While criticism surrounding Operation Fast and Furious has so far focused on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, three other federal agencies knew about the operation and some of their agents tried to stop it, according to the former chief of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Tucson.

Tony Coulson, the DEA’s agent in charge of Southern Arizona during Fast and Furious, says many federal field agents knew the ATF was walking guns to Mexico, but supervisors told them to back off when they objected.

Of course we’ll be watching to see how this either gets blamed on Bush, or more likely ignored by the media.

The debate over U.S. gun laws and Mexican drug violence brings to mind Mark Twain’s famous quip about lies, damned lies, and statistics. In a recent editorial, the Washington Post blamed American policies for exacerbating the bloodshed, pointing out that “70 to 80 percent of the traceable guns seized in Mexico can be tracked to the United States.” The key word there is “traceable.” While it’s true that most of the traceable guns originated north of the border, those weapons represent a very small portion of total Mexican gun seizures.

According to a Government Accountability Office study based on data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), only 7,200 of the roughly 30,000 guns seized by Mexican authorities in 2008 were sent to ATF for a tracing analysis. Scott Stewart of STRATFOR has noted that just 4,000 of them were found to be traceable. Of the traceable guns, 3,480 were linked back to the United States. In other words, only 12 percent of the guns confiscated in 2008 were positively traced to the United States. In May 2009, the Associated Press reported that the Mexican military had “305,424 confiscated weapons locked in vaults.” Because those weapons were not submitted to ATF, their origin is unclear.

If those in the Senate can see the problem with the numbers why can’t his fellow senators such as Dianne Feinstein, Sheldon Whitehouse and Charles Schumer see the same thing? Or is it that those against guns don’t mind that this lie about the numbers continues, as it could help their push for gun control?

Additionally Cornyn has been one of the few to explain the assault weapon ban and how it relates to Mexico:

What about the U.S. assault-weapons ban (AWB), which expired in 2004? Citing estimates from a senior Mexican official, the Post said that the portion of seized guns classified as “assault weapons” has grown from about one-third in 2005 to 60–65 percent today. Yet Mexican drug violence was accelerating before the AWB lapsed — in 2001, then-president Vicente Fox called for “a war without mercy” against the cartels — and President Felipe Calderón’s courageous post-2006 crackdown on organized crime has prompted the gangs (1) to fight back against the government and (2) to fight a lot more with each other.

But again it is easier for Calderon to blame America than admit he’s facing a failing battle against the cartels. The corruption in his own government is the cause of Mexico’s woes – not America’s guns.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=g22-ut15Wbw

Cam Edwards talks to Matthew Boyle from The Daily Caller

Deaths, guns, whistle-blowers and the highest law officer in the land stonewalling a congressional investigation are the juicy ingredients of a story network news reporters would love to cover – if a Republican were in office. However, when Attorney General Eric Holder testified on Thursday (February 2) before a House oversight committee investigating Operation Fast and Furious, the news was completely ignored by NBC and ABC (there was one full story on Friday’s CBS This Morning). The virtual blackout of Holder’s testimony continues an overall trend of ABC and NBC burying one of the Obama administration’s biggest scandals, despite continual coverage by their competitors at CBS, CNN and Fox News.

We’ve also noted that this story has had virtually no coverage in the evening news. As we’ve stated, who needs a cover-up when the media won’t cover the story anyway?

Kudos to Newsbusters for noting the lack of media attention on what is arguably a huge scandal for the Obama White House.

Newbusters: MRC Study: ABC and NBC Anything But Fast and Furious On Gunwalking Scandal

There are also plenty of people who point to corruption in Mexico’s military as well as governments from Central America to Europe that could provide bulk shipments of guns to cartels.

They have noted that there is no way most of the guns used by Mexico’s cartels would be purchased over the counter at Texas gun stores. There is too much regulation and it would take too much time to outfit a private army using store-bought weaponry.

This is a fact that should be obvious. Anyone who has bought a single gun can know that with background checks, which are required to be conducted at all gun shops and despite a few high profile examples showing otherwise are conducted at the vast majority of gun shows.

Are these Fast and Furious guns or military hardware?

This week The Los Angeles Times is reporting that “Mexican officials have arrested a reputed enforcer for the country’s most powerful drug cartel – a man also alleged to have amassed weapons from the U.S. government’s failed Fast and Furious gun-smuggling operation.”

But let’s take a look at that photo that accompanied the story. While those could be semi-automatic AK-47s, as in the commercially available model, it is fascinating that there appears to be a grenade launcher on the far right and a .30 caliber machine gun in the center. These aren’t the usual items you find at any gun shop!

For now we say kudos to Mr. Cox for stating his point, which included:

Last Thursday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder appeared before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to answer questions about his role in the deadly “Fast and Furious” gun-running scandal. However, instead of answers, Congress got more defiance, more arrogance, and more wasted time with an attorney general who clearly feels no sense of obligation to the American people or our rule of law.

But for all the stonewalling, there was at least one telling moment at this hearing, and it should concern law-abiding gun owners and all Americans who expect accountability from our government.
In a rash attempt to deflect attention away from himself and his own irresponsibility, Holder let Congress know that the Obama administration is still working toward the day when it can reinstate former President Bill Clinton’s so-called “assault weapons” ban. According to Holder:

This administration has consistently favored the reinstitution of the assault weapons ban. It is something that we think was useful in the past with regard to the reduction that we’ve seen in crime, and certainly would have a positive impact on our relationship and the crime situation in Mexico.

Read more: Holder tells Congress the Obama administration wants to ban guns

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATAZjamUG28

Ginny Simone talks to Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) about Attorney General’s testimony about Operation Fast and Furious in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTD08FsDKRs

Cam Edwards talks to Lana Domino, friend of the Terry Family

Does this guy think he is above the laws he’s suppose to protect?

The Los Angeles Times actually has offered even coverage on this:

Reporting from Washington—House Republicans threatened Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. with a criminal contempt of Congress citation Thursday, alleging the Justice Department has refused for a year to turn over key documents in lawmakers’ investigation of the failed Fast and Furious gun-tracking operation.

What remains shocking is not the circus that this has become, but rather that the mainstream media – with a few exceptions such as the LA Times – has sat on this story. Who needs a cover-up when the media doesn’t even try to uncover the facts?