ATF Project Gunrunner

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Originally Posted by New York Times

Mr. Issa has held a series of hearings on the program over the past year, and has repeatedly sought to link high-level Obama administration officials to the operation, although no evidence has yet emerged that they knew about its details.

Except for that part where William Newell testified that he talked to White House Staff about Fast and Furious and the Newell email to said White House staff with the "You didn't get this from me" note attached to it?

The New York Times is parsing words about as well as DOJ did when it denied allowing straw purchasers to traffic weapons into Mexico because someone besides the straw purchasers did the actual border crossing. I suppose the NYT would argue that the evidence doesn't prove (or even "suggest" to use their own words that the White House staffer knew the exact details of Fast and Furious.

[Standing Wolf]

It really sounded like NPR was reading a DoJ/ATF press release.

Your tax dollars and mine at play.

[pnac]

Your tax dollars and mine at play.

It's worse than that, research their "sponsors" sometime. They might as well say "This edition of _______ is brought to by The Karl Marx Foundation, The Chairman Mao Foundation, ..."

[armoredman]

US Attorney for AZ resigned, too.

[alan]

NPR might well have been reading an ATF/DOJ Press Release.

That having been said, and re today's announced "resignations/reassignments", I for one wonder as to how long it might be before the presidential pardons start to flow?

[2damnold4this]

NPR did a much better job this morning than they did last night.

[jimbob86]

I was disappointed in NPR's coverage of the events today. NPR portrayed the problem with Fast and Furious as field agents that lacked proper supervision loosing track of some guns when the problem was that the field agents were told to let the guns go despite the field agents' objections. NPR also mentioned that the ATF lacked regulations it needed to effectively combat gun smuggling on the border when a big part of the problem is the DoJ refusing to prosecute straw buyers. It really sounded like NPR was reading a DoJ/ATF press release.

You expected something different?

NPR seems to be, much like most of the MSM, another cheerleading squad for the current administration.

The thing that surprises me is that Fox News, which is supposedly in the tank for the Republicans, is not pounding this story at the top of every newscast......

[Eghad]

Its just a good start.....and that is all. Mr Issa and Grassley still have a lot more work that needs to be done before they toot any party horns or celebrate anything.

[Uncle Buck]

Eghad, I do not care whose party gets to blow its horn over this. Like you, I want the corruption to stop and get the government to start doing its job.

I wrote to NPR and told them basically that if the DoJ would prosecute individuals, instead of trying to change the laws, we would have very good gun laws. (Very good in the sense that anti-gun people would be happy, not me. I think if you can afford an M-2, .50 Cal machine gun, you should be able to own one, with-out the government getting involved.)

[CowTowner]

Looks Like Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) is making some noise about the ATF promotions according to The Washington Times:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...utm_medium=RSS

[alan]

Uncle Buck wrote:

Eghad, I do not care whose party gets to blow its horn over this. Like you, I want the corruption to stop and get the government to start doing its job.

I wrote to NPR and told them basically that if the DoJ would prosecute individuals, instead of trying to change the laws, we would have very good gun laws. (Very good in the sense that anti-gun people would be happy, not me. I think if you can afford an M-2, .50 Cal machine gun, you should be able to own one, with-out the government getting involved.)

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I suspect that absent "government involvement", the price of the M2 Browning Machinegun, not to mention other varieties of automatic weapons, would be a whole lot lower than they currently are.

Having said that, regarding Mr. Melson's new Washington D.C. based job/assignment with BATFE, I do not offhand recall its' title, I wonder as to exactly what is involved, which is to ask exactly what will this guy be doing now?

[Hardcase]

Ken Melson is now a Senior Advisor to the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy. In that capacity, he'll advise the Justice Department on forensic science policies and developments.

Depending upon who you talk to, that's either a perfect fit for him or a train wreck for forensic science. I think that no matter what he does, if it involves the government or public policy, he'll be a lightning rod for criticism.

[jimbob86]

Ken Melson is now a Senior Advisor to the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy.

"Sinecure".

Look it up.

[publius42]

Should be assistant potato peeler in cell block D.

[Uncle Buck]

What was Melsons job before he took over as temp. head of the ATF? I was under the impression that he was some sort of bean counter. Also, with the civil service, he has the right to return to his previous job, or one of equal standing.

[C0untZer0]

This is one of the reasons government never gets smaller.

No one ever gets fired.

