More on Fast & Furious

I just wanted to share a few links from this week regarding the latest news on the Fast and Furious scandal...

A quick note on "executive privilege" [UDPATED]

 ***Please scroll to bottom for important update***

Drudge headline today (hat tip: @TheHenry)

There's going to be a lot written about the Fast and Furious hearing today debating whether to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt regarding failure to turn over materials requested by subpoena, but I wanted to make a quick point about a comment Rep. Darrell Issa made about the failure to turn over a privilege log.

Attorney General George Costanza

Attorney General Eric Holder may have no clue what's going on in his Justice Department, but the situation is crystal clear to Florida's Republican Congressional Representatives (see my post yesterday with Representative Sandy Adams grilling Holder).

Here's a clever little video put together by Representative Dennis Ross' office:

Fast and Furious: I don't want resignations, I want handcuffs

The more I learn about Fast and Furious, the angrier I get. Recent congressional testimony by Attorney General Eric Holder and his subordinates is making it clear that the entire AG's office is infected with epidemic-level incompetence, stupidity, corruption, or a combination of the three.

Free advice for Eric Holder: your goal should be to appear incompetent, because the alternative (liar) makes prison a solid possibility.Thu Dec 08 18:11:39 via EchofonSarah Rumpf
rumpfshaker

Morning Coffee Reading for June 20, 2011

Here's your morning coffee reading for today:

• Tim Pawlenty spoke at the Right Online conference last weekend, and knocked their socks off. Don't write him off yet, folks.

RedState | Erick Erickson | Tim Pawlenty impresses Right Online

• Looks like President Obama's quick visit to Puerto Rico may have been a good fundraising trip, but has the potential to become a public relations nightmare. Apparently spending only four hours on the island territory "unleashed a growing political furor."

Salon | Obama's Puerto Rico visit spurs anger, discontent

• Here's an interview with Attorney General Pam Bondi by Sunshine State News, discussing public records and transparency in government:

YouTube | TheSunshineStateNews | AG Pam Bondi on Public Records

• Legal Insurrection is an excellent legal/political blog written by conservative law professor William A. Jacobsen. The site recently went through a nice redesign. Same great content. Go check out the new site. and follow Professor Jacobsen on Twitter: @LegInsurrection.

• Here's a heartwarming story about a charity, American Veterans Empowerment Team (AVET), which sends care packages to troops overseas and pampers them when they visit home. This Fox Orlando video shows one service member getting picked up in a limo at the airport.

My Fox Orlando | AVET offers support to troops and military families

• Great blog post by @ChrisOfRights with a more accurate perspective on the Robin Hood story:

Chris of Rights | Liberalism and Robin Hood

McCollum: Obamacare is "the wrong way to reform health care"

Here's a great op-ed in today's Washington Post, written by Attorney General Bill McCollum:

Bill McCollum - The wrong way to reform health care

...Health-care reform is critical - but it should not come at the expense of our citizens' individual rights nor by jeopardizing the role of the states in our system of federalism. 

Congress has limited, enumerated powers under the Constitution and cannot make law beyond those specific powers. All powers not specifically granted to Congress by the Constitution are left for the states, which have equal sovereignty to make their own laws. 

When Congress has invoked the commerce clause in the past, it has regulated only those individuals who voluntarily engaged in commercial activities. This law would compel the purchase of insurance and fine those who do not comply. If Congress has the power to force Americans to buy goods and services, where is the limit?

...The stakes could not be higher: ObamaCare is public policy at its worst, in violation of the U.S. Constitution. We can and should support a health-care overhaul; it is up to our leaders in Congress to both do those reforms and protect the Constitution. 

Here's McCollum discussing the health care litigation and Thursday's oral arguments with Greta Van Susteren last night:

YouTube | Fox News Channel | 20-State Health Care Challenge in Judge's Hands

I don't know about you, but I watch McCollum taking names and kicking you-know-what with this health care litigation, and I can't help but feel a bit sad, and wonder "what might have been."  If Charlie Crist hadn't made his ego-driven leap at the U.S. Senate, and had instead run for a second term as Governor, then McCollum would have most likely also run for re-election as Attorney General.  Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of Pam Bondi, but in a few weeks, we are going to lose an excellent AG and champion for the people of Florida.

Priorities, Smiorities

Let's play a game...let's pretend we can wave a wand, and POOF! make you Attorney General for the United States of America. We'll give you Eric Holder's job. You start today. Good luck!

