Gun Rights Examiner David Codrea: ‘Bloggers’ Continue To Beat Media At Their Own Game On ‘Gunwalker’
Gun Rights Examiner David Codrea:
“On February 2, 2011, at approximately 1500 hours, ATF Special Agent Gary Styers was contacted telephonically by Robert Donovan and Brian Downey, representing United States Senator Chuck Grassley and the Senate Judiciary Committee,” a pdf file of an ATF memorandum posted on Dec. 14 on the Senate Judiciary Committee website begins.
As usual, the “Authorized Journalists,” those with “professional” reporters, and staffs, and budgets, and insider access, connections, T&E accounts, etc., have not made the memorandum available to their readers and viewers.
And, as has happened so many times since the reporting on “Project Gunwalker” began (with very little notice and much resistance) almost a year ago, Mike Vanderboegh of Sipsey Street Irregulars and Gun Rights Examiner continue to beat them to the punch.
Continue reading on Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-national/bloggers-continue-to-beat-media-at-their-own-game-on-gunwalker
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is a long-time gun rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He is a field editor for GUNS Magazine, and a blogger at The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance.
David Codrea Still on the Case
Kudos to our friend David Codrea of Gun Rights Examiner, who noted this week “Letter implicates ATF in committing straw purchases for Gunwalker.”
Codera writes:
“A letter forwarded on Friday by a proven reliable source to Gun Rights Examiner and Mike Vanderboegh of Sipsey Street Irregulars documents Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives management authorizing the sale of firearms, which sources say were intended for delivery to cartel purchasers as part of the ‘Fast and Furious’ / ‘Gunwalker’ scandal. Written by then-ATF Phoenix Group VII Supervisor David Voth, the June 01, 2010 letter to a Federal Firearms Licensee, whose name is redacted, advises:”
“Per Section925(a)(1) of the Gun Control Act (GCA) exempts law enforcement agencies from the transportation, shipment, receipt, or importation controls of the GCA when firearms are to be used for the official business of the agency. Please accept this letter in lieu of completing an ATF Form 4473 for the purchase of four (4) CAI, Model Draco, 7.62×39 mm pistols, by Special Agent John Dodson. These aforementioned pistols will be used by Special Agent Dodson in furtherance of the performance of his official duties. In addition, Special Agent Dodson has not been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. If you have any questions, you may contact me at telephone number 602-605-6501.”
More at Examiner.com: “Letter implicates ATF in committing straw purchases for Gunwalker.”
Fast and Furious Debacle Grows
To call Fast and Furious, the ATF operation that let thousands of guns walk to Mexico, a debacle is apparently an understatement. Numerous outlets are following the story, while the The Los Angeles Times has repoted:
“In the second violent crime in this country connected with the ATF’s failed Fast and Furious program, two Arizona undercover police officers were allegedly assaulted last year when they attempted to stop two men in a stolen vehicle with two of the program’s weapons in a confrontation south of Phoenix.”
Already it has been reported that guns that walked as part of Fast and Furious were used in the death of a border control agent. And not this! CBS News noted:
“A second violent crime in Arizona has been linked to weapons from ATF’s “gunwalking” operation: Fast and Furious. The first known crime was the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.”
What is amazing is that somehow Eric Holder is managing to hold on to his job! We question again how the head of the DOJ couldn’t have known about this operation, and if he didn’t know, why not?
ATF Allowed Guns to Walk in Indiana Too
The list of operations goes on and on. Project Gunwalker, Project Gunrunner, Fast and Furious and Operation Castaway. Criminals don’t need to turn to the black market, they just need the ATF!
Now our good friend David Codrea of Gun Rights Examiner noted that ATF may have allowed guns to walk in Indiana as well. We have to question the logic of letting any gun walk, and once again kudos to David Codrea for being on the front line of the war on guns.
Gun Rights Examiner: Exclusive Report: Documents indicate ATF, FBI allowed Indiana ‘crime gun’ sales
Can Holder’s Own Inspector General Objectively Investigate Him?
Operation Fast and Furious (also known as Gunwalker) is slowly being investigated by the Executive and Legislative branches of the government. Both President Obama and Attorney General Holder deny any knowledge of the operation before the story broke in the news. The Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General is conducting an investigation but can it objectively investigate its own boss, Eric Holder?
Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Darrell Issa are investigating Fast and Furious for the Legislative branch. On July 4th they held a secret meeting with Ken Melson, acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the entity most involved with implementing Fast and Furious.
Oddly, Eric Holder requested a copy of the transcript of the secret July 4 meeting on behalf of his Office of Inspector General (OIG). This personal request came before any OIG request was made of the July 4 meeting. Does Mr. Holder want to read the secret transcript himself?
“Since the OIG is supposed to be conducting an independent inquiry, it seems odd that the Department would make a document request on behalf of that office,” Grassley and Issa wrote to Holder on Tuesday. “We presume that if the OIG would like to make such a request, it is capable of doing so on its own initiative. However, we have not received any such request from the OIG.”
Rep. Darrell Issa may be leery about releasing any secret meetings because of some half-truths used against him politically by likes of the Washington Post and other pro-administration outlets. In a Washington Post story it was claimed that Issa and others were briefed on the ATFs’ Operation Fast and Furious in 2010 and that at the time he didn’t raise any objections. He was made to look like a hypocritical political hit man when he later attacked Fast and Furious.
