Posted on 05/15/2013 7:08:05 AM PDT by ken5050
Attorney General Eric Holder will appear before the House Judiciary Committee at 1 PM EST today. This appearance had been scheduled some time ago, but is drawing huge attention because of the rapidly unfolding scandals about the IRS and the DoJ seizure of the AP telephone records. These are crucial, very important hearings, but nevertheless, we can expect to be treated to a side-show spectacle of three of the stupidest Democrat House members competing to see who can say the absolutely dumbest things. Of course, I am speaking of John Conyers, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Hank Johnson....
She is the worst to work for. Turns the air blue in her office and screams 24/7 at her staffers.
24/7 is accurate. She keeps them at work all hours of the night for no apparent reason.
1 pm on C-Span 3
This was a scheduled routine hearing.
Holder is throwing his deputy under the bus-—Deputy Attorney General James Cole
http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/15/holder-not-sure-how-many-times-hes-seized-press-records/
http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/14/rnc-chairman-calls-for-attorney-general-eric-holders-resignation/
http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/14/brinkley-obama-may-have-to-accept-holders-resignation-video/
I am standing by to watch. Fantasy.....the Sargent at Arms escorts Holder to jail....I can dream...Hope and Change...lol.
Thanks for the links! Here comes Holder strutting in like a cock on the walk right now.
Term limits nothing. John Conyers is a walking advertisement for birth control.
post partum abortion. Didn't Cartman's mother want to have him aborted in the 30th trimester?
Eric “the weasel” Holder’s unbounded arrogance nearly defines the word “arrogant”
He’s going to plead dumb about the AP phone scandal because he recused himself. Will anyone ask him why he recused himself? Probably not. I need to look that up.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3019384/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3019309/posts
As I post, James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin) is drilling him on this point. I still don’t understand this!!!
Holder: “I am a “fact witness,” in the fact that I am a possessor, I was a possessor, I am a possessor of the information that was ultimately leaked. And the question then is, Who of those people who possessed that information, which was a relatively limited number of people within the Justice Dept, who of those people, who of those possessors, actually spoke in an inappropriate way to members of the AP. “
Holder: I’ve just been given a note that we have in fact confirmed that the Deputy was the one who authorized these subpoenas.
Note to self: Go back over Sensenbrenner’s questioning of Holder.
Zoe Lofgren (d-calif) goes back to recusal question
funnier lookin’ too.
Brief NOTES on today’s hearing with Eric Holder
******
Bachus (R-Alabama) asks Holder WHEN he recused himself - not in writing
-—NOTHING IN WRITING and CAN’T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHEN HE RECUSED HIMSELF
Holder: I don’t know exactly-— toward the beginning of the investigation -— before the subpoenas.
I appointed 2 people to lead the investigation— 2 good US attorneys
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Issa — plays voice recording of Tom Perez (one of Holder’s deputies, Civil Rights Div, now Labor Secy appointee). Holder appears to have a transcript. Later says to Jackson Lee, who interrupted) that that recording came from the DOJ
Quid-pro-quo
Tom Perez falsely stated to our committee that he had none, then 1, then 2, then 34, then 35 emails that violated the Federal Records Act.... They have not seen the remainder of the 1200 emails.
Holder is hot under the collar!!! Lol.
Issa goes back to the emails - Melanie Barns (WH domestic policy council) , Sarah Pratt at HUD (germane to our quid-pro-quo) to a AOL account.
Perez has non-govt accounts which he uses for govt use — a Verizon email account, and a RCN account
In the AP case you appointed Ronald Machin (sp?). When this Congress held you in contempt, he was the individual who refused on your orders to prosecute the case. If he will obey your orders in not living up to a Contempt of Congress, can we believe that he is, in fact, independent.
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Randy Forbes (R-VA)
“Can’t comment because we have an ongoing investigation” has almost become the fifth amendment of politics for this administration.”
Benghazi - shows pic of Tyrone Woods.
Pic of Brian Terry - Fast & Furious
iCE - release of 2000 illegl immigrant detainees, some of whom were felons
IRS - some of whom merely teaching about the Constitution.
