Posted on 06/26/2012 8:34:44 PM PDT by Olog-hai
House Speaker John Boehner is pressing ahead with a vote this week on whether to hold the government's top attorney in contempt of Congress, a move the White House warned Tuesday is a confrontational political ploy.
But Democrats may be signing up. On Tuesday, the chief Democratic House head counter, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, declined to tell reporters how many defections he expected, but acknowledged that some in his party would consider heeding the NRA’s call for a “yes” vote.
Attorney General Eric Holder faces a historic censure by the House should a contempt resolution be brought to the floor for a full vote Thursday in what Democrats say is an extraordinarily abbreviated time frame.
The censure focuses on the handling of a botched plan for US agents to track guns smuggled into Mexico, and specifically over the Justice Department's withholding of documents related to the operation's aftermath.
A Republican member of that committee, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, tells Newsmax that the full House of Representatives will definitely pass the orders of contempt and calls the Justice Department’s actions regarding Fast and Furious “egregious.” …
Launched in Arizona by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fast and Furious was a sting designed to track weapons bought by Mexican drugs cartels.
The agents had abandoned the bureau's usual practice of intercepting the weapons, opting instead to allow guns to be smuggled so they could track who they went to.
But a large number of arms went missing, and two were later found at the 2010 murder scene of a US Border Patrol agent. …
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
It seems about as impactful as having a note sent home to his mommy.
Contempt of Congress is the same as contempt of court, IIRC. The guilty party gets to go sit in jail until he cooperates.
It’s worse than Double Secret Probation.....
How will Congress enforce that?
"Botched", my Aunt Fannie.
There was no effort to track the guns whatsoever. Indeed, the "plan" was going swimmingly...until one of the smuggled guns ended up at Terry's location.
Newsmax should know better...
“heeding the NRA’s call”...
Cripes, Steny - demagogue much???
They’ll never enforce the contempt charge against a sitting AG anyway but I still want to see it done for symbolic purposes if nothing else.
This report sources material from Agence France-Presse.
You know.... Pelosi talks about the Jail in the Capitol where she could have anyone arrested.
...More F N F guns were also found at the murder site of ICE agent Jamie Zapata ....
So that's two (2) federal agents killed on active duty by Fast and Furious guns.
One can only imagine the pressure being put on Democrats who may vote for contempt. Pelosi and Hoyer play a hardball no rules game to keep their troops in line. Obama and Holder play by Chicago rules. No doubt the IRS and FBI files on each potential defector is under a microscope not to mention the pressure on donors and family members. Any Dem who votes against Holder deep down cares about his/ her country and the rule of law. No doubt the defectors will be punished to teach a lesson.
The normal procedure is to refer a Contempt of Congress charge to the DOJ, who takes the subject into custody and deposits them in a federal slammer until they decide to come across with the requested documents, testimony, etc.
This, of course, leaves Congress with the delicate matter of demanding Eric Holder cuff himself and call for a paddy wagon to take him to the Alexandria lock-up.
Won't happen, of course.
But the next step will be more productive. Along with the contempt order, Boehner will authorize Issa to pursue a civil action. The court case should be fairly cut and dried. Executive privilege will be denied...and the court will order that Holder produce the documents.
At that point, two branches of government will be set against the third. Holder will have no other recourse but to produce the documents...or clearly defy the law. Whistleblowers will be coming out of the woodwork. And, in an election season, all this will be a little hard for the MSM to ignore...
This is J. Edgar Hoover of the FBI!
I know I'm in there, and if I don't come out with my hands up...
I'm coming in after me!
“Does anyone know what a contempt vote means besides some political ammunition?”
Not certain, but it Could lead to a charge of interfering with a Congressional Investigation which is good for 5 years, and if it involves foreign terrorism that’s good for 8 yrs.
They can make him talk, give up the documents, if they really want to.
The Democrats just want to get the issue off the news. A vote for contempt would result in a referral for criminal charges, which will go to an Obama appointed prosecutor and die there.
Why, yes.
Actually. all they have to do is catch him in the Capitol building and they don’t have to refer it to anyone. The Sargeant At Arms of the House and the Capitol Police can take him into custody.
Then what?
Take him to basement and waterboard him?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.