House Committee Finds Holder in Contempt
Holder Responds: The Contempt is Mutual
“We regret that we have arrived at this point, after the many steps we have taken to address the Committee’s concerns and to accommodate the Committee’s legitimate oversight interests regarding Operation Fast and Furious,” he wrote. “Although we are deeply disappointed that the Committee appears intent on proceeding with a contempt vote, the Department remains willing to work with the Committee to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution of the outstanding issues.” – Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole
via Huffington Post
FOR THE FIRST TIME in his presidency, Barack Obama did what he had to do in the face of Rep. Darrell Issa’s witch hunt over the overblown spectacle that has become the Fast and Furious investigation in the House.
In case anyone is counting amid the caterwauling from Republicans, George W. Bush claimed executive privilege 6 times, William Jefferson Clinton did so 14 times, with the New York Times reporting the White House said this has been done 24 times since Ronald Reagan. I’ll wait for the legal geeks to weigh in on that one.
In an email to The Huffington Post, an administration official noted that former President George W. Bush asserted executive privilege six times, while former President Bill Clinton did it 14 times. This is the first time Obama has exercised this authority. The Republican National Committee was quick to point out Wednesday that then-candidate Obama criticized Bush for using the practice in 2007.
Michael Steel, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), questioned the White House’s move Wednesday in a statement:
“Until now, everyone believed that the decisions regarding ‘Fast and Furious’ were confined to the Department of Justice,” Steel said. “The White House decision to invoke executive privilege implies that White House officials were either involved in the ‘Fast and Furious’ operation or the cover-up that followed. The Administration has always insisted that wasn’t the case. Were they lying, or are they now bending the law to hide the truth?”
Fox News is going into overdrive after Eric Holder and this Execultive Privilege hard. I also think this is election year sideshow, but in my personal opinion, Attorney General Eric Holder has done a terrible job, so myself and many others are more focused on the economy.
Yeah, I’m ready to open the bar in my office early just watching Fox!
If this ended with Holder, he would have fallen on his sword.Allowing Drug Cartels to purchase and smuggle guns to Mexico and thinking that 2 gps devices from Radio Shack will somehow produce something? Holder has lied and obstructed this investigation. President Obama should take responsibility for his actions and the actions of his team. It is becoming clearer and clearer to the American Public that consequences of having an unqualified person as President. Eric Holder is a joke. It is not the crime, it is the cover up. Every President has screwed up big-time. Obama is just not able to blame this screw up of his on George W. Bush, like he does with every other dumb thing he does. I wonder how many democrats are going to be outraged by the actions of this administration and the actions of A.G. Holder. I rememeber Janet Reno standing up to republicans after the fallout in Waco, Texas. Reno did the exact opposite of what Holder is doing now.
A lot of Fox News watching in that opinion!
Not watching…channeling.
“It is becoming clearer and clearer to the American Public that consequences of having an unqualified person as President.”
Yeah, he sho don have no qualifications do he Missy Memsab!
Channeling is a better word!
The various gun walking stings started under Bush and ended under Obama but somehow it’s his AG that should fall on his sword. Holder should take responsibility for the consequences of the actions of the previous administration? I bet that if someone asked you if you were a liberal you would say yes with a straight face. What’s your opinion of the job Valarie Jarret is doing? Jesus f**king Christ, there is no hope for this country. President Obama has done one historic thing after the next and still people like u still attack him.
This man did everything we tell kids they should do, he went to school studied hard and made something of himself, to spite the circumstances he was born into. Made it to Harvard, to the Illinois legislature, the United States Senate and finally to the White House. Do you really think a stupid man could have accomplished all of that? If Mitt Romney was born on 3rd base well then President Obama was born outside the stadium.
Fast and Furious is a ginned up issue, just like Solyndra was and will go nowhere just like Solyndra did. So you and the other Obama haters are going to have to manufacture some other scandal to attack the President with.
If you want to blame Bush for this screw up and now also cover up, it would not surprise me.You ask me how I feel Valarie Jarret doing? I guess she can’t go back in time and advise him not to do the stupid plan to enable Mexican drug gangs and cartels to buy guns in the USA and let them bring them into Mexico during the exact same time he goes to Mexico and talk about how bad it is that guns made in the USA are being found in Mexica and how horrible it is. I think she would be doing a good job if she advises President Obama to tell the truth and get rid of the idiots who are involved with “fast and furious”. I think the point you are trying to make is that President Obama is the greatest and that the issues people have with him are all fake stories and lies made up for no other reason than to hurt him. IF he is so great then why is he doing such a crappy job as President? Oh right, its all George W. Bush’s fault. ( I remember the blind liberal’s answer to all of those types of legitimate questions.)
Sitting at your computer in your underwear spewing bile at the President is the easiest thing in the world now isn’t it?
I have a job. I am not “spewing bile” I am just telling it like it is. I jsut can’t believe the way this is being handled. Mistakes happen. Instead of doing the right thing and getting to the bottom of this and do what is needed to fix it, this “fast and furious” issue is a problem that is going from bad to worse. Imagine if President Clinton and Hillary handled the WHitewater issue properly. Still to this day he is sour about haven been impeached.
