Contempt Vote Tomorrow

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

Last week the Congressional Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted 23 to 17 (down party lines) to hold to hold US Attorney General Eric Holder in Contempt of Congress for attempting to Obstruct thier ivestigation into the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry who was killed by a rifle registered to the US Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (BATFE).

It has since been revealed that BATFE Agents along the Arizona/Mexico Border had been providing weapons to the Signolla Drug Cartel. I posted about the story when initially broke here.

Holder initially denied any knowledge of of the policy, and later defended it as simply the continuation of a Bush-era program called "Operation Wide Reciever". He has since withdrawn those statements. Holder has not yet been formally held in contempt of Congress. The full House still needs to approve the resolution in order for that to happen. But President Obama has elected to support Holder by asserting executive privilege over the documents subpoenaed by the Oversight Committee.

This raises some interesting questions...

Actual lawyers feel free to corrct me, but as I understand it executive privilege allows the president to withhold documents and other materials that would reveal advisory opinions and recommendations by which governmental policies are formulated. By invoking executive privilege Obama and Holder are essentially admitting that "allowing" guns into Mexico was a policy descision.

Cynics have theorized that this was an effort to justify increased Gun-Control and Federal intervention in southern states. Others see it as simply stupidity and negligence. But what the question I find truly fascinating is "Why has the Obama adminisration chosen to make a stand here?"

I've been expecting Holder to get the boot for a couple of years now but it still hasn't happened. Historically Obama has been willing to sever ties with people who's association has become a liability. Holder is becoming a massive target for the Right and seems to rate an indifferent shrug from the left, so why protect him?

I have a few theories which (in order of increasing cynicism) are...

1: Holder and Obama are friends and Obama is genuinely prepared to risk his own reputation to protect him.

2: Obama doesn't think the charges will stick and sees this as an opprotunity to fuck over a Republican-lead investigation.

3: In relation to #3 Obama and Holder have bought into thier own hype and actually believe that nobody cares about violence in Mexico, they just hate black people.

4: The subpoenaed documents include information that could implicate Obama in wrong doing.

5: Holder has dirt on Obama and is blackmailing him.

Anyone else have any ideas?

Comments

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Even when FOX is run by Roger Ailes, who's five fingers of the GOP's right hand and three of the left? Do go on. It's like if say, Air America gave John Edwards a show. I predict the GOP would suddenly find cheating on cancer-stricken wives to be an unspeakable evil unless your name is Gingrich.

[404.livejournal.com]

What does all this have to do with F&F? Keep spinning and deflecting.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

It has everything to do with the degree to which F & F and the dead people are really the issue or simply bashing Barack Obama is. I'm being perfectly consistent in all this, you've already run out of anything to talk about as the copypasta responses show.

[404.livejournal.com]

There's no point to do anything but copy and paste, because you are unapologetic in your willingness to back the blue team when they are dead wrong because the red team has some bad guys associated with them because it might score some points for the red team in the process.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Either you can't read what I'm saying, or you're simply lying about what I've said. I've never disputed that this is a bad thing. I've never disputed that the people responsible should be prosecuted. I've never said this wasn't an idiot damn fool idea. What I am saying is that this is not the real issue, it's a purely motivated act of spin. Just like how Valerie Plame was a major issue under GWB, but Bradley Manning is not under Obama. Even when the same acts, politically motivated leaks, lead to the same pattern: disproportionate retribution. But by no means allow a little reality to intrude into the fantasies of the elaborate persecution cabal.

[404.livejournal.com]

The coverup of F&F lays at the feet of Holder and the president. They should be held accountable for it. Everything is obfuscation and bullshit to try to deflect. If the DOJ wants to drag Bush and Co. to testify and be held accountable for starting it, go for it.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Just like how 9/11 was held to be Bill Clinton's fault by George Bush by virtue of giving Bush an unclear warning? Spare me the crocodile tears.

[404.livejournal.com]

Sigh... whatever. Just keep deflecting and trying to change the subject to think you have won. I'm done.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Because when I repeatedly state something and you ignore every single instance of it you're in any position whatsoever to lie about bad faith in an argument. Again, spare me hypocritical crocodile tears when I have answered every single one of your questions to get answers a mile wide and an inch deep.