US: [Updated] US Attorney General Eric Holder Held in Contempt of Congress

A summary of what is happening: Tomorrow morning, the House of Representatives is set to vote on whether to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt. which would be a US history first. The backstory: A secret government operation from years ago called Operation Fast and Furious allowed guns to cross the Mexican border and into the hands of the country's drug cartels, in an attempt to track the routes that these cartels take in smuggling narcotics across both the Mexican border and the US border. The plan did not work however, and it resulted in further drug violence throughout Mexico, as the death toll rose to new heights. The operation became public when a US border patrol agent was shot and killed in Arizona -- by a bullet from ones of the guns let across the border. Since then, a committee comprising 40 members of the House of Representatives (23 Republicans and 17 Democrats) began an investigation on the operation.

The Attorney General Eric Holder has been accused by Republicans and even some Democrats of obstructing justice by refusing to cooperate on the matter. They argue that he has not answered a single question with a direct answer, and continues to stall. The committee has asked for specific documents which Holder has refused to hand over, which means he is hiding something, according to the accusers. President Barack Obama chimed in by exerting "executive privilege" and saying that the documents will not be handed over. This comment has led many to believe that Obama's White House had something to do with it all and that whatever might be in these documents could be very damaging to Obama and his bid for reelection later this year. Some Democrats are shaking the entire situation off by claiming that it is simply the Republicans playing politics and trying to make them look bad. But with lives lost, shouldn't we be getting to the bottom of things?

One of many videos of Representative Darrell Issa (Republican) questioning Eric Holder, and in my opinion, owning him:


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From ABC News:

Following yet another failed attempt at compromise Tuesday evening between the Justice Department and Republican lawmakers, House Speaker John Boehner confirmed Wednesday that a vote to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress will proceed Thursday as scheduled.

"We'd really rather not be here," Boehner told reporters. "We'd really rather have the attorney general and the president work with us to get to the bottom of a very serious issue."

Boehner is among the Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill backing the decision to hold Holder in contempt over the Justice Department's refusal to hand over documents subpoenaed by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for their investigation of the failed Fast and Furious gunwalking operation.

The Justice Department, the White House and many Democrats say the government has been cooperative and released numerous documents and they defend the Justice Department's decision to withhold additional documents they say contain internal deliberations. President Obama last Wednesday stepped in to exert executive privilege over the documents in question, but the Oversight Committee--on which Republicans outnumber Democrats-- voted regardless to hold the Attorney General in contempt.

Democrats charge that Republicans are simply playing politics with the issue and are not interested in reaching a compromise or solution with Democrats.




"They have shown very little interest in reaching a resolution, instead they have chosen a path of political confrontation and theater," White House spokesman Jay Carney said of Republican leaders at Wednesday's briefing.

"It's very political... " Assistant Democratic House Leader James Clyburn said on MSNBC's "Daily Rundown" Wednesday. "General Holder is doing exactly what he ought to do and that is run his office the way he was sworn to run it and not allow himself to be bullied into doing things that could violate the law and destroy the credibility of the judicial system."

Clyburn said there were gunwalking episodes that took place during the Bush administration. "Why is Mr. Issa not asking for all of these records?" he asked, referring to Oversight Committee chairman Darrell Issa.

Last week the vote to hold Holder in contempt passed on a party-line vote 23 to 17. The full House is scheduled to vote on the measure Thursday.

But further complicating things for Democrats is a threat from the National Rifle Association, a powerful electoral and lobbying force, which warned members last week that the organization will use votes on the Holder contempt measure on their annual scorecard to rate members. NRA officials as well as Issa have charged the officials behind Fast and Furious with using the failed operation to help them argue for tougher gun control laws.

House Democratic White Steny Hoyer conceded Tuesday that the NRA threat could carry weight.

"I think there are some members who will consider the recommendations of the NRA," Hoyer told reporters.

Reps. John Barrow of Georgia, Jim Matheson of Utah, Collin Peterson of Minnesota, and Nick Rahall of West Virginia, all of whom are running for re-election in very competitive districts this year, are among those Democratic House members who have already publicly announced plans to side with a majority of Republicans and vote to hold Holder in contempt.

Republicans charge that lawmakers must hold the attorney general accountable as a duty to both the American public as well the family of slain border agent Brian Terry, who was killed in December of 2010. Fast and Furious guns were recovered from the crime scene.

Lawmakers hoping to capitalize on Thursday's vote will be competing for broadcast time with the Supreme Court, which is expected to hand down its ruling on Obamacare Thursday morning.

UPDATE -- The US House of Representatives has just voted to hold US Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress. More updates to come as they are available.

UPDATE -- The vote was 255-67, with 17 Democrats voting to hold Holder in contempt, and 2 Republicans voting not to. The rest of the Republicans voted to hold him in contempt, while the rest of the Democrats either voted no or walked out of the House of Representatives in a staged protest of the vote. 1 Democrat voted present.