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Idaho senators block Bush's ATF pick
San Luis Obispo Tribune ^ | Dec. 12, 2007 | MATTHEW DALY

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.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 110th; atf; banglist; batfe; bootthebatfe; bush; crapo; gop; idaho; iheartcrapo; larrycraig; term2
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To: Badeye

“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.


61 posted on 12/13/2007 5:20:01 PM PST by marktwain
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To: Tijeras_Slim

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.


62 posted on 12/13/2007 5:39:39 PM PST by therut
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To: HardStarboard

The guy from NH was nameed Dick Sweat.
Honest!


63 posted on 12/13/2007 5:40:57 PM PST by Holicheese (1-21-09 Hillary starts to destroy America!)
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To: Drago

Thanks for the links.


64 posted on 12/13/2007 5:41:55 PM PST by neverdem (Call talk radio. We need a Constitutional Amendment for Congressional term limits. Let's Roll!)
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To: neverdem
Good.

The GOA's alert on this nomination can be found at Senate Close To Confirming A Ted Kennedy-style Liberal To BATFE.

65 posted on 12/13/2007 5:42:50 PM PST by snowsislander
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To: VR-21
I didn't read all the comments, but I saw lots of gay jokes and not one word of thanks. I hate to be a killjoy, but this is rather important.
66 posted on 12/13/2007 5:43:07 PM PST by VR-21
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To: snowsislander
Senate Close To Confirming A Ted Kennedy-style Liberal To BATFE -- Contact your Senator...

I thought you were linking me to my thread. LOL!

67 posted on 12/13/2007 5:56:18 PM PST by neverdem (Call talk radio. We need a Constitutional Amendment for Congressional term limits. Let's Roll!)
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To: neverdem
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.

68 posted on 12/13/2007 6:25:56 PM PST by snowsislander
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To: neverdem
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.

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.

69 posted on 12/13/2007 6:45:06 PM PST by supercat (Sony delenda est.)
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To: supercat

“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.


70 posted on 12/13/2007 6:50:45 PM PST by dsc
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To: OldArmy52
Bush is owned by Mexico. Clinton is owned by China.

Very profound, if I may say.

Since I'm getting older, does age induce clarity? If so, I look forward to it. ;^)

71 posted on 12/13/2007 7:20:53 PM PST by budwiesest (Join a milita, screw all their plans.)
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To: jmyrlefuller

There used to be a pol here in CA named Conyu.


72 posted on 12/13/2007 7:29:34 PM PST by Hugin (Mecca delenda est!)
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To: Domandred
ATF has been engaged in wholesale harassment. I hope Crapo and Craig keep a permanent hold on ANY head of ATF until every one of their corrupt thugs is booted from the organization. A hold on their budget allocations would be good too. Drain that organization into oblivion.
73 posted on 12/13/2007 7:37:47 PM PST by Myrddin
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To: Jaysun
No he;s running again.

Dream ticket: Huckabe/Crapo

74 posted on 12/13/2007 7:39:55 PM PST by mad_as_he$$ ("Has there been a code nine? Have you heard from the Doctor?")
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To: UCFRoadWarrior
Idaho doesn't want your liberal senators...except as bear bait.
75 posted on 12/13/2007 7:40:06 PM PST by Myrddin
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To: Myrddin

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.


76 posted on 12/13/2007 7:46:27 PM PST by Jaysun (It's outlandishly inappropriate to suggest that I'm wrong.)
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To: Just A Nobody; Gondring
Good news ping!

"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!

77 posted on 12/13/2007 7:55:52 PM PST by jan in Colorado ("It's easier to believe a lie one heard 1,000 times than to believe a fact that one has never heard)
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To: Holicheese

And don’t forget Dick Trickle car racing!


78 posted on 12/13/2007 8:12:00 PM PST by Still Thinking (Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?)
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To: Domandred
A federal judge later ruled the agency had exaggerated and omitted some of the findings it used to revoke the license.

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.

79 posted on 12/13/2007 9:24:21 PM PST by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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To: jan in Colorado

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.


80 posted on 12/13/2007 9:32:15 PM PST by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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