So, if you were Attorney General, what would your priorities be? What do you think are the biggest legal issues facing our country right now? What would you do today?

Maybe you would want to investigate how that Wikileaks jerkface Julian Assange was able to obtain such a mind-boggling amount of U.S. classified documents, again?

Would you start with our illegal immigration problem? Or maybe work on some ideas to reform our legal immigration procedures?

What should be done with the detainees at Guantanamo? (Hmmm, what happened to that January deadline? President Obama seems to have forgotten about his self-imposed deadline...or did reality give him a nasty slap across the face?)

How about how to handle the trials of terrorists? The White House didn't want military tribunals, but the civilian trials aren't going so well.  

And of course, we need to continue to be vigilant in our efforts to protect our country from future acts of terrorism.  How should we investigate terror plots?  What legal protections do American citizens who are suspected terrorists deserve?  What if the suspected terrorists aren't Americans? 

Maybe you would want to look into voter fraud issues?  Looks like New York is a good place to start.

Medicare/Medicaid fraud is an ongoing epidemic that costs us untold billions of dollars every year. That might be worth investigating.

That's a pretty good list. I bet you can think of some others.  Why don't you write them down?

OK, what's on your list?  Is a soccer game anywhere on it?  Yes, I said soccer game.  Soccer is a big national priority, isn't it?  Oh.  Soccer wouldn't be on your list of priorities if you were Attorney General?

Well, guess you can't have the job after all.  Because apparently in the Obama administration, soccer is a really big deal:

Michelle Malkin | Eric Holder Focuses on Important Legal Challenge: The 2022 World Cup

Yes, Eric Holder, our Attorney General, is in Switzerland today, to lobby to bring the World Cup to America in 2022.  

The week that our national security and worldwide diplomatic efforts are endangered by Wikileaks' latest release of documents, just a few weeks after terrorists attempted to send explosives hidden in printer cartridges in cargo planes, in the middle of important debates (and accompanying litigation) regarding the health care bill, immigration, don't-ask-don't-tell, and terrorism trials, Eric Holder is taking a little vacation to Switzerland to chat about a soccer game that is taking place twelve years from now.

Are you @#$% kidding me?!

Now, I've been to Switzerland.  It's lovely.  I mean, it's lovely in a so-pretty-it-almost-makes-your-eyeballs-hurt kind of way.  The people are extremely nice...and the chocolate, oh yes, don't forget the chocolate!  I highly recommend you visit if you get a chance.

It's ridiculously lovely, but does not belong on the Attorney General's to-do list (Image from FreeFoto.com)

With everything that is going on right now, in the United States and around the world, I cannot for the life of me figure out how a soccer game to be played more than a decade from now has a darn thing to do with what our Attorney General should be doing with his time.  

For that matter, why is this a priority for the White House at all?  Is a soccer game twelve years from now going to create jobs?  Give me a break.

Maybe this relates to how Obama is supposed to magically make the world "like" us again.  Most of the planet thinks we're silly for not calling it "football" like they do.  Is Eric Holder telling everyone in Switzerland that Obama will make us start saying football if they give us the World Cup?  Hmmm, the Great and All-Knowing Obama will have to decide what we're supposed to call football, but I'm sure he'll figure something out.

Bottom line: this is just plain ridiculous, a colossal waste of taxpayer money and resources,  sends the message that the White House is not serious about oh, pretty much every issue facing us right now, and is, in my opinion, just one more bit of proof that the Obama Administration is in way over their heads.

A big huge pile of endorsements for Holly Benson

Earlier this week, Holly Benson's campaign sent out a press release naming a great list of statewide leaders who have endorsed her.  I've met Holly several times and she just impressed the heck out of me.  Intelligent, sincere, genuine, serious about the issues.  If you haven't yet made up your mind about who should get your vote for attorney general, I encourage you to check out Holly Benson.  I think you'll like what you find.

Press release after the jump...

Bill McCollum on the Obama Administration's Response to the Gulf Oil Spill

Bill McCollum on Greta VanSusteren 06.14.10

Holly Benson On the Record

Here's a great and very detailed interview with Holly Benson.  There's some tough questions and I think she handles it all very well.  I am proud to endorse Holly for Florida Attorney General and encourage you to consider supporting her as well.

GOP Attorney General candidate Holly Benson on the record | Daily Loaf