What the story didn’t include was that Issa and the others were lied to. They were told that Fast and Furious was instigated by rogue low level agents. Conclusive evidence proves that Fast and Furious went at least as high as acting director Melson, who watched illegal straw purchases in his office live via the Internet.
Being lied to and then having that lie used against Rep. Issa politically probably makes him much more skeptical when it comes to investigating the Executive Branch. In Tuesday’s letter, Grassley and Issa also asked Holder to provide complete answers to the questions they sent him on July 22. The Attorney General, our highest federal law enforcement officer, appears to be stonewalling an investigation with international consequences.
The lies, half-truths, red-tape and political thug tactics that the Executive has used to stop or slow an investigation into Fast and Furious is enough to warrant a special investigator who reigns outside the reach of Holder or President Obama. This rocket may take the administration all the way to Mars but not back.
NRA News: Gunwalker: It Must Have Been Eric Holder
Cam Edwards talks to Bob Owens from Pajamas Media
Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership
From our friends at Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership:
Since its modern mutation in 1968 (via the “Gun Control Act of 1968), and with an infusion of power to it in 1972 by Treasury Department Order No. 120-1, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) has amassed a truly sordid record of “gun control.”
Although it’s website somewhat outlandishly claims a history going back to 1789, BATFE’s modern roots go to its failed attempts at the enforcement of Prohibition (another stupid idea from the federal government). Read more
Washington Examiner Declares What Everyone Already Knows
This week The Washington Examiner was one of the few outlets to offer a headline that few in the mainstream media have noted, “Holder must go over gun scandal, but what did Obama know?” Indeed, those are tough questions that aren’t being asked.
The Examiner offers this thought:
“Anti-gun Democratic congressmen and liberal politicos have been citing U.S. guns showing up in Mexico and Southwestern states as proof that America needs new gun control laws.
“In the aftermath of Gunrunner, they’re shamelessly adding the solution is to give the ATF new gun control powers.
“After the tragic Tucson, Ariz., shooting, Obama told anti-gun activists that his team was working on gun control behind the scenes. The next question becomes: Is there a connection?”
We couldn’t have said it before ourselves. This is very much a connect the dots scenario. A crisis was created and a solution is at hand.
Virginia Citizens Defense League: Fast And Furious Operation A Secret Campaign For More U.S. Gun-Control
Virginia Citizens Defense League:
From the moment I learned about the BATFE’s “Operation Fast and Furious,” also called “Project Gun Walker,” to flood Mexico’s drug cartels with guns from U.S. gun stores, my gut told me that it was the American gun owner who was the primary target of the operation.
In an environment where the American people no longer want gun control, it appeared that we were being “set up” by our own government to have gun-control crammed down our throats.
And the more that is revealed about Fast And Furious, the more that gut feeling has proven to be correct. As you will see, others have the same belief.
From the story in the The Washington Examiner: http://tinyurl.com/3z2tagg:
“The supervisor of Operation Fast and Furious was ‘jovial, if not, not giddy but just delighted about’ walked guns showing up at crime scenes in Mexico according to an ATF agent.”
Ask yourself, why would a supervisor be so happy that guns sold in America and smuggled into Mexico with the BATFE’s help showed up at crimes scenes in Mexico?
We are talking about people being murdered…
Only one possible reason comes to mind: the operation’s true purpose was being realized and Mexico would soon be pointing the finger at American gun stores and yelling that such gun stores were intentionally selling guns into Mexico.
It was almost perfect. And of course, the U.S. Government “would have no choice” but to implement more gun control (registering private gun sales, banning “assault weapons” and higher-capacity magazines, tracking multiple sales of semi-automatic rifles, etc.) in response to the “irresponsible sales of guns by American gun stores.”
The Mexican Government had no idea that it was the U.S. Government that was secretly seeing that those guns were sold to Mexican cartels over the objections of the gun stores that would never have made those high-volume sales otherwise.
President Obama told Sarah and Jim Brady a few months ago that there was gun control in the works “under the radar.” That statement made it inadvertently into the press. Ooops – looks like the radar was capable of scanning lower than the President thought.
Now Blood is dripping off of the Government’s fingers.
In other stories, you see how some anti-gun Democrats were trying to capitalize on Operation Fast and Furious to get their gun control agenda passed. Senator Feinstein is still in the “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!” mode, demanding instead that gun owners pay the price she wants us to pay no matter what.
However, I think that the revelations and Congressional investigation into Operation Fast and Furious will mean that gun control, which has not been popular in Congress for years, is now even further from becoming reality any time soon.
Sarah, put that in your pipe and smoke it.
About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org
Dave Workman Responds to WaPo Allegations by ATF
This week The Washington Post offered a story that alleges that Rep. Darrell Issa had been previously briefed on the ATF’s Fast and Furious. It is interesting to note that WaPo is more concerned about what Issa may have known, but is failed to note that President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder claim not to have known about Fast and Furious.
Our friend Dave Workman offered this thought:
“But there is an equally serious question about the breaking revelation: Why did the ATF wait until now to talk about this briefing? Why was there no mention of this briefing from Acting ATF Director Kenneth Melson, in response to early inquiries by Sen. Charles Grassley (dating back to January) and Rep. Issa (dating back to March) about Operation Fast and Furious? Why, when Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich responded to inquires from Grassley and Issa earlier this year, did he not simply tell both lawmakers right up front that ‘Congress was fully briefed on this operation, and Issa was there?’”
It seems to us that maybe WaPo is trying to deflect the matter from ATF and put the blame elsewhere… all while letting Obama and Holder off the hook.
