Opinion: Eric Holder Continues To Show Contempt Of Congress
In the second most interesting political story of the day to come out of Washington, D.C. yesterday, United States Attorney General Eric Holder was voted by the House of Representatives as “in contempt” for not turning all requested documents regarding “Fast and Furious” over to Congress.
As anyone who has followed the story could have predicted prior the Congressional vote, Holder said publicly: “Today’s vote is the regrettable culmination of what became a misguided – and politically motivated – investigation during an election year. By advancing it over the past year and a half, Congressman Issa and others have focused on politics over public safety. Instead of trying to correct the problems that led to a series of flawed law enforcement operations, and instead of helping us find ways to better protect the brave law enforcement officers, like Agent Brian Terry, who keep us safe – they have led us to this unnecessary and unwarranted outcome.”
Newsflash for Attorney General Eric Holder: you should have turned over the documents as you previously said you would. Then you wouldn’t have justifiably been found “in contempt”. You are absolutely “in contempt” – and look guilty of wrongdoing.
This is not all about politics in a presidential election year – anymore than Watergate was politics in Nixon’s era. This is about Eric Holder withholding proof that there were errors in his Department of Justice which led to Mexican drug cartels ending up with guns provided by the United States government.
The nonsense that this is former-President George W. Bush’s fault and that the Obama administration – led by Holder – cleaned it up is ludicrous. The infractions that resulted in Mexican civilian deaths and the death of border patrol Agent Brian Terry don’t wash clean for the Obama administration. If there is proof of these absurd allegations by Holder in the remaining documents, let’s see them – because there is no such proof in what’s been told thus far.
It’s apparent that the documents hidden via President Barack Obama’s executive privilege last week would tell the rest of the story. No matter what is in those papers, if it would clear Holder – and now Obama who became entangled with his executive privilege – of wrongdoing in the matter, they would have been released by now. They aren’t released because they are assumed to be damaging to Holder, Obama, and Obama’s chances of getting reelected in November.
Ironically, Holder says that the “in contempt” charges and vote – the first in U.S. history against a sitting attorney general – is politically motivated in an election year. What is politically motivated is the withholding of information by Holder with the blessings of President Obama via the execution of Obama’s executive privilege to hide the documents. The non-release of documents and the executive privilege are what are politically motivated for both of them.
Another glaring remark in Holder’s comments after he was voted “in contempt” is that he dared to mention the border patrol agent who was killed with government guns. Holder had the audacity to mention the name of Brian Terry. The government officials supporting Holder have continually criticized the anti-Holder politicians of disrespecting and using the name of Brian Terry. They claimed that reference to the deceased border patrolman was disrespectful and totally unnecessary. Look who’s using Brian Terry’s name now – Eric Holder.
Brian Terry is a major part of the story and should be mentioned, but the White House has found the mention of him unjustly disrespectful when those against Holder say it – but they do not criticize Holder’s reference to the deceased agent.
As written in these articles before, Eric Holder – along with Obama’s executive privilege which supports Holder – should have come clean when told to do so by Congress. The “in contempt” vote which was taken yesterday is not only justified but also necessary to find the truth.
As stated previously, if “Fast and Furious” sounds Watergate-esque, it’s because it is.
President Obama now has two battles to fight in getting reelected. First, he has the remnants of “Fast and Furious” to clarify as the case is not going to go away with the non-cooperation of the White House thus far.
Additionally, there is now a discontent among many Americans regarding Obama’s “Supreme Court-blessed” health care program. The majority of American voters do not share the Supreme Court’s blessings or reasons for calling the health care plan Constitutional at this time. As Ronald Reagan is likely spinning in his grave, many Americans are extremely skeptical of Chief Justice John Roberts’ sudden reference to the punishment for not buying into Obamacare as a “tax”. Until yesterday, no one knew the punishment had conveniently changed to the word “tax” so Roberts could reason it through.
On a final note about Holder being held “in contempt”, it’s disturbing that certain lawmakers – primarily Congress’s Black Caucus – have shed a glaring light of racism in the Congress’s continued search for the truth regarding “Fast and Furious”. In liberal and Democratic-style, approximately 100 lawmakers walked out and refused to vote on the Holder issue.
There is a stark contrast when liberal Democrats don’t get their way as compared to when conservative Republicans don’t get their way – as America saw yesterday.
When libs don’t get their way, there’s a scene – a walkout, publicly highlighted non-participation, a protest – sometimes violent. On Thursday, conservatives didn’t get their way with the health care decision either, and – to put it mildly – they were extremely disappointed and upset with the Supreme Court’s health care decision. Yet there were no walkouts, no riots, and no violence, nothing negative. There was only civil talk of a stronger need to defeat Obama in 2012.
The rebellious antics of the 1960s are long gone. It’s high time the Democrats become current with civility when things don’t go their way.
About Scott Paulson
Scott Paulson writes political commentary for Examiner.com and teaches English at a community college in the Chicago area. The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CBS Local.
