks to fox and the sc you can cuss on television and no fcc fines..

Familly values.

JohnnyReb

June 21st, 2012
11:43 am

Fly-On-The-Wall

June 21st, 2012
11:38 am

Johnny Reb – I agree with Towncrier. Luckovich should allow comments to his cartoons

It’s a frik’en cartoon – grow up and get over it.
________________

It’s amazing the self-appointed braintrust here does not understand the political cartoonist is a direct reflection of the AJC’s political idiology.

There have been changes to the AJC that makes it somewhat more acceptable to conservatives, but as long as Luckovich is the guy the image won’t change. He needs to move on just as did Tucker. A compromise would be a Conservative cartoon each day of the week and on-line and/or him opening his post to comments.

ty webb

June 21st, 2012
11:43 am

CBS has actually done pretty good reporting on this issue.

Joe Hussein Mama

June 21st, 2012
11:44 am

Grasshopper — “Call me crazy all you want. It does not change the fact that this AG and this President are now complicit in covering up the details surrounding the death of Brian Terry.”

That’s only your opinion at this point. You might be proven correct at some point in the future, but as of right now, that’s merely your opinion. Not a fact.

“And you all are A-OK with that. As long as it keeps their incompetent butts in office.”

No. If Congress wants an investigation, they can certainly do one.

FWIW, I was just as outraged as you are now when the Valerie Plame case broke. And despite all the signs pointing to high-level involvement, nothing was ever *proven,* so despite my personal upset, I have to deal with it and move on.

If nothing’s proven to support your allegations, then you shall have to do the same thing.

Grow the eff up and listen to what you’re saying.

Normal Free...Pro Human Rights Thug...And liking it!

June 21st, 2012
11:45 am

“liberal media exposed on a daily basis” OMG, not again??? :roll:

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:45 am

A compromise would be a Conservative cartoon each day of the week and on-line and/or him opening his post to comments.

So says someone who doesn’t read the for-money printed edition… which has one EVERY DAY.

Joe Hussein Mama

June 21st, 2012
11:45 am

Towncrier — ” I guess the AJC is not as “accurate and balanced” as they profess.”

Just following FNC’s example. ;)

Towncrier

June 21st, 2012
11:45 am

“It’s a frik’en cartoon – grow up and get over it.”

No problem except that the editor of the AJC in advertisement is claiming the paper is “accurate and balanced.” I am looking for the professed “balance” in this instance.

Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)

June 21st, 2012
11:45 am

Well, I don’t know about you but I always liked baloney. You can have baloney sandwiches. You can fry it and eat it with eggs. Heck, you can make a baloney sandwich without bread—just use a couple slices for the outside, then put on it what the sandwich is to hold, then use a couple slices for the other side. And the good part is it’ll last forever. Heck, some refrigerator around here has baloney that was made in 1942.

But this ain’t baloney. This is about winning a election putting a bunch of librul Democrats in jail where they belong. I say go for it. Pass the contempt bill and send the cops to arrest Holder. Make him do the perp walk. Heck, for all we know, this could be better than the impeachment of Clinton. At least we got a nice juicy report out of that. I read it about 10 times. You could click on the footnote numbers and get real juicy stuff. And y’know, I ain’t had a cigar ever since. But I just read it to keep informed, you understand.

Have a good Thursday everybody. And sellabrate the Return of Bookman. I knowed he would sober up sooner or later.

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:45 am

CBS has actually done pretty good reporting on this issue.

Haven’t seen it. Anything in particular catch your eye?

Talking Head

June 21st, 2012
11:45 am

“I see a lot of allegations/insinuations, often stated as plain fact, that Obama and Holder planned this operation. Do any of you have actual evidence to support such a claim?”

The fact that they are using “Executive Privilege” this late into these hearing should be a red flag that someone high up knows something that could be harmful to the Administration.

Ronnie Raygun

June 21st, 2012
11:45 am

“Committee Chairman Darryl Issa insists that the Justice Department release thousands of additional documents that go right to the core of ongoing criminal investigations in the case, even though as a matter of law and practice such documents are considered exempt from congressional subpoena.”

Since the Republicans have been more than willing to stall the recovery and lower the country’s credit rating to “make Obama a one term President, it’s not real surprising that the Cons would risk letting felons go so that they can regain power in Washington.

Peadawg

June 21st, 2012
11:45 am

“Thanks to fox and the sc you can cuss on television and no fcc fines..

Familly values.”

Oh f*k off, getalife.

JohnnyReb

June 21st, 2012
11:46 am

Jay, I don’t have any evidence Obama and/or Holder or others are guilty. However, there is too much smoke not to be fire. If something was not astray this 18 month investigation would have been over without the mess.

carlosgvv

June 21st, 2012
11:46 am

“But what really drives the investigation”

What really drives this investigation is an attemp to make Obama look as bad as possible and, therefore, gain more votes in the upcomming election. Honest adherence to our laws means nothing to these Repbulicans and, once again, poor blind justice gets tossed out the window strictly for political gain.

getalife

June 21st, 2012
11:47 am

Pea,

Jay is not television.