Solo 20 June 2012 at 4:14 pm
Please refrain from this type of comment, as well as calling people “f– liars.”
If you continue you’ll be bounced from posting comments at all.
This applies to everyone.
The level of discourse around here goes to the dogs too many times. You and others who use frat language need to up your game.
Personal insults and attacks! Now that is some funny! mjsmith called our Harvard graduate President “dumb”! That sounds like a personal attack but you didn’t remove it! Way to be consistent!
“Imagine if President Clinton and Hillary handled the WHitewater issue properly. Still to this day he is sour about haven been impeached.”
Ahhhhh, the give away. President Clinton and” White Water” were investigated to the tune of millions and millions of tax payer dollars through what three independent councils who ALL couldn’t find a single thing or instance of wrongdoing on the Clintons parts…they cooperated COMPLETELY with the investigations and after nearly 8 years and over 100 million taxpayer dollars all the repugnantklan could come up with was a consensual sex act between adults.
There is and would be no “getting to the bottom of this” this is and will continue to be a witch hunt conducted by repugnantklan/teabaggers abusing their positions for a political vendetta.
Sec! Way to go with the long term! That kind of recall is in short supply around these parts.
President Obama has done one historic thing after the next
You got that right: NDAA, drones killing “collateral civilians,” torture of Bradley Manning, the Great Aetna Bailout of 2010, and he’s just getting started! Think of how he can dismantle Social Security if we just give him the chance!
This comment has been deleted, because of personal insults and attacks.
This man did everything we tell kids they should do, he went to school studied hard and made something of himself, to spite the circumstances he was born into. Made it to Harvard, to the Illinois legislature, the United States Senate and finally to the White House.
And therefore, he should be immune to all criticism? Man, you have really jumped the shark on your Obama worship this time.
I don’t give a damn about Obama’s resume or life story. He was hired to do a job. Know who else built himself from the ground up to become President? Here are some hints: Father was a lower-middle class grocer. Brother died young of TB. Fought in WWII, went to public colleges and law school. Did you get Richard Nixon?
What does Romney being born of privilege have to do with anything? You are like a child- “stop picking on my guy, look how far he’s come! Look at his opponent! Look here, look there, look everywhere else, but don’t criticize my guy because he pulled himself up and he’s ever so smart!”
You did everything but play the “child of a single mother” card. Oh wait- you wrote “despite circumstances he was born into.” Never mind.
Pathetic.
Also, what happened to the all the Transparency this administration promised? Executive Privilege is fine except when you go around claiming how transparent this administration is going to be. What is it they are trying to hide anyway?
Makes me trust this administration even less than I do already.
When the GOP took control of the House in 2010 Darryl Issa, the GOP chairman of the House investigation committee, promised to paralyze the Obama Amdnimstration with one Congressional investigation after another. About time Obama has said enough is enough and told Issa to go f*** himself.
In-FRACKING-deed!!!!! This is just another battle in the war of domestic terrorism being waged by these TREASONOUS repugnantKLAN/teabaggers.
When the GOP took control of the House in 2010 …
…you mean after the Democrats squandered their two years in the majority on the Great Aetna Bailout of 2010?
When the GOP took control of the House in 2010 Darryl Issa, the GOP chairman of the House investigation committee, promised to paralyze the Obama Amdnimstration with one Congressional investigation after another. About time Obama has said enough is enough and told Issa to go f*** himself.
So we’ve been drowning in “one Congressional investigation after another?” I hadn’t noticed that.
“About time Obama has said enough is enough and told Issa to go f** himself..” So, it’s about time Obama stopped acting like the head of one of three branches of Government and simply announced that he would not longer cooperate with another branch? Including when it comes to investigations? Really?
I’m sure you approved when Bush acted this way- right?
Fending off these right wing jackals has become a full time job for this current administration! They told Issa to go f**k himself! Good for them.
If Holder had any guts, which he does not, he would go after Issa, who has a long history of questionable business practices. But of course he never goes after anybody aside from medical marijuana clinics and the landlords who rent them space.
Exactly fangio. Medical marijuana clinics and Democrats, and whistle-blowers. They spent their time trying to curry the favor of the Republicans and all they got for it was their contempt.
A sorry state of the partisan body politic……Obama lied (why else does he need to assert EP?) and a border agent died…….and we concern ourselves with what is on TV.
Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, Bush 43 all invoked EP countless times, President Obama does it once and it’s a conspiracy!
I’m just curious. Do you think it’s even possible for the Obama Administration to do wrong, ever?
And do you believe that any criticism of the Obama Administration is justified, ever?
Because seriously man, you are really starting to scare me. No one should be this emotionally connected to any politician.
Way to avoid the point! Respond to what I said!
Which point am I supposed to respond to?
“Bush started it?” or maybe
“stop picking on him, he pulled himself up by the bootstraps and he’s so inspiring!” or was it
“everyone does it!”