Holder: When mistakes are made, we hold people accountable and change policies.
Forbes - ObamaCare — Legislation to make sure IRS is not involved in ObamaCare.
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Steve King (R-Iowa) - Pigford
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Trent Franks (R-Ariz)
1800 babies per year over 20wks are aborted & 44,000 abortion survivors are living today
Obama voted against the born-alive infant protection act several times in his home state.
In 2002, Fed govt passed the born-alive infant protection act on the federal level. - Person, infant-—shall include any child born alive.
Atty Gen, Will you enforce this act? Have you ever enforced this Law even ONE time?
Holder: We can examine that
Trent: Well, there has been 18,000 opportunities....
***Well, I hear the mantra so often that this is somehow choice, but to stand by in silence while the most helpless of all children are tortuously and agonizingly dismembered day after day after day, year after year after year, Mr General is quite honestly a heartless disgrace that really can’t be described by the vocabulary of man.”***
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Lou Gohmert (R-Texas) - Holyland Foundation Trial
We have asked for and want the same documents that the terrorists were provided.
Holder: Your peeps didn’t get back to my peeps.
Asks a Tamerlan Boston Bombing question. Were they allowed to ask questions like who is your favorite Imam, his mosque, etc, etc
FBI info was purged -— afraid of offending
Gohmert discusses (ISB) the Boston mosque’s radical origins.
Need to get Gohmert’s quote
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Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)- Will you assure us that your investigation will not impede Congress’ investigation.
Next Wed Lois Lerner and 3 other witnesses will be in front of Issa committee. She has already lied several times.
And let’s just be frank, Mr Holder, you don’t have all that much credibility!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ted Poe (R-Texas) — yesterday I sent Holder 7 questions. Ask that that be entered into the record.
Govt action has become suspect to many of us.
F&F, Benghazi, HHS [Sebelius shakedown], DOJ AP scandal, IRS scandal.
Let me give you a personal case, a constituent of mine, Kathleen
Kathleen’s story - We applied for non-profit status in 2010. Since that time the IRS has run us through a gauntlet of analysts and hundreds of quesions over and over again. They have asked us for every tweet I ever tweeted and every Facebook post, [He lists more] etc, etc
I’ve had 6 visits from the FBI, unannounced visits from OSHA and ATF. My husband and I have been audited on our 20-yr family business for the first time.
Holder: I guess I wouldn’t agree with your characterization.
Holder: ***I’ll mark you as a fan not of government***
Holder than lists “good govt” response to natural disasters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Suzan DelBENE (D-Washington) — ACLU obtained docs that FBI says it can obtain emails without a warrant if through third-party like Outlook, G-mail, etc
DelBENE: If I have a letter, that would require a warrant; If I have digital, that would not.
Holder: Yes, we need a set of rules, blah, blah,
DelBENE: I have legislation with Poe and Lofgren....
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Chafetz (R-Utah)
I want to go to investigation of then CIA director — Petraeus, which FBI started in May-June timeframe. When did you first learn of it.
Holder: some months later - summer.
C: When was Petraeus notified? When did he become aware of it?
H: We’ll get back to you
C: You knew about this in the summer. When did you e summer, When did to notify Director of National Intelligence Clapper.
H; I knew about it awhile before he was notified
When was Pres notified
H: late Fall or early winter; I don’t know.
C: You knew for months, but you didn’t notify Pres. Why didn’t you notify Pres. You didn’t think there was any national intelligence ramifications?
Chaffetz quotes Congressional Research service - his emails were hacked.
I think the President is the one person who should have been notified. Is this an ongoing investigation?
H: Yes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tom Marino 9R- PA) — BB. Miranda. Why were charges filed after 16 hrs.
H: you have 48 hrs to bring charges, consistent with rules -— using public safety exception.
M: Why did you rush to mirandize?
H: we waited 46 hrs
H:Was that discussed with Director Mueller?
H: Yes
Marino goes back to the recusal. I have been involved in recusal, but I always followed it up with a PAPER TRAIL
You have the deputy that gave the approval (of Holder’s recusal-—without a paper trails) but then is heading the investigation. Don’t you think there is a conflict of interest there? and that someone else should be appointed to handle this matter?