King of Everything

June 21st, 2012
11:47 am

As we would say in Jamaica ” What’s gone bad at morning can’t go good at evening.” A bad idea is bound to go wrong.

Billybob

June 21st, 2012
11:48 am

hussein,
the special prosecutor knew who leaked her name at the start of the investigation and went on for a couple of years after the fact and all he could do was catch someone messing up some inconsequential dates during testimony….that is call a political witch hunt…..the hunt here is to find out the truth and find out why holder perjured himself in front of congress…big difference but i wouldn’t expect jay to enlighten his readers to those facts…..

getalife

June 21st, 2012
11:48 am

I guess tv will be like HBO and Showtime now.

They have the best shows on television.

Imagine the talk shows now.

JohnnyReb

June 21st, 2012
11:48 am

ByteMe – Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:45 am

A compromise would be a Conservative cartoon each day of the week and on-line and/or him opening his post to comments.

So says someone who doesn’t read the for-money printed edition… which has one EVERY DAY.
_______________

I only get home delivery on Sat and Sun. There is not a conservative cartoon on Saturday. Are you sure its there Mon thru Fri?

Joe Hussein Mama

June 21st, 2012
11:48 am

JohnnyReb — “I agree with Towncrier. Luckovich should allow comments to his cartoons.”

You can thank President Reagan for doing away with the Fairness Doctrine. Not that it ever applied to print media in the first place.

“The hardcopy Sunday addition now publishes a Conservative cartoon, but as long as Luckovich goes unchecked during the week the AJC will be an obvious Liberal rag.”

The conservative, market-based solution would be to start a conservative newspaper and then to compete directly with the Journal-Con . . .

WHOOPS

Y’all already have the Marietta Daily Journal. Remind me how big their paid circulation is, please?

(laughing) :D

Jay

June 21st, 2012
11:48 am

OK, Town, let’s try it your way: Do you have any evidence that Obama signed off on it?

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:48 am

If something was not astray this 18 month investigation would have been over without the mess.

So Whitewater… the land deal… which never got the Clintons after, what, 6 years of trying?, was a lot of smoke and no fire. Good object lesson. It’s easy to imagine something bad, but harder to prove it.

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:49 am

Do you have any evidence that Obama signed off on it?

“But… but… but… that’s in the papers they won’t turn over”

in …3…2…1….

ND

June 21st, 2012
11:49 am

Until yesterday, I did not know that Operation Fast and Furious has been going on since 2006 (when Bush was in office). How did I find out? From Stephen Colbert, of all the people. Nice job, mainstream media.

RIcky G

June 21st, 2012
11:50 am

Sorry, I mis-spoke about which branch Holder fell under. The fact the DOJ is part of the Executive Branch, however, does not change the fact that the there was no Justice Department or AG for nearly a century after the Constitution was enacted and that they are entirely dependant upon Congress for their funding and their very existance. If Congress chose to, they could vote tomorrow to eliminate the DOJ entirely.

They are claiming the “deliberative process” privilege. It is important to note that no one is claiming that there was any involvement of the president or his staff in this deliberative process, merely DOJ employees. It is very presumptious of them to tell Congress to basically go to hell when Congress requests information from them.

Road Scholar

June 21st, 2012
11:50 am

Towncrier: From earlier posts on TSPLOST conservatives stated that planning is a liberal thing to do, esp if it was regional, and insinuated that conserves just wing it. Oh and they accused ARC of conspiring on the project list, which was conceived and approved by the county , city and public reps on the committee. It passed unanimously, including conservative reps.

Did the sun come up this morning? Did President Obama have something to do with it? get real.

Fly-On-The-Wall

June 21st, 2012
11:50 am

Maybe the reason the so-called liberal MSM isn’t following this in the way the Right wants is because they see this for what it – another witch hunt in an election year.

But my guess is that the reason the Right thinks the rest of the media isn’t covering this story is because the media isn’t denouncing Obama like Faux News does every day/hour/minute.

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:51 am

There is not a conservative cartoon on Saturday. Are you sure its there Mon thru Fri?

I get Fri-Sun and every Luckovich cartoon has a correspondingly right-wing one from the ABC or another conservative rag. Maybe I’m imagining it??

East Cobb RINO

June 21st, 2012
11:51 am

Billybob
June 21st, 2012
11:41 am
it’s the cover-up after the fact that is at issue jay and you know it…..your post intentionally misses the point, kind of like msnbc, nbc, cbs, and abc not even doing their job on this issue….
*****************************************************
You conveniently left out your beloved FOX news which is the king of fabrication and half-truth as exposed as recently as 2 days ago on The Daily Show for not showing the full clip of an Obama interview. They cut their version short because it would have proven their version wrong.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-june-19-2012/democalypse-2012—pander-express-edition—obama-s-immigration-reform

ragnar danneskjold

June 21st, 2012
11:51 am

Chairman Ann: “Eric Holder lied. Brian Terry died.”

getalife

June 21st, 2012
11:51 am

I expect the dems to walk out on the vote of contempt in the house because the gop did it.

