Obama on ‘Fast and Furious’: ‘People Who Have Screwed Up Will Be Held Accountable’

If by “held accountable” you mean “transferred to another position in the government where they can stay out of prison and still get to keep their golden retirement plan no one else in America gets” then yeah.

But that’s not “being held accountable” to anyone in the real world. Only Obama groupies and the media believe that kind of line. But i repeat myself.

This fiasco is at least as criminal as the shenanigans on Wall Street! Heads should roll!!

Is Obama talking in third person again? Just joshin’, I’m sure by “screwed up” he means “let the story slip.”

PLEASE! The internal ATF & Justice Department investigation has been going on for almost 8 months – but we are supposed to believe that they cannot find out which of their own employees “screwed-up”.

Either Holder is lying to Obama, or both Obama and Holder are lying to the public.

Held accountable? Why the 180 Obama? You’ve never been about accountability before. Who’s going to do it? Holder? Really? Between you and he there’s not one bone of honesty or personal responsibility and your words are irrelevant and as useless as your presidency itself.

This Fast and Furious incident has just become a political football and does justice for no one.

God forbid we actually investigate this story! Nothing to see here-move along. Move along.

The loony left would be screaming for Bush’s impeachement by now. Their silence is deafening.

When says those who blundered will be held responsible, he means those that blabbed on him and Holder are going to get it.

ABC thinks if Obama says something it’s fact. That’s why they fail to see how funny this story really is.

ABC doesn’t believe corruption is even POSSIBLE if the President is a Democrat. But you can bet the house that ABC won’t lift a finger to look for any.

Jeude doesn’t care if Obama allowed a bunch of brown people (and a few federal law enforcement officers) to die- he’s got BUSH TO BLAME!!!!!!

ABC News doesn’t care either.. Protecting Obama is more important to ABC News than investigating this story and informing the public of the details.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled trolls

Obama’s lips are moving again…….

Bush’s administration outed a CIA officer. That is treason. He should have been impeached? For the Republicans, it’s just ‘politics’.

POSTED BY: JEUDE | OCTOBER 18, 2011, 6:09 PM

+++Did someone get killed?

POSTED BY: WACT1 | OCTOBER 18, 2011, 6:24 PM 6:24 PM

It’s not a requirement that someone get killed for treason to be committed.

I agree with NEWCOUNTRYMAN — Bush should be impeached!

POSTED BY: WACT1 | OCTOBER 18, 2011, 6:38 PM 6:38 PM

You know nothing about what Holder knew or when. You know nothing about who is responsible. You presume much.

I think Holder is lying because he says he never heard of Fast and Furious until after I did! Logically that leaves just two things to conclude; He’s either lying or he’s incompetent.

POSTED BY: JAKE | OCTOBER 18, 2011, 6:43 PM+++Holder is soooooo screwed. Is he going to recant that he did know? Or is he going to be clueless? Either way it would cost anyone else their job at a minimum.

The Justice Department usually doesn’t even know about the sting unless it’s successful or goes sideways.
Posted by: tmferretti | October 18, 2011, 5:46 pm 5:46 pm

Holder gave a speech in Mexico about Fast and Furious in 2009. Try again.

Just replace the names Holder and Obama with Bush and Ashcroft in any F&F story and tell me the left would not be going NUTS. And they be right.

POSTED BY: BINX | OCTOBER 18, 2011, 6:50 PM 6:50 PM

It already happened under Bush . . . at least twice. Once out of Tuscon and “Operation Wide Receiver” and once out of Phoenix.

Holder gave a speech in Mexico about Fast and Furious in 2009. Try again.

POSTED BY: WHERESMYMONEY | OCTOBER 18, 2011, 6:50 PM 6:50 PM

Cite your source. We ordinary Americans are used to right wing lies. Source it.

Cuernavaca, Mexico April 2009
First, let me express my thanks to Attorney General Medina Mora and Secretary of Government Gomez Mont for making this conference possible.

This is my first trip to another country as Attorney General. I wanted to come to Mexico to deliver a single message: We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you in this fight against the narcotics cartels. The United States shares responsibility for this problem and we will take responsibility by joining our Mexican counterparts in every step of this fight.

And, together, we will win — thanks in large part to the courage of my Mexican colleagues here today, who are on the front lines every day, and with whom I am proud to collaborate.

The topic that has been addressed over the past two days could not be more important — the development of an arms trafficking prosecution and enforcement strategy on both sides of the border.

I would like to thank the Mexican and U.S. experts who have worked so hard on this issue. On our side, Secretary Napolitano and I are committed to putting the resources in place to increase our attack on arms trafficking into Mexico.

Last week, our administration launched a major new effort to break the backs of the cartels. My department is committing 100 new ATF personnel to the Southwest border in the next 100 days to supplement our Project Gunrunner, DEA is adding 16 new positions on the border, as well as mobile enforcement teams, and the FBI is creating a new intelligence group focusing on kidnapping and extortion. DHS is making similar commitments, as Secretary Napolitano will detail.

