Posted on 05/07/2012 8:45:27 AM PDT by marktwain
When suspects in a crime are interrogated, they often develop memory loss. When the crime is running guns to drug cartels on both sides of the border, the crime involves the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol officer, Brian Terry, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, Jaime Zapata, and countless Mexican citizens.
Katie Pavlich has written an extraordinary expose, "Fast and Furious: Barack Obama's Bloodiest Scandal and its Shameless Cover-Up" (Regnery Publishing). She is a veteran agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) who has meticulously documented a story that should result in contempt of Congress action against Attorney General Eric Holder and possibly Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano as well.
It is an appalling story of arrogance, stupidity, and the intimidation of ATF agents who dared to question and expose the operation. It is a story of deception at the highest levels of our government. Both Holder and Napolitano exhibited memory lapses before a congressional committee. Both knew about a federal government authorized gun-running operation to Mexico called "Fast and Furious."
Pavlich reports that "Fast and Furious was closely followed by Department of Justice officials. On multiple occasions, U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke met with Phoenix ATF Director Bill Newell to discuss the progress of the Fast and Furious operation. 'There were DOJ attorneys and prosecutors who were involved in this since the beginning, giving advice," testified ATF Special Agent Peter Forcelli.
As Pavlich details it, "Operation Fast and Furious wasn't a 'botched' program. It was a calculated and lethal decision to purposely place thousands of guns in the hands of ruthless criminals."
The operation was designed to attack the Second Amendment right of Americans to purchase and bear arms, a right considered so essential to the nation that it followed directly after the First Amendment rights of free speech, freedom of the press, the prohibition of the establishment of a nationally sanctioned religion, and the right of Americans to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
We are in the grip of an administration that would restrain and erase those rights, and which engaged in a reckless and ruthless operation to achieve that goal. It is an administration that is moving toward the confirmation of a United Nations treaty that would override and eliminate the right to own and bear arms.
The facts regarding Holder's and Napolitano's testimony are clear:
"Eric Holder was sent five memos, personally addressed to him, in the summer of 2010 that detailed Operation Fast and Furious." Holder claimed he first knew about the program in February 2011.
"Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has feigned ignorance when questioned about Fast and Furious. She claims she only found out about the program after Brian Terry was murdered."
"She visited the White House with Eric Holder to visit President Obama just a day before Holder testified on Capitol Hill about Fast and Furious, leaving the reason for her visit blank."
Pavlich writes, "These are the facts: There are still 1,400 Fast and Furious guns missing and ATF agents are not actively trying to track them down. Ten thousand round of ammunition were sold to cartel-linked straw buyers under the watch of the ATF. Eight hundred of the original 2,500 weapons sold through Fast and Furious have already been linked to criminal activity."
The program, observers believer, was the deliberate effort to blame the violence in Mexico and in some cases in America on the gun shops, but those shops were intimidated into participating in Fast and Furious out of fear that ATF would take away their licenses.
After questioning ATF and Justice Department witnesses, Sen. Charles Grassley (Iowa, R), the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote a January 31 letter to ATF officials saying, "As you may be aware, obstructing a Congressional investigation is a crime. Additionally, denying or interfering with employee's rights to furnish information to Congress is also against the law."
On May 3rd Rep. Darrell Issa, (CA) Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sent every member of his committee a 64-page draft contempt order against AG Holder, along with a 17-page memo outlining the history of the scandal. Only one attorney general has been found in contempt, Janet Reno in 1975.
Fast and Furious is redolent with memories of the Watergate coverup.
On March 23, 2011, in a Univison interview, Obama said, "First of all, I did not authorize it" and when further pressed said, "Eric Holder did not authorize it. He's been very clear that our policy is to catch gunrunners and put them in jail." The facts strongly suggest otherwise insofar as Fast and Furious literally authorized a gunrunning program under the aegis of ATF.
As Pavlich noted, "Many people in ATF saw what was happening and tried to warn the bureau, but the new corrupt and arrogant culture of management had become too powerful and intimidating. Field agents who spoke up were punished for having an opinion and daring to voice it. Whistleblowers had their reputation, careers, and finances shattered."
This culture of corruption is endemic to the Obama administration and as more and more examples become known it has been in full panic mode to suppress the truth. No matter what the outcome of the testimony of two of its top appointees, the only way to save America is to vote out President Obama in November and ensure that Mitt Romney has a Republican Congress.
Alan Caruba Founder The National Anxiety Center South Orange, NJ 973-763-6392
It’s not the next Watergate because we are talking about the Treason party I mean the Democrats here. Absolutely nothing will happen because as we all know it’s against the law to prosecute or even pretend to investigate Democrats. Look at Bill “rapeboy” Clinton; 90000 gates and the only one that got any kind of legal attention was Monicagate and of course that was treated by the media as a “right wing conspiracy” and “just about sex” despite blatant perjury on national TV while drinking a soda.