Please, be specific. Which “point” am I supposed to be wasting time trying to respond to here?
If the GOP was so stinking concerned about this they would be taking Issa off the investigation. They are not. Cue the laugh track. It’s just another file-gate or Whitewater trumped up nonsense from the GOP.
“…Obama lied (why else does he need to assert EP?) and a border agent died”
REALLY?! Well Bush/Cheney lied and upwards of ONE MILLION HUMAN BEINGS have died.
Please use “you’re” when you mean “you are.”
Boy Im sure glad those fools in congress are focused on the right things. Holder is in contempt- just like the 87pct of the rest us with congress!
Funny, I don’t blame the Republicans, they are what they are and will always be. Evil. This is what they do, and it is what should be expected of them. Always.
But it is what frustrates me about the Democrats. They never, if ever think of the long game. Where is Debbie Wasserman Schultz?
If your plan is to steal an election or some such, or you are having nightmares of a replay of 2000 happening all over again come November 6th, then it is in your interest to weaken the US Justice Department and to castrate the Attorney General. And that, is exactly what the Republicans are doing. At least THEY, have a plan for each and every contingency they may be face with in the long term. The hapless Democrats can’t even begin to think this way. But their theme is “FORWARD”.
Of course, it could just be that the Republicans have a point here.
Republicans are “Evil” now? So this is a battle of “Good” v. “Evil?” Or is there no “Good” here?
And again the use of the word “game”- depressing, but actually very accurate at this point. All this is is a game- one team v. the other team.
This is beyond stupid. Holding the AG in Contempt is now an act of “Evil?” Come on.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that what Darrell Issa was wrong and that she didn’t hold Karl Rove in contempt, Hello, Nancy Pelosi, you should have in the first flipping place. There was plenty of things in the Bush Administration the Congress should have done but didn’t.
1.”Of course, it could just be that the Republicans have a point here.”
Yeah, and that dog just LOVED being strapped to mittens’s car’s roof huh?
2.”Republicans are “Evil” now? So this is a battle of “Good” v. “Evil?” Or is there no “Good” here?”
Well let’s see…since day one the repugnantklan and then their canabalistic bastard children the teabaggers have stated their sole concern was defeating President Obama. And they have waged an economic war against the American economy and people to do that. Evil? Hell evil is cutting them a brake…TREASONOUS is what I say.
3.”And again the use of the word “game”- depressing, but actually very accurate at this point. All this is is a game- one team v. the other team.”
Oh Ah do deCLARE jjamalee has just cought a case of the VAPORS over someone using that AWFUL word game!!
4.”This is beyond stupid. Holding the AG in Contempt is now an act of “Evil?” Come on.”
Using the powers entrusted to you by the voters to persue an unethical witch hunt for partisan political purposes? YES I would call that evil.
Get back to me when you are ready to post something in English. After wiping the spittle off your keyboard, of course.
Seriously, your act is getting SO old.
Hell evil is cutting them a brake…TREASONOUS is what I say.
Tribalism in wonderful relief.
You see? The action isn’t bad unless it goes against our team. It’s attitudes like these that gave birth to the term “fauxgressive.”
When someone suggests that “criticism=treason,” I have to stop taking that person seriously. Because that person has stepped knee-deep into the dangerous territory known as Fascism.
Sadly, I know plenty of people who think that any criticism of the Obama Administration is both unpatriotic and treasonous. Most of them were strong critics of the Bush Administration who bemoaned the idea that criticism of The Decider was considered treasonous by anybody. This is what comes of hyper-partisanship- a complete loss of perspective and the ability to partake in self-reflection. This has got to stop.
As I think I said before, Holder’s (The Democrats) problem is that he takes these Republicans seriously. He treats them as if they are genuine and respectable legislators, as opposed to the slimy, partisan, heartless, tea-party hacks that they are. He should have known that they had no intention of coming to terms with him; all they wanted was his dignity. Yielding to them gave it up.
You don’t have to like it, but each and every one of the Republicans in Congress- tea partiers, slimy, partisan, whatever- was elected to their office and are every bit as legitimate as those members of Congress you happen to personally approve of.
Yes, the Obama Administration’s big mistake from the very beginning was in failing to lead, assuming that Congress wanted to work with the White House to get things done. Frankly, I’m bored to death with the “they never wanted to cooperate” whining- this was obvious early in 2009, yet the White House never stopped acting as if a deal could be made. No Leadership from 1600 PA avenue. NONE. Just “ooooohhh they won’t work with me, boo hoo.”
Yeah, another four years of this is JUST what we need.
If this is a pure executive privilege argument over the number of times used, then yes, those folks making a big deal out of the number are roasted, skewered, and quite silly. BUT if this is about Sir Holder and is uh, questionable activities, and Sir Obama’s uh, somewhat silence on things THEN we have a discussion.
In my opinion, every President and Attorney General are a bunch of crooked liars and this is just what they do. But that makes me a generalizer… LOL