Holder Found in Contempt

[Mark E. Hurling]

This got eclipsed by SCOTUS yesterday but this does nothing to put lipstick on the Team Blue sow and just futher fires the Team Red Base.

House holds Holder in contemptBy Alan Silverleib, CNN Congressional Producer
updated 5:42 AM EDT, Fri June 29, 2012

At issue is whether Holder complied with a subpoena from congressional investigators
Washington (CNN) -- The House of Representatives voted Thursday to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt for refusing to turn over documents tied to the botched Fast and Furious gun-running sting -- a discredited operation that has become a sharp point of contention between Democrats and Republicans in Washington.

The House approved a pair of criminal and civil measures against the attorney general, marking the first time in American history that the head of the Justice Department has been held in contempt by Congress.

House members approved the criminal contempt measure in a 255-67 vote. Almost every House Republican backed the measure, along with 17 Democrats. Shortly thereafter, the civil measure passed in a sharply polarized 258-95 vote.

A large number of Democrats -- including members of the Congressional Black Caucus and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi -- walked off the House floor in protest and refused to participate in the criminal contempt vote. A slightly smaller number of Democrats appeared to boycott the vote on the civil measure as well. http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/28/politi...mpt/index.html

This has been and will continue to be booed by Team Blue and their enablers in the media as purely political and partisan but 17 of their brethren voted for contempt as well.

[Corrie]

Both sides are full of assholes. See there's plenty proof.

[Oldster]

Couldn't have happened to a more deserving and racist asshole.

[Draft]

Imagine if politicians put this much effort into something useful like ending the war on drugs and in turn ending the horrific violence that makes shit like Fast and Furious necessary.

[pfw]

Any of you guys see the Fortune piece on Fast and Furious?

http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.co...furious-truth/

I can't wait to read the book on this one in ten years when it's all shaken out.

[slowjoe]

This isn't a good thing. Google "tiberias gracchus".

If An attempt is made to arrest Holder, we could see shots fired between different branches of government. Although I think Holder is guilty as sin, I think the criminal contempt vote should have been deferred.

[Mark E. Hurling]

This isn't a good thing. Google "tiberias gracchus".

If An attempt is made to arrest Holder, we could see shots fired between different branches of government. Although I think Holder is guilty as sin, I think the criminal contempt vote should have been deferred.

The vote was symbolic, much like a vote to censure a member of Congress. It was not intended to bring the real force of law, rather to publicly flog the miscreant with a posting of his deeds. We're a long way from the internecine civil warfare of the decaying Roman republic and the rise of the Caesars. Although Obama seems to have been acting like one this last year more and more. But shots fired? A little hyperbolic, joe. If we could survive Clinton's impeachment and Bush V. Gore in Florida without that happening we can get through this. Those were much more highly charged.

[Oldster]

The vote was symbolic, much like a vote to censure a member of Congress. It was not intended to bring the real force of law, rather to publicly flog the miscreant with a posting of his deeds. We're a long way from the internecine civil warfare of the decaying Roman republic and the rise of the Caesars. Although Obama seems to have been acting like one this last year more and more. But shots fired? A little hyperbolic, joe. If we could survive Clinton's impeachment and Bush V. Gore in Florida without that happening we can get through this. Those were much more highly charged.

I agree. This was symbolic and is much about showing Holder for what he is, a lying dirtbag (my words) that weaseled his way in to his dream job to ram through his own agenda. Never believe that this wasn't about attacking gun ownership, this is exactly what Fast and Furious was all about. Just remember before Heller vs DC how Obama, Clinton and Holder were talking up all the guns that were being found South of the border and how the US was solely responsible and that step needed to be taken to make firearm sales tougher. After Heller it became much more muted and when Fast and Furious blew up in their faces the rumbling stopped. If you read the long held stances of Obama, Clinton and especially Holder, who believed the Govt needed to brainwash children(his words) into believing an inanimate object was evil, you will understand what they were attempting to do prior to Heller.

[slowjoe]

The vote was symbolic, much like a vote to censure a member of Congress. It was not intended to bring the real force of law, rather to publicly flog the miscreant with a posting of his deeds. We're a long way from the internecine civil warfare of the decaying Roman republic and the rise of the Caesars. Although Obama seems to have been acting like one this last year more and more. But shots fired? A little hyperbolic, joe. If we could survive Clinton's impeachment and Bush V. Gore in Florida without that happening we can get through this. Those were much more highly charged.

We're on an unknown road without a map in the dark, and don't know where the potholes are, or if bridges are out. Google the Gracchi: the Romans had no history of significant domestic conflict until they staged a coup similar to ACA, and were assassinated.

But have to been here before, really? Clinton was "a situation about a girl".

Bush v Gore was a problem, sure, but neither held the levers of power.

But in this case, they're declaring the Attorney General to be an outlaw, but without the clout to make it stick. Like Stalin saying "how many divisions does the Pope have", how many SWAT teams does Congress have. There's a significant though small chance this could get seriously out of hand, and a bigger chance it will split the Republicans in a bitter way. Statecraft is foreseeing these potholes and steering round them.

[Patrick]

Let's hope this is the start of accountability.