H: blah, blah, blah.
Marino’s time has expired
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TREY GOWDY (R, SC)
I wrote you 6 months ago which deal with possession or transfer of firearms of those who had been adjuidcated as mentally defective or comitted to mental institution. I got a Senator to co-sign. I haven’t heard back. You agree, It is relevant how effectively those codes are being prosecuted as we evaluate whether or not we need additional tools.
G: What percentage of current background check failures are being prosecuted?
G: Let me quote you: Creating a path to earned citizenship for the 11 million unauthorized immigrants is essential. This is a metter of civil and human rights. (ADL speech)
You would agree with me that persons who can’t pass background checks should not have the civil right, as you call it. of citizenship.
H: As I use that phrase, I didn’t use it in the strictly legal sense.
G: Mr AG, with all due respect, that is the problem with using that phrase. You are a highly trained lawyer and you know what the phrase “civil right” means.
And when you say that you have a civil right to citizenship when you have broken the laws to come to the country, that comment has consequences and surely you have to know that.
H: blah, blah
G: .....problematic to have the AG say that you (illegal immigrant) have a civil and human right to citizenship even though you are in the country in violation of our laws. That’s a non sequitur....I don’t know what you meant; I just know what you said.
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Raul Labrador (R- Idaho) - back to recusal
One of your favorite phrases ... is ongoing criminal investigations...
There is already a statute,... 28 USC, section 591...that requires you to put in writing your reasons for recusal in certain circumstances
Does that statute apply to your recusal?
Will you state today under oath that the DOJ under your watch has not targeted conservative groups for prosecution or political reasons or to gain political advantage?
H; not to my knowledge. I have no knowledge that has ever occurred.
L: Do you know if the IRS leaked tax info related to Mitt Romney...
H: I don’t know.
L: Will you attempt to find out in you investigation?
L: We also know that some of Mitt Romney’s top donors were targeted by the IRS and the Labor Dept, including a gentleman from Idaho. If you will look at that as well....
L: Has OFA, OFA, Occupy, or any progressive group been targeted by the IRS?
L: I going to read you a quote that you stated about your contempt of Congress. In Feb of this year you said: For me to really be affected by what happened (Contempt of Congress) I have to have respect for people who voted that way, and I didn’t. So it didn’t have that huge an impact on me”
L: Don’t you think that quote shows contempt for the Replublican members of Congress...and there were actually some Democrat members of Congress who also voted for Contempt?
H: blah, blah, blah....
~~~~~~~~
Blake Farenhold (R- Texas)
***I am a little concerned you said you marked Rep Poe down as not a fan of government. I hope he has his taxes in order.***
Are you all regularly consulting with MediaMatters for spinning your PR stories? We talked about in the Oversight Govt Reform hearing last year.
H: I’m not sure I know what you are talking about.
F: I’m out of time.
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Rep Doug Collins (R-Georgia)
\Chides Holder for being so ill-prepared for today’s hearing, especially on the recusal issue
Holder said before he got to hear he asked his staff to find out whether his recusal was in writing.
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Ron DeSantis (R, Florida)
I’m going to talk about credibility and accountability...
By your own admission this is one of the most serious leak cases in the past 40 yrs....You said it put the American people at risk.
And yet as you testfied today, you don’t know when you recused yourself; you have no record of your recusing yourself, and you didn’t tell the WH that you recused yourself. And that bothers me because that explanation I think is 1) insufficient, and 2) it insulates you and it insulates the President from any accountability about what happened. So is this really the best you can do for explaining one of the most serious cases you have ever seen in your professional life?
Do you acknowledge that the IRS is a part of the Treasury Sept and accountable to the President. It is not an independent agency....
The President & his press secy have said that it is an independent agency -— that it is outside the purview of the executive branch....My point is that that IRS commissioner is accountable to the Pres. The Pres can remove that individual
We need to be clear bec the WH, the Pres, and the Press Secy have made those statements and they are not accurate.
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