Fast and Furious--the shamelessness of Eric Holder

Fast and Furious

By Matthew Hoy

Attorney General Eric Holder appeared before a House committee today to evade questions and responsibility for Operation Fast and Furious. The operation run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to allow straw buyers to smuggle guns into Mexico resulted in the deaths of more than 200 Mexican citizens and U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

Some highlights from today’s hearing:

Holder argues he wasn’t oblivious, except when it was legally convenient.

Any surprise considering he was employed by a guy who debated what the meaning of is is?

And finally:
Fast and Furious hearing 12/8/11 from Water Cooler on Vimeo.
[That last video has apparently died. Here's a link to a story detailing the exchange.]
And when that video ended, here’s a transcript of what occurred next:

Rep. Matthew Hoy (R-Hoystory): Shame? Shame!? Hundreds of Mexicans are dead. Border Agent Brian Terry is dead. The department that you have authority over allowed more than 2,000 guns to cross the border into the hands of violent drug cartels and you have the gall to chide elected representatives of the American people who seek to hold you to account for your lawlessness?
Shame?
Your deputy submitted a letter to Congress that you withdrew only after subsequent disclosures proved it to be full of lies. You can split legal hairs about there being no “intent” to deceive Congress when that letter was originally submitted, but as time goes by that claim begins to look flimsier and flimsier.
Shame?
We found out just days ago that that ATF officials sought to use the violence in Mexico and the fact that U.S.-bought guns were showing up at crime scenes in that country as a pretext to push for further restrictions on Americans’ Second Amendment rights. You, of course, were ignorant of this.
Shame?
It’s been the better part of six months, or maybe 9 or 12, depending on the quality of your memory and the meaningless difference between “weeks” and “months” in your concept of time, since you knew about this operation and not a single individual has lost their job, let alone has had charges filed against them for violations of federal laws.
Hundreds are dead as a direct result of actions undertaken by your subordinates and you wish to shame Congress?
Mr. Attorney General, if you had any integrity. If you had any honor, you would fire those most responsible for this travesty and then resign yourself.
The only person in this committee room who should be feeling shame is you and what you allowed—either by design or by neglect—to happen in Operation Fast and Furious.
Chairman:  Member’s time has expired.

http://hoystory.com/?p=7366