Posted on 06/20/2012 8:27:25 AM PDT by lbryce
The White House asserted executive privilege Wednesday over some gun-trafficking-probe documents sought by congressional Republicans, throwing into uncertainty a possible vote to sanction Attorney General Eric Holder with contempt of Congress.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was meeting Wednesday morning to discuss the contempt fight. The panel's chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.), said the committee was evaluating the White House's assertion.
In a letter to Mr. Issa, Deputy Attorney General James Cole said the president had asserted the privilege to block the documents from being released, but he held out the possibility of negotiating an agreement over the documents.
Sen. Charles Grassley (R., Iowa) criticized the White House. "How can the president exert executive privilege over documents he's supposedly never seen?" Mr. Grassley said.
Messrs. Issa and Holder met Tuesday for 20 minutes. From their accounts, it has become a game of chicken, with each side insisting the other act first to resolve the standoff.
Mr. Holder said Mr. Issa rejected his offer to provide documents because the lawmaker wouldn't agree that they would fulfill a subpoena, effectively ending the contempt threat. Mr. Issa said the attorney general didn't come prepared to provide documents and that the contempt threat can't be removed until the documents are produced.
At issue are Justice Department documents that Messrs. Issa and Grassley have sought and that the department resisted turning over in the congressional investigation into a botched gun-trafficking probe called Fast and Furious. The department said the documents reflected internal deliberation or were related to continuing criminal investigations and therefore weren't subject to congressional subpoena.
The dispute centers on a 2009-10 operation run by Arizona-based agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, aimed at building a case against suspected smugglers of firearms to Mexico.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
This formally puts Brian Terry’s death on the White House doorstep.
I’ll cut myself off there otherwise my language would get me the ban hammer.
Holder has some kind of leverage.
This is what Issa needs to say:
“We can only presume the President invoked EP to protect Mr. Holder and/or himself from incriminating information in those files. Therefore we will continue with every means possible to obtain all documents related to this botched gun-running operation.”
This kind of blows the MSM cover that we were merely running a law enforcement sting to nab the nasty narcoterrorists. Sure we were.
I wholeheartedly agree. It seems he’s got President Effete by his leather jock-strap with an electric cattle prod, so to speak.
Not that a jury in DC would ever convict him for murder
Well, now we KNOW F&F’s scandal goes right to POTUS. We don’t just have to suspect it anymore. What options are left to convict these treasonous bastards?
Just impeach both these currupt bastards!!!
Yes, it won't go anyplace, but it will make the whole country (except the communists) feel better.
What a web we weave when first we practice to deceive......
Obama has been a liar all of his life. He has NEVER been held accountable for any of it.
His lies are catching up with him.
Holder & Bammy did their best to push this all off until after November elections.......
Seems they are falling quite a bit short-—of even the Democrat Convention & the nomination!!
Will Hillary be the nominee to ‘save the day’???
When Holder & others at the “Justice Department’ figure out that they are being thrown under the bus, who will crack first & call some investigative reporter or Rush or Hannity for an ‘exclusive’ interview?
Who will be the first lawyer to step up and help the Brian Terry family with their lawsuit over the Border agent’s death???
Seems the wheels will come off very fast if Congress & Issa have once ounce of guts to follow this thru.
Where’s my popcorn???
Not me. Scares the cr*p out of me. How is this not the beginning of the dictatorship of Barry the first?
I was worried that the election of 2016 would be postponed at the end of Barry I's 2nd term. Now I am worried that they will try something this year.
Changed my tag line
If Obama is setting the stage to resign ala Nixon? He took a big step today. Could he be so rattled and overwhelmed that he’s making decisions out of sheer political survival?
Bobo and Jarrett need withHolder more than he needs them. He’s not going under any bus at their hands. He may go under at Issa’s hands, but they’re going with him. You are correct, Bobo is all in now, handcuffed to withholder.
I suspect Holder told Obama: if I go under the bus , I am taking you with me.
Time to watch your back Holder. Stay out of the park across from the White House. Do not take any overseas trips. Be careful crossing the street.
So it could be Holder using leverage or it could be Holder just laying out the bad news for the President - either way, if the President could have cut Holder loose his track record says he would have. For some reason, he feels that he cannot follow his usual practice in this particular matter.
Issa is onto something good.
This case will go one of 2 ways. The media and the country might decide that they have had enough of King Barry I and his childish socialist antics, or the media will continue to run defense for the guy.
If Executive Privilege is what it takes to get the 0bama-loving media to take a second look at their young leader, then I too, love the sound of Executive Privilege, regardless of the time of day.
Well said.
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