Everything the gop is doing, the dems will do the same.

larry

June 21st, 2012
11:51 am

Well , welcome back Jay. We behaved.

Meanwhile, the President and AG are in Michelle’s garden burying the documents as we speak.

Over at the Romney campaign, they are telling the Repub. governor’s not to brag about the improving employment rate in their states. It doesn’t fit in with his message that Obama is hurting the economy.

Towncrier

June 21st, 2012
11:52 am

“Just following FNC’s example.”

I guess so, JMH. It is probably imprudent to claim something for yourself you are not living up to. And I would concede that the FNC is not always “fair and balanced” (with the implication others are not).

Brosephus™

June 21st, 2012
11:52 am

The Justice Department, inlcuding Eric Holder, are part of the Legislative Branch.

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

The DOJ is a part of the ENFORCEMENT of law. The enforcement part of our government is organized under the Executive Branch. The DOJ does not legislate anything…

http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/Federal/Executive.shtml

stands for decibels

June 21st, 2012
11:52 am

If the A G is so innocent like Jay makes it appear, why did he lie to congress?

This is “lying” as defined by Issa.

If you trust Issa.

I wouldn’t trust Issa to change a $20, with cameras rolling and guns pointed at him.

ty webb

June 21st, 2012
11:52 am

so jay supports governmental transparency, albeit partisan, roughly half of the time…”so he’s got that going for him…which is nice.”

Billybob

June 21st, 2012
11:52 am

carlos,
when you have a president who just arbitrarily decides which laws he will uphold and which laws he will not uphold, then we have a problem…..why should his attorney general, who works at his behest be any different…..the leftists in power continue to show their complet and utter lack of leadership and everyone sees it and hussein’s own words continue to bury himself…..winning’

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:53 am

If Congress chose to, they could vote tomorrow to eliminate the DOJ entirely.

EXACTLY. And that’s the only control they have over the situation.

It is very presumptious of them to tell Congress to basically go to hell when Congress requests information from them.

It’s very presumptious (great word, BTW) of Congress to require a co-equal branch of government to provide day-to-day operational details. Let ‘em cut off funds, but they don’t get to tell the Executive branch how to do its job.

Fly-On-The-Wall

June 21st, 2012
11:53 am

For the cartoon question – I’ve seen Luckovich cartoons that did not show President Obama in a favorable light so where is your outrage or support for those?

Your selective disdain is disgusting. The Right is lower than whale poop.

getalife

June 21st, 2012
11:53 am

They even copy the same lines like w lied, thousands of Americans died in Iraq.

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:54 am

Meanwhile, the President and AG are in Michelle’s garden burying the documents as we speak.

An excellent time in DC to start tilling for fall broccoli and spinach. :)

Adam

June 21st, 2012
11:55 am

Who would believe any thing that comes from MSNBC since they were caught editing things to make the point they want to make?

If it were a regular practice I might agree with you. But one recent tape editing incident doesn’t make your case. Repeatedly doing it, the way Fox News does, does. There is no equivalency between the two.

Peadawg

June 21st, 2012
11:55 am

“If the A G is so innocent like Jay makes it appear, why did he lie to congress?”

Good question.

Soothsayer

June 21st, 2012
11:55 am

Jay, I knew you’d come back for us. I knew you wouldn’t leave us here to die an agonizing death at the hands of the intellectually challenged. Welcome back.

Tundra Dude

June 21st, 2012
11:55 am

ND
Until yesterday, I did not know that Operation Fast and Furious has been going on since 2006 (when Bush was in office).

another quote from Issa, in 2011:

Walking Guns and Laundering Drug Money – The “War” on Drugs is Doing Just Fine
December 4, 2011
(snipped)
Darrell Issa has backed off his calls for Eric Holder’s resignation. He basically states that since the program is institutional in the Department of Justice and has been since the Bush administration, holding Holder responsible would be pointless.

ByteMe - Political thug

June 21st, 2012
11:55 am

They even copy the same lines like w lied, thousands of Americans died in Iraq.

I seem to recall that one came from the Vietnam era…?

Ann’s a damn hippie chick. Check her armpits.

Joe Hussein Mama

June 21st, 2012
11:56 am

Billybob — “holder is like you, a complete aand utter liberal political hack…..the most political attorney general in a long time…”

Sorry, I’d give that title to Ashcroft. Anyone who thinks that a statue of Justice needs her boobies covered up — and orders it done — isn’t playing with a full deck.

Fly-On-The-Wall

June 21st, 2012
11:56 am

BillyBob,

Bush did this for 8 years – ignore laws, not enforce them, or get someone on his staff to say that everything Bush did was legal. Talk about arbitrarily ignoring the rule of law.