Mike
IS FAST & FURIOUS THE NEW WATERGATE?
Nope! And here’s why not:
Richard Nixon was a Republican and the press hated him. Watergate gave them the opportunity to destroy him and they went for it full force. Barack Obama is a Democrat and the media love him so they are just refusing to even look into F & F in any meaningful way. As long as they keep the story out of the National press or simply paint it as Republicans on a witch hunt, it doesn’t hurt Obama or Holder at all.
Besides, Watergate was a third rate burglary committed by a campaign staffer. Fast and Furious was a well orchestrated plan, conceived by at least two Cabinet Officials, and possibly ordered by the POTUS, in order to push a narrative that would allow massive restrictions on the 2nd Amendment. Thus far, it has caused the death of two Federal agents and hundreds of Mexican citizens and over 2/3 of the “walked” guns are still missing.
Obviously, Watergate was far more serious! /sarc
If it’s going to be even a shadow of Watergate, then Issa better step up his game and right now. So far, I’m not seeing anybody going for the jugular.
So it is possible that TV network "news" will have days when there is nothing but F&F news but it will be aimed at saving -- or at least excusing -- the Obama administration. In fact, the efforts will include blaming Bush for the problem.
BTW never during the Watergate days was it explained what Nixon did that JFK and LBJ had not also done.
I’M WORKING ON GUN CONTROL UNDER THE RADAR. Put obama under oath and have him explain what that means. The most corrupt administration in US history. The most corrupt MSM in US history. The biggest landslide come November in US history. We must punish the socialist democrat frauds for trying to destroy this country and enabling a man posing as a US patriot into the whitehouse.
Good summation.
In Watergate, the cover-up was worse than the crime. The Constitution was violated, but was not under a direct assault.
In Fast and Furious, both the crime and the cover-up are dangerous. The cover-up violates the separation of powers; the crime is a direct assault on the second ammendment.
Exactly. F&F is slowly being allowed to die on the vine.
This is the fist we have heard of it in a long time and soon this too will pass.
If I was a betting man I would bet that not one person in power ever gets indicted for this.
It goes right to the White House , and we know how good they are at hiding things.
In Watergate, the cover-up was worse than the crime. The Constitution was violated, but was not under a direct assault... I’m being serious here. What did Nixon Do (not his campaign staffers) that was unConstitutional? He stuck up for his guys, is the only thing I can see. My best info on this was the Plumbers were looking for evidence of John Kerry being in a meeting that the VVAW were going to assassinate Congress critters that supported the war. Hopefully, I can get some answers on this STRAIGHT. I was out of town at this time.
It seems like Fast and Furious can’t even get OUT of the gate. And Boner is the gatekeeper.
Unfortunately I don’t have much hope for congressional hearings. All they seem to do is provide scapegoats and soundbites for the next election.
My thoughts exactly. There is no “Next Watergate” and will never be a “Next Watergate” unless it involves a Republican administration - period. Journ-O-Lists are Democrats and they control the flow of information. Look at F&F and then just try to imagine is this had been done under Bush. That is how utterly corrupt the MSM is.
Firing of Archibald Cox. Cox was a special proscutor who was assigned by the Justice department, but operated independently of the Justice department. When it was discovered that there were relevant tape recordings, Cox subpoened the tapes. Nixon fired Cox, rather than fight their release in court, claiming special priveledge (an abuse of power not granted to the POTUS, and an obstruction of justice)
Nope.
Its only a crime when a ‘Pubbie does it.
When a Democrat (and a “minority” to boot!) does it, its just business as usual and any attempt to say other wise is either craziness or racism.
It is Watergate cubed and the media’s coverage is the inverse of that.
Is the so-called “news” media packed with Democrat shills?
Yes?
Then ...no.
Lil forgotten fact was Hillary had in her possession, in the residence quarters of the White House, hundreds of FBI files on potential political enemies. Illegal as hades to have these, but no one pushed further for an investigation.
Well, they should-a. Trent Lott, head of the Senate at that time, strangely and secretly scolded Henry Hide (speaker of the house) for bringing articles of impeachment on Billy to him.
I think the quote was, “Your not going to dump this $hit on me Henry”. So it goes.
Later, it was rumored, one of the FBI files under Hillary's bed was none other than Trent Lott. What was in that file?
Was Trent being blackmailed? Perhaps. I read a report that an 18 yr old male prostitute had come forward to reveal a night in the sack with ol Trent.
Billy boy committed perjury in testimony during the investigation into his affair with that woman....Monicka Lewinski.
Should have been a slam dunk......if not for ol Trent Lott.
This government is soooo freakin corrupt.
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