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Justice Department trying to shield officials in guns scandal, ATF chief says
Los Angeles Times ^ | 7/18/11 | Richard A. Serrano

Posted on 07/18/2011 4:30:41 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

The Department of Justice is trying to protect its political appointees from becoming embroiled in the broadening Fast and Furious gun-tracing scandal by refusing to release an internal "smoking gun" report that acknowledges the role of top officials in the program that allowed guns to flow illegally into Mexico, according to the head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Kenneth Melson, the ATF acting director, earlier this month also told congressional investigators examining the role of top officials in the ill-fated program that affidavits in support of wiretaps used in the operation are inconsistent with what Justice Department officials have said publicly.

Melson told the investigators that when he raised his concerns with the Justice Department about "institutional problems" with the Fast and Furious operation, department officials resisted his desire to share his thoughts with Congress.

"It was very frustrating to all of us," Melson told congressional investigators over the Fourth of July holiday, "and it appears thoroughly to us that the department is really trying to figure out a way to push the information away from their political appointees at the department."

Not only was the department slow to react, Justice officials even indicated to him they did not want him to cooperate with Congress, Melson said.

His comments appeared in transcripts released by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Sen. Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the top GOP member on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"The Deputy Attorney General's office wasn't very happy with us" at ATF, Melson said, "because they thought this was an admission that there were mistakes made. Well, there were some mistakes made."

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: atf; banglist; batf; castaway; coverup; cultureofcorruption; dea; doj; fastandfurious; fbi; grassley; gunrunner; guns; gunwalker; holder; injusticedepartment; issa; justicedepartment; melson; obama; obamalegacy; obamascandals; reichstag; scandal; transparency
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To: COBOL2Java

I don’t care what it takes to get obami out of office.


21 posted on 07/18/2011 5:15:22 PM PDT by bfree (The revolution is coming - OBAMI IS THE ENEMY OF FREEDOM)
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To: Typical_Whitey

It’s like this.

1.If a reporter asks the Narcissist a question he doesn’t like, that reporter loses his WH credentials. It’s been done before.
2. If a reporter asked Obama about a Special Prosecutor, If Obama didn’t bar him his employer would probably fire him for not being liberal enough.

In other words they don’t want to know, they are happy with Obama and want him back, and this thing is a killer.


22 posted on 07/18/2011 5:16:02 PM PDT by Venturer
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To: NormsRevenge

“The intention of Fast and Furious was to allow illegal straw purchasers to buy guns and then for ATF agents to follow the weapons in the hope of figuring out gun-smuggling routes into Mexico.
But many of the guns were lost in transit, some even before they were shipped south over the border.”

I see the official line is still being parroted by the U.S. Pravda press.

This was clearly an attempt to create fictitious “Facts” (90% of cartel guns come from the U.S.”, in reality about 8%!) in support of the agenda to make a mockery of the second amendment, to institute the sort of “Common Sense Gun Control” pushed by Blooming Idiot-Berg and the Brainless (Brady) bunch.

Obombies “Under the radar” approach flew too high, now it’s visible, if we only take a look!


23 posted on 07/18/2011 5:18:41 PM PDT by Loyal Sedition (Loyal Sedition, often described as "To the right of Attila The Hun"!)
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To: Michael Barnes

Can’t link until the events actually happen.


24 posted on 07/18/2011 5:22:56 PM PDT by null and void (Day 909. When your only tools are a Hammer & Sickle, everything looks like a Capitalist...)
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To: Typical_Whitey

” ... but it all backfired on them when the Republicans won the House and started to investigate it.”

As I hope the case is for other issues that will come to light.


25 posted on 07/18/2011 5:41:51 PM PDT by Free America52 (The White guys are getting pissed off. We beat Hitler Hirohito and Krushchev. Obama will be easy.)
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To: NormsRevenge

The writer of this piece is Richard Serrano —great guy.

Why in hell is an MSM journalist questioning gov’t decisions?

This is so weird..! It’s like we have a FREE PRESS or something.

(cue Twilight Zone music....)


26 posted on 07/18/2011 5:42:10 PM PDT by gaijin
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To: unixfox
...and incompetent at the same time.

Look how well all these academics have done with the economy. Obama drew from the same well when he picked people for DOJ. Why would they know anything about the law or how to enforce the law.

These are simple ideologues who are using the power gained in an election to do everything they want, despite what the law says.

27 posted on 07/18/2011 5:53:04 PM PDT by USNBandit (sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: NormsRevenge

The irony:

FF/Castaway aimed to argue a need to diminish US gun rights. Instead, the truth will demonstrate a need for much *greater* gun rights.

People need to understand the 2nd Amendment was NOT about Grand-pappy’s duck-hunting gun —it is about making the government AFRAID to do certain types of things.

Like this.

