Fast and Furious Scandal

DoingItNow2012

Ok, there are some pretty smart people on here as well as skilled debators. So someone please help me to understand why this is such a huge scandal and why Holder is the focus. Explain it to me like a 5 year old ;-) (who gets the reference?) I know there are political motivations, but still there is usually is some meat behind political witch hunts. Maybe I haven't researched as much as I should have, but I just read a super long article on the scandal and my questions persist. Here is the link to the article.

http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2012/06/27/fast-and-furious-truth/

So,
1) Why is this such a big scandal?
2) Why is holder the focus?

DoingItNow2012

No one?

macpatti

Holder withheld documents and could possibly be held in contempt. Obama is trying to cover this up. It's big news because it's an election year.

The program was initially designed to limit the access of the Mexican drug cartel from getting weapons so easily. It turned out that the weapons were actually getting to the drug cartel fairly easily and often. Holder was aware of this, but said nothing.

megmay2591

Here is the truth about this non-scandal.

http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2012/06/27/fast-and-furious-truth/


"The truth about the Fast and Furious scandal
June 27, 2012: 5:00 AM ET
A Fortune investigation reveals that the ATF never intentionally allowed guns to fall into the hands of Mexican drug cartels. How the world came to believe just the opposite is a tale of rivalry, murder, and political bloodlust."

By Katherine Eban

Read this if you care enough to know what the truth is.

EvanKeel

There is literally nothing scandalous going on here. Mistake? sure. That's not the same thing.

lour441

I am sure it is just election year bull$h1t.

That said, I was surprised Obama used executive privilege considering he has never used it before. The right will say if there is nothing incriminating then just release the documents and be done with it. My guess is that it is a national security issue.

Azdak

Ok, there are some pretty smart people on here as well as skilled debators. So someone please help me to understand why this is such a huge scandal and why Holder is the focus. Explain it to me like a 5 year old ;-) (who gets the reference?) I know there are political motivations, but still there is usually is some meat behind political witch hunts. Maybe I haven't researched as much as I should have, but I just read a super long article on the scandal and my questions persist. Here is the link to the article.

http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2012/06/27/fast-and-furious-truth/

So,
1) Why is this such a big scandal?
2) Why is holder the focus?

1) It's an election year.

2) Holder and the DOJ are fighting against GOP voter suppression efforts in various states such as Florida.

Repubs have had 2 years in the House to try and dig up scandals against the Obama administration. This is the best they can do. The Eban story pretty much exposes this "scandal" for what it is.

adrian_indy

Obama's mistake is trying to sell weapons to Mexicans. Real presidents sell them to Iran like Reagan.

DoingItNow2012

lol, You guys are funny, OK, so I thought it was just me being dense.

I just couldn't understand what makes it such I high profile issue requiring congressional hearing and all kinds of documents and worth interrogating Holder. I understand that it is program that didn't work out as planned and that incompetence was recognized. But from what I could find out, people were held accountable and I believed someone took responsibility. Also, it seems that investigations are still going on.

Anyway, thanks for all who responded. If anyone has an opposing view, please share. I really am open to look at this another way.

DoingItNow2012

Ok, there are some pretty smart people on here as well as skilled debators. So someone please help me to understand why this is such a huge scandal and why Holder is the focus. Explain it to me like a 5 year old ;-) (who gets the reference?) I know there are political motivations, but still there is usually is some meat behind political witch hunts. Maybe I haven't researched as much as I should have, but I just read a super long article on the scandal and my questions persist. Here is the link to the article.

http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2012/06/27/fast-and-furious-truth/

So,
1) Why is this such a big scandal?
2) Why is holder the focus?

1) It's an election year.

2) Holder and the DOJ are fighting against GOP voter suppression efforts in various states such as Florida.

Repubs have had 2 years in the House to try and dig up scandals against the Obama administration. This is the best they can do. The Eban story pretty much exposes this "scandal" for what it is.

I just heard about the possible connection with voter suppression. That whole thing is scary to me. I thought it was illegal to suppress votes.

LuckyLeprechaun

Right? I mean, they're acting like someone died.

LuckyLeprechaun

BTW, His name was Brian Terry.

In case he was, you know, forgotten.

SMGDH

DoingItNow2012

Right? I mean, they're acting like someone died.

BTW, His name was Brian Terry.

In case he was, you know, forgotten.

SMGDH

Oh come on. Don't do that. I didn't forget that someone died and I doubt anyone else did. I just didn't want to minimize his death by stating that people die everyday, tragically, and accidentally. Again, people have been held responsible and investigations are still going on. Seriously, do you fire the governor if an undercover deputy dies on duty because someone along the lines was incompetent..

The whole point was not to devalue this man's life. I just wanted to understand what makes it so high profile requiring a congressional hearing and now a possible contempt vote? They are not trying to find out who killed Mr. Terry, that is not the purpose of the hearing. At least to my understanding. As I said, please help me to get a different understanding if I am missing something, seriously.