[Pearls Before Swine]

...the House voted by 255-to-67 (including 17 Democrats in favor and two Republicans against) to hold Barack Obama’s Attorney General Eric Holder in criminal contempt for failure to turn over documents related to the notorious “Operation Fast and Furious” (a move by the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau to permit sales of guns to criminals across the Mexican border in the hope it would lead to the capture of drug cartel leaders).

If anyone believes that, it's "I've got a bridge to sell you" time. The real reason was to use it as an excuse to blame the gun trade, to generate anti-gun publicity, and to tip the public into accepting stricter gun laws nationally.

Another possibility is that it was an excuse to arm some of the cartels, notably Sinaloa, that Obama had some relationships with. Frankly, I discount that one, because I think that the cartels have other sources of arms and don't need them acquire them in that fashion. But, if US dealers could be blamed for cartel misdeeds in Mexico, it would, it was hoped, guilt the public into accepting stricter laws.

[doorgunner69]

You got it, the whole scam was an attempt to bolster the “90% of cartel guns come from US gun stores” like that PIAPS and Øbowel had been screeching.