Justice Department aims to avoid contempt vote on Holder over Fast and Furious
Source: Washington Post
Justice Department officials are working behind the scenes to avert a vote in Congress next week on contempt charges against Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. stemming from the investigation of Operation Fast and Furious.
Justice officials are talking to staffers for Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, to reach a compromise on the documents that Issa has subpoenaed on the botched gun walking operation. Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole offered again Monday to meet with Issa, saying, We believe that an amicable resolution of these matters is achievable. He also has offered to meet with House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio).
Several other current and former Justice officials said they are skeptical that they will be able to stop the contempt vote.
This is political theater, and its been political theater from the beginning, said Holders former spokesman, Matthew Miller. There is no evidence that the attorney general or senior Justice officials knew anything about the Fast and Furious tactics. I dont think Chairman Issa wants a solution. He wants a contempt vote.
Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/justice-department-aims-to-avoid-contempt-vote-on-holder-over-fast-and-furious/2012/06/11/gJQAVHnzVV_story.html?wprss=rss_politics
TrollBuster9090
(5,955 posts)a) The contempt charge against Holder is actually a shot across Holder's bow to get him to stop halting the Republican voter purge, IMHO, and
b) Fine, go ahead and vote him in contempt. It might actually teach him that it's a waste of time trying to appease Republicans, and he can start doing his job. Finally,
c) If they bring enough heat down on Holder that he's forced to resign, I vote we replace him with ELIOT SPITZER!
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)Number three was the very best of them. But they are all good.
Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)while at the same time arranging to transport prostitutes across state lines for his own use? Who laundered money to pay for these services, being careful to break up his transactions into chunks of less than $10,000 each? Who, without getting permission, used the name of a close friend (George Fox) while enjoying the "services" provided? Who somehow escaped prosecution himself while one of the women involved in the scandal had to serve several months on Rikers Island?
Yeah, that would be great.
TrollBuster9090
(5,955 posts)he's the only politician who ever seriously went after Wall Street corruption, which is a FAR greater threat to America than playing hide the pickle with high end call girls.
Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)think that the Senate will allow Spitzer to be confirmed?
TrollBuster9090
(5,955 posts)Drale
(7,932 posts)is to arrest ever repuke for treason. They are all guilty and the evidence is everywhere.
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)Obama re-election campaign:
[h2][font color=blue]
Forward!
[/h2][/font color=blue]
HillbillyBob
(3,208 posts)It seems to me that the Tpots in congress are much more worthy of contempt for their sabotage of our economy.
bluestateguy
(44,173 posts)creeksneakers2
(7,476 posts)George W. Bush refused to provide staff members to testify to Congress and withheld documents during the US Attorneys scandal. The House voted for contempt, but a contempt finding must be prosecuted by the Justice Department, which is, of course, part of the executive branch. Bush simply ordered the US Attorney not to prosecute. Could Obama get away with doing the same thing? You'd hear the right wingers calling for impeachment if he did.
There is a history of Attorneys General refusing to provide Congress with documents. Previous Attorneys General cited reasons like confidentiality of internal deliberations. In all other cases, Congress ended up backing down. The tea party Congress is unlikely to be as reasonable at their predecessors.
OnyxCollie
(9,958 posts)Last edited Tue Jun 12, 2012, 02:54 AM - Edit history (2)
by going for inherent contempt instead of statutory contempt.
But since Monica Conyers, the wife of Rep. John Conyers, then chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, was being investigated by the FBI, Johnny Letter chose to let them off the hook.
Monica Conyers got three years for corruption, IIRC.
Iliyah
(25,111 posts)where are the effing jobs Isaa jerk man!
castnet55
(62 posts)I don't see anything wrong with getting to the bottom of this. For Christ sakes people have died because of this operation and more will certainly die.
Why doesn't Holder give up the documents and why hasn't someone been fired? Something's not right here,if some low level knothead can do something like this then it needs to stop. If it's the higher ups then we need to get something in place to stop it.
The Mexicans are even demanding information about how this happened.
pscot
(21,024 posts)He's just fucking with the AG.
PavePusher
(15,374 posts)is "transparency".
Apparently, it only applies selectively. But I think we knew that...
naaman fletcher
(7,362 posts)Why DU defends him I have no idea. Sure the repubs are assholes and there is a double standard, but let's just replace Holder with someone who is good and NOT a perjurer.
msongs
(67,441 posts)creeksneakers2
(7,476 posts)run an undercover operation if their informant had to blow the whistle at the first crime he saw? I don't see how letting some crimes go on while going after bigger fish is unusual.
Also, there's no reason to believe that the drug cartels wouldn't have just obtained guns elsewhere if a source was cut off. The right wingers always insist with domestic gun control that eliminating a source of firearms for criminals does nothing to deter crime.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Lurks Often
(5,455 posts)And for those of you who haven't been following this here is a link worth reading:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/atf-fast-furious-sg,0,3828090.storygallery
Holder & DOJ should have resolved this a year ago, now it has the possibility of having an impact on the election and it not likely to be a positive impact.
former9thward
(32,077 posts)People died. Obama and Holder should fire anyone involved and get it over with. The cover up is always worse than the crime.