Fast and Furious

[Grunthos]

Starting to get a little traction...

IC2C2lIwNSA

See also:

http://thetruthaboutguns.com/2011/09/robert-farago/atf-death-watch-89-40-fast-and-furious-firearms-found-in-dallas/

[Tonus]

This story is a potential nightmare for the administration. I wonder if the media will try to ignore it or even bury it, since doing that could just make it worse when it finally blows up (as it should have already done and as I think it will eventually have to do).

There have already been a number of startling revelations, and they keep on coming. (http://hotair.com/?s=fast+and+furious) I'm wondering if the GOP has decided to hold off on pushing the issue until the presidential campaigns heat up, knowing that it could be very damaging for Obama if some of the reports from the last few months are true. It's the sort of scandal that could energize the right while demoralizing the left.

[Edmaster]

They've been working hard to brush this under the carpet... problem is, with a scandal this huge, it doesn't matter how many little arrests and little blunders you make to cover for it... with a fuck-up that big where people have actually DIED, people are going to take notice.

It's just a matter of time before more people catch on.

Or, at least, that's what my youthful optimism tells me.

[Grunthos]

Between this and Solyndra, the silence from the fourth estate is truly deafening. But cracks are appearing.

For perspective, let us keep in mind that Watergate did not have a body count.

This does. Pushing or passing 100 deaths so far attributable to FnF. Fully half the thousands of weapons yet unaccounted for. Some have turned up on homicide crime scenes here in the US.

And now evidence that federal agents directly transfered government-purchased weapons illegally to Mexican criminals... which completely negates the stated purpose of the program.

According to documents obtained by Fox News, Agent John Dodson was ordered to buy six semi-automatic Draco pistols — two of those were purchased at the Lone Wolf gun store in Peoria, Ariz. An unusual sale, Dodson was sent to the store with a letter of approval from David Voth, an ATF group supervisor.

Dodson then sold the weapons to known illegal buyers, while fellow agents watched from their cars nearby.

This was not a “buy-bust” or a sting operation, where police sell to a buyer and then arrest them immediately afterward. In this case, agents were “ordered” to let the sale go through and follow the weapons to a stash house.

According to sources directly involved in the case, Dodson felt strongly that the weapons should not be abandoned and the stash house should remain under 24-hour surveillance. However, Voth disagreed and ordered the surveillance team to return to the office. Dodson refused, and for six days in the desert heat kept the house under watch, defying direct orders from Voth.

A week later, a second vehicle showed up to transfer the weapons. Dodson called for an interdiction team to move in, make the arrest and seize the weapons. Voth refused and the guns disappeared with no surveillance.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/26/us-government-bought-and-sold-weapons-during-fast-and-furious-documents-show/

Where actions and words disagree, go with what the actions tell you.

My opinion (and I'm not alone in this) is that the Administration was intent on manufacturing evidence of "American guns in Mexico" in order to justify increasing federal firearms regulation.

Once again, the Reichstad goes up in flames.

[Tonus]

Hmmm... new scapegoat? (http://hotair.com/archives/2011/10/03/cbs-news-documents-reveal-that-holder-was-briefed-on-fast-furious-in-july-2010/)

I'm not saying that Holder doesn't deserve to be grilled and deal with the consequences of his part in F&F. I'm just wondering if there is a feeling in the administration that they may need to offer a pretty big sacrifice in order to help the President wash his hands of the matter. I'm also wondering if the media will see this as an opportunity to help the President by tossing Holder under a bus for him. If so, I'd expect this story to get a lot more attention in the coming weeks.

[Grunthos]

Hmmm... new scapegoat? (http://hotair.com/archives/2011/10/03/cbs-news-documents-reveal-that-holder-was-briefed-on-fast-furious-in-july-2010/)

I'm not saying that Holder doesn't deserve to be grilled and deal with the consequences of his part in F&F. I'm just wondering if there is a feeling in the administration that they may need to offer a pretty big sacrifice in order to help the President wash his hands of the matter. I'm also wondering if the media will see this as an opportunity to help the President by tossing Holder under a bus for him. If so, I'd expect this story to get a lot more attention in the coming weeks.

I'm not so sure Holder's got any great motivation to take a fall for Obama. Nor much in the way of a pair of stones. I'm betting that he'll fold like a cheap suit if it gets to looking like he'll do jail time, rather than hope for a pardon from Teh One.

This is "accessory to murder" territiory, not some paltry political scandal or sexual malfeasance. It will become clear that no one in the administration has legal authority to circumvent the US' laws with regard to firearms export.

Putting functional guns illegally into the hands of known criminals, when that results in murder - - that's accessory before the fact.

The person killed was a federal agent - - making this a capital case.

Holder's never proven to be especially bright, you know.

[SmiggyG]

It's now coming out that Hilary Clinton is not only involved but one of the masterminds behind it all.
http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-national/breaking-new-evidence-show-hillary-a-mastermind-behind-gunwalker?CID=examiner_alerts_article