[Tom Servo]

What was Melsons job before he took over as temp. head of the ATF?

He ran the U.S. Attorney's office.

[natman]

Ken Melson is now a Senior Advisor to the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy.

From Director of ATF to "Senior Advisor to the Assistant Attorney General". That's being put out to pasture with extreme prejudice.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I imagine Melson is still around because as a whistleblower, it would be near impossible to fire him. So they have to give him some job for the time being. It looks like they are going to try and bore him into submission.

Meanwhile, at PJ Media, some interesting looks at older news and some new insight:

1. CBS News has posted the latest demand letter from Congress which states that Congress has internal ATF emails showing that ATF began tryng to cover up the link between Agent Terry's murder and Fast and Furious within hours of that investigation starting. Newly transferred AUSA Emory Hurley figures prominently.

2. DOJ has belatedly acknowledged that there have been almost twice as many crime scenes involving Fast and Furious guns inside the United States than they initially reported. Oops. Guess they didn't take off their shoes for that first count.

3. And the most interesting part (to me) is the rehash of the White House's National Security Council member Kevin O'Reilly being briefed on Fast and Furious and in turn, briefing two other White House officials (His boss, Dan Restrepo, and Greg Gatjanis). Apparently, Mike Vanderboegh of Sipsey Street Irregulars, has some emails pointing to greater White House involvement than they have so far admitted.

[Patriot86]

Read this today, apparently some people knew they dun screwed up big time before this was a big deal in the media.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011...est=latestnews

Just hours after the death of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry, federal officials tried to cover up evidence that the gun that killed Terry was one the government intentionally helped sell to the Mexican cartels in a weapons trafficking program known as Operation Fast and Furious.

[ltc444]

My Congressman Freshman Representative Paul Gossar serves on Issa's Committee.

I wrote him today asking that investigations into the coordination with and activities by other departments which had to have been involved in this activitie.

These organizations include, The department of State, Home land Security, FBI, National Security Council and the White Staff.

I believe that it would be beneficial for others to write their Congressmen and Senators. This would be especially helpful if your rep is on the committee. I am sure they are under a great deal of pressure to back off the investigation.

[jimbob86]

From Director of ATF to "Senior Advisor to the Assistant Attorney General". That's being put out to pasture with extreme prejudice.

You an I have very different definitions of "extreme predjudice".

They gave him a job that requires little or no work, and still gives him a ginormous paycheck, great benefits, and a cushy pension plan..... and before sombody goes out an a limb and speculates on all the "responsibility" that that new job entails, and all the skull sweat required to meet that responsibility ...... gimme a break: he jacked up the last "position of responsibility" about as bad as it could be jacked up, short of actually shooting Agent Terry personally...... His job was, ostensibly, to enforce the Federal Laws pertaining to Alcohol, Tobacco, Explosives and FIREARMS .... not try to increase the perception that American Guns were going to Mexico...... if he had done his damn job, instead of trying to score points with his masters in Washington, Agent Terry might still be alive today.

He's going to be living better than most Americans, even though he failed to do his job ...... he got where he is today by figuring out what his bosses wanted to see happen, and making reality appear to match that fiction. He ought to be in JAIL, at best, and jobless at the very least. Hell, damn near 10% of the workforce in this country doesn't have a frickin' job, most through no fault of their own, and this ......... jack**** screws up big time and he ...... gets transferred?

REALLY?

REALLY.

Do I sound ANGRY?

If you are not angry, you are not paying attention.

[alan]

Re this entire Fast & Furious fiasco, one thing comes through, at least to me, respecting this administrations handling thereof.

I believe that it was President Nixon who, re the Watergate burglary offered the following. The cover-up is much worse than the crime.

Seems like Obama et al are sadly lacking in, among other things, historical memory.

[aaalaska]

Jimbob do you really think this is punishment? This is simple payoff for taking the fall. Just as has been talked about since the beginning of this mess some body has to take the fall, and it sure ain't going to be the people that need to.
Alex

[natman]

From Director of ATF to "Senior Advisor to the Assistant Attorney General". That's being put out to pasture with extreme prejudice.

You an I have very different definitions of "extreme predjudice".

I meant that his transfer was a big time "go sit in the corner" job. I didn't mean to imply that I thought it was a reasonable punishment - I don't and I agree that those involved ought to be in jail.

I don't blame you for being angry. You should be.