I honestly cannot imagine a scenario that would demonstrate untrustworthiness of Government more than FF/Castaway has...it would have to also involve child molestation, or something.

Maybe there are papers showing that Hussein et. al. knew or were prepared to accept it if US officers would almost certainly be killed...?

How would you like to be working for BP/DEA/ATF/Customs right now, knowing your bosses might at some time or other be casually sending you out TO DIE....?

That


28 posted on 07/18/2011 5:54:07 PM PDT by gaijin
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To: EternalVigilance; NormsRevenge

“Impeach. There are dead Americans...”

Impeachment takes balls. That is decidely lacking in what we have now.

“Our” side is terrified of being called “racist” if they do their Constitutional duty. Afraid of being called a word by despicable, lunatic FREAKS.

Imagine...grown MEN being afraid of a word. Cowards. They deserve contempt.

This Melson guy is singing like a canary, and the GOP does nothing.

All because they’re scared of a word.

Gee...Guess Pavlov was right. There seems to be NO difference between conditionin an animal and conditioning a human being.

FuBO, “My Peoples” Holder, and Hillary Clinto are all over this thing, and they should be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

If there are ANY Patriots left in the government, now is your time to stand the F*** up and DO YOUR DAMNED JOB. You HAVE the reason, you HAVE the proof, and you HAVE the authority.


29 posted on 07/18/2011 6:00:28 PM PDT by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
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To: roaddog727

Exactly, but they asked that very question of Bush and he obliged by appointed Fitz to the Plame Game.


30 posted on 07/18/2011 6:11:21 PM PDT by Typical_Whitey (Ask a liberal to explain how tax increases create jobs in America)
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To: roaddog727

Exactly, but they asked that very question of Bush and he obliged by appointed Fitz to the Plame Game.


31 posted on 07/18/2011 6:11:36 PM PDT by Typical_Whitey (Ask a liberal to explain how tax increases create jobs in America)
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To: NormsRevenge

I hope this zit festers for the next 12 months and is popped with vengeance 90 days before the election.


32 posted on 07/18/2011 6:28:19 PM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: NormsRevenge
do I really have to say it???

33 posted on 07/18/2011 6:40:40 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: popdonnelly
Time for folks to come clean HANG.
34 posted on 07/18/2011 6:45:32 PM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal The 16th Amendment!)
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To: NormsRevenge
What is really happening is the Obama Administration is trying to get lower level people to hide behind and abuse Executive Privilege to keep them from coming forward and turning states evidence on misconduct by this Administration.

It is becoming obvious to a lot of these lower level people that this investigation is going to go the distance and that they are going to be liable for obstruction of justice charges and perhaps criminal indictment for some of the things they did on behalf of the Obama Administration unless they come forward and cut a deal.

If these lower level people come forward and turn states evidence then the trail will inevitably lead to the highest levels of the DOJ and DHS and to the White House.

Holder and company are trying to protect themselves, not shield lower level people.

35 posted on 07/18/2011 6:52:26 PM PDT by rdcbn
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To: NormsRevenge

For the last 30 years all we have heard is “WAR ON DRUGS”,Drug War,narco trafficantes,drug cartels, Just Say No,THE WAR ON DRUGS,THE WAR ON DRUGS, our society is inundated with these slogans and phrases in all facets of our lives, The vast majority of people have to take a DRUG TEST because of the WAR ON DRUGS, We Spend BILLIONS of Dollars on THE WAR ON DRUGS.
CHARGE EVERY LAST PERSON WITH TREASON, THEY GAVE AID AND COMFORT TO THE ENEMY DURING A TIME OF WAR ON DRUGS. LOCK THEM ALL UP IN GITMO AS ENEMY COMBATANTS IN THE WAR ON DRUGS. START EXECUTING POLITICAL APPOINTEES RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ACT OF TREASON, AND EVERY LAST SINGLE PERSON INVOLVED.

Why should Government Agents be above the law? if you or I did this, we would be facing the DEATH PENALTY.


36 posted on 07/18/2011 6:52:55 PM PDT by eyeamok
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To: NormsRevenge

Issa needs to launch a full Congressional investigation into his scheme and use his powers of subpoena. It has to be done NOW.


37 posted on 07/18/2011 6:53:12 PM PDT by Candor7 (Obama fascist info..http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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To: NormsRevenge; AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; ...

Thanks NormsRevenge. Interesting sidebar (not about Zero and Holder's "Fire 'n' Forget" program):
38 posted on 07/18/2011 6:57:59 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: gaijin

Ok, here it is... Well the intro to it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzlG28B-R8Y


39 posted on 07/18/2011 7:14:51 PM PDT by sixstriger
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To: NormsRevenge

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-guns-scandal-20110719,0,4186466,print.story

The story is dated for July 19, 2011. The same author had two stories about it yesterday.


40 posted on 07/18/2011 7:26:41 PM PDT by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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