“Fast and Furious” Blows Sky-High

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/07/fast-and-furious-blows-sky-high.php ^ | 7/6/11 | John Hinderaker

[macquire]

This morning, there was a stunning development in Congress’s investigation of the Justice Department’s “Fast and Furious” gun-running program: it was revealed that on July 4, Kenneth Melson, the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Obama administration’s intended fall guy in the scandal, broke ranks with his superiors. Without their knowledge, he gave an interview to Darrell Issa’s House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, accompanied only by his personal attorney. While a transcript of that interview is not yet public, it is clear that he blew the whistle on senior officials in the Justice Department.

[CPO retired]

It’s not even about the Constitution anymore. It’s about muscle.

Who has the guns? Who is armed? Who can physically effect the arrest of someone who refuses to appear or testify under oath? Or even cooperate with a subpoena? Justice Dept. can thumb their noses at congressional committees. They are doing so.

[Centurion2000]

They all answer to us anyway, and we’re not stupid enough to let them get away with it.

You still actually believe that?

[Osage Orange]

Grassley is just another poster boy for term limits.

Period.

[MestaMachine]

I would ask everyone to hearken back to the prosecutions of Campion and Ramos...johnny sutton, friend of bush. SOMEONE in the government did not want the drugs to stop flowing over the border. Now we have Gunwalker. Collusion with the cartels for whatever reason is not new and it should ALL be investigated. I don’t care which administration it is either, R or D.

[Nachum]

Good link penelopesire...

[CPO retired]

I think the Mexican government is bluffing. Get some good PR out of it, talking tough and all that. I think they were in on it too, they won’t do squat. They’re just making noise.

[Joe Brower]

[CPO retired]

Don’t the Federal Marshals answer to Holder? Can Congress direct them to make a physical arrest?

[Popman]

I think your post is spot on.

Mr. Melson spilled the beans today and pulled in the FBI, DEA into the scandal.

Inter-agencies heads I'm sure will be more than willing to give up documents tossing the ATF and DOJ under the bus before their heads roll.

Field offices for all government alphabet agencies have contacts in the press that need access to the inside. I wonder how loud the press will squeal when subpoenaed

This should get VERY interesting

[AAABEST]

This is international. NOTHING this big happens without full knowledge of, and permission from, the whitehouse. NOTHING. obama signed off on this. There is no way the DOJ or ATF could have done this on their own, let alome apprropriate money from other government agencies.

Ding, ding, ding.

We were wondering how high this went. I'm wondering (given the new info that funds transferred between departments) if the answer MUST be Obama.

As the quoted poster points out, how else would money migrate from one cabinet agency to another?

That's actually not a rhetorical question, as I'm not an expert on government machinations. Here's what I'm wondering:

Is there any means for a significant sum of money to be taken from one agency and given to another without the executive (i.e. Obama) having any knowledge?

I'd love to know the answer to that.

[reagandemocrat]

LAT online? Cool.

Let’s see it in print.

[CPO retired]

At what point will the DNC instruct the LSM to start dumping zero? There have been one or two times I thought that might have started, but they’re awfully quiet about this.

[Carry_Okie]

if this doesnt directly involve obama there is no point in getting excited.

When you have an enemy doing everything possible to violate your freedom, it is indeed useful to tie him up defending himself. The very act of screaming about it brings more resources to that effort.

[parisa]

Let’s put this report and the Atlanta public school scandal side by side and tell me, isn’t that two sides of the same damn rotten coin???

[Tench_Coxe]

"I would ask everyone to hearken back to the prosecutions of Campion and Ramos...johnny sutton, friend of bush. SOMEONE in the government did not want the drugs to stop flowing over the border. Now we have Gunwalker. Collusion with the cartels for whatever reason is not new and it should ALL be investigated. I don’t care which administration it is either, R or D."

True. When was the last time you heard anything about Mena, Arkansas for instance.

[calex59]

Fast and Furious was the original official name given to Gun Walker. Gun Walker was coined after the investigations started, if I recall correctly.

[Popman]

At what point will the DNC instruct the LSM to start dumping zero?

I am of the opinion that the LSM certainly takes their cues from the DNC, but at some point the LSM will no longer completely carry the water for Obama

After all, nobody wants to back a loser

[Travis McGee]

Gunwalker (aka F&F) = Watergate X Irancontra.

[calex59]

They are two separate programs.

Wrong, they are the same program, Fast and Furious was the Official name, Gun Walker was coined later by investigators.

[muawiyah]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/guns/part4.html ~ raw propaganda. The key story about “70% of Mexican guns traced to US” is no longer available on the Washington Post server ~ muy serioso hugh and series.