Posted on 12/13/2007 12:49:33 PM PST by neverdem
Associated Press
Idaho's senators are blocking President Bush's nominee to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, saying the agency has become overly aggressive in enforcing gun laws.
Republican Sens. Larry Craig and Mike Crapo placed separate holds on the nomination of federal prosecutor Michael Sullivan, the acting ATF director for more than a year.
Crapo's spokesman, Lindsay Nothern, said the senator's office has heard from a number of gun dealers, gun owners and others in Idaho who "have concerns about ATF policies regarding gun sales and even (gun) ownership. Maybe the federal government is getting a little too aggressive with people who haven't done anything wrong."
Sullivan, who also serves as U.S. attorney in Massachusetts, was nominated by Bush in March. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved his nomination last month.
Under Senate rules, a single senator, sometimes anonymously, can put a hold on legislative action for months.
The ATF had no immediate comment Wednesday.
Crapo met with Sullivan last week and "had some pointed questions," Nothern said. The senator is still waiting for answers, Nothern said.
Sidney Smith, a spokesman for Craig, said the Craig's intention "was not to throw up a permanent roadblock. We were hearing concerns from people in our state about how ATF was working with law-abiding gun dealers on compliance issues."
Craig also met with Sullivan and awaits answers to his questions, Smith said.
The action comes as an Idaho gun shop wages a high-profile battle with the ATF over its right to buy and trade guns.
The ATF stripped the license of Red's Trading Post, in Twin Falls, Idaho, in March after an audit found numerous record-keeping violations over a five-year period.
A federal judge later ruled the agency had exaggerated and omitted some of the findings it used to revoke the license. U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge allowed the gun shop to continue operating until he decides whether the license revocation was legal. The case is pending.
Sullivan, a former GOP state legislator, has been known for a tough stance on drug and gun cases in his tenure as U.S. attorney. One judge criticized him publicly for burdening the federal system with cases that could be handled by state prosecutors.
Associated Press writer Andrew Miga contributed to this report.
“I bet if the nominee would agree to meet Larry Craig in a men’s public restroom, he’d support him....”
So, if a person you dislike, does a good thing, you find a way to criticize him for it?
Credit should be given where it is due.
He is one of the most ardent supports of the 2nd amendment. He has saved our gun rights many times. Never has he let us down in that regard. Never.
The guy from NH was nameed Dick Sweat.
Honest!
Thanks for the links.
The GOA's alert on this nomination can be found at Senate Close To Confirming A Ted Kennedy-style Liberal To BATFE.
I thought you were linking me to my thread. LOL!
Despite having posted to that thread (#22 on December 5th), it didn't occur to me to link to it instead of the original article at GOA.
Actually, the agency's been diverting resources away from the pursuit of real criminals, so it can use those resources to instead harass the law-abiding.
“Actually, the agency’s been diverting resources away from the pursuit of real criminals, so it can use those resources to instead harass the law-abiding.”
Sure seems that way, doesn’t it?
The world has just gone bat-crap.
Very profound, if I may say.
Since I'm getting older, does age induce clarity? If so, I look forward to it. ;^)
There used to be a pol here in CA named Conyu.
Dream ticket: Huckabe/Crapo
Well maybe he needs to add a “la” to the end of his name then. You know, to let everyone know that we’re going to have fun with this thing.
"We were hearing concerns from people in our state about how ATF was working with against law-abiding gun dealers on compliance issues."
Glad to see there are still some senators listening to their constituents!
And don’t forget Dick Trickle car racing!
Government personnel who do such things should be held personally liable for their deeds.
Same with those who do things that lead to taxpayers having to foot the bill to pay (either via settlement or judgment) those who have been mistreated.
Thanks for the ping!
It’s a good thing Michael Sullivan is as incompetent as he is, else he might have had even more success in harassing law-abiding citizens. Let’s hope he can be permanently stopped in this.
I guess President Bush has finally decided that he no longer needs to keep up the façade of being conservative. His support for a bigtime liberal thug like Sullivan is sickening.
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