But as today’s conference has emphasized, the problem of arms trafficking will not be stopped at the border alone. Rather, as our experts emphasized, this is a problem that must be met as part of a comprehensive attack against the cartels — an attack in depth, on both sides of the border, that focuses on the leadership and assets of the cartel. ”

Operation “Gunrunner” or its latest incarnation “Fast and Furious.”

It doesn’t matter. Holder came out (about 2 weeks ago) and said he never heard of it until recently when the rest of the country including ABC was talking about it for months. ATF Director Ken Melson and U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke announced their resignations in late August, months after the media was all over it….. You’ve got to be kidding!

POSTED BY: WHERESMYMONEY | OCTOBER 18, 2011, 7:10 PM 7:10 PM

So, he didn’t talk about “Fast and Furious” at all. He talked about trying to stop gunrunning into Mexico. Something that had been a problem through other administrations.

So what? You think this is important? Of course he would be aware on gunrunning into Mexico and aware both governments were trying to stop it. This is somehow a crime?

Good god, you guys are desperate AND deluded.

We simple folk just have to realize that the president is brilliant (so we’re told) and so are his advisors (we have to assume). We just don’t understand, you know, like the Republicans not being able to understand the complexities of Obama’s latest tax and spend, no-fail “jobs bill”. We should just trust the president, you know, because he’s so brilliant and because the first $862 BILLION stimulus was SO, SO successful. So successfuly that we need another stimulus bill. Do the leftist zealot Obama die-hards not see what’s happening right in front of their eyes?

We ALL know that is a lie, now don’t we?????

POSTED BY: RICK MCDANIEL | OCTOBER 18, 2011, 7:24 PM 7:24 PM

You’ve been conditioned by all the lying from the previous administration, and things like Iran-Contra under Reagan.

It was a stupid plan, poorly executed, and Obama is finally saying something. I’ve been waiting. Stay tuned.

More like, “How can we minimize the political damage….and who can we afford to throw under the bus at this point”. Holder falling would be like losing your queen in chess.

They are either “The Gang Who Could Not Shoot Straight” or the “Apple Dumpling Gang”…maybe both. Scenes right out of Mayberry…..whoops, Andy, sorry, you and your trusty deputy would have nailed this one in 30 minutes.

randy wrote:”So, he didn’t talk about “Fast and Furious” at all.”
.
Boy you caught everyone of that one… Holder was talking about Fast & Furious not Fast “and” Furious. That makes it all OK.
.
“He talked about trying to stop gunrunning into Mexico.”
.
He talked about trying to stop gunrunning into Mexico, but he was DOING gunrunning into Mexico blatantly arming the narco-terrorist.
.
“Something that had been a problem through other administrations.”
.
NO ONE else purposely sent guns to Mexico…. only Holder, oBama, and Hillary.

TMFERRITIs intelligent comment bears repeating: “People are making judgments that don’t understand how the agencies work. The ATF, FBI, DEA, etc plan local sting operations at the district level. Federal prosecutors in that district review those plans for legal issues, entrapment, wire taps, anything that could hamper prosecution. The agencies carry out the sting operations. The Justice Department usually doesn’t even know about the sting unless it’s successful or goes sideways.

I’m sure the ATF in that southwest district thought they were doing a good job. It went bad and sadly an agent was killed. This has happened many times, especially in Mafia cases. The Whitey Bolger case in Boston went sideways; no one said Reagan or Clinton was responsible.

This Fast and Furious incident has just become a political football and does justice for no one.”

lydia wrote:”The agencies carry out the sting operations.”
.
So what was the sting here…..were they going to arrest the perp’s at the funeral while the victims were getting buried. How do you carry out a sting when you knowingly move weapons across the border with NO HANDOFF to ANYONE on the other side except Mexican narco-terrorists. Now get back to work Eric Holder and get off this ABC blog.

newcountryman wrote:”At this point it’s not about a sting that went badly”
.
You are right… its not about a sting that went badly… cause it was not a sting to begin with. It went exactly as planned! Weapons were supplied to Mexican narco-terrorists. The only thing that did not go as planned was agent Brian Terry becoming collateral damage and therefore their plan being exposed.

Obama on ‘Fast and Furious’: ‘People Who Have Screwed Up Will Be Held Accountable’
.
Well they may have screwed up, but at least they were having a great time doing it…. ATF Supervisor David J. Voth, who oversaw the Fast and Furious program, wrote a threatening email to agents who were protesting the doomed strategy that “If you don’t think this is fun, you’re in the wrong line of work — period!”…..
.
he also wrote:” This can be the most fun you have with ATF, the only one limiting the amount of fun we have is you!”
.
Who knew that arming Mexican narco-terrorists was such entertainment.

This administration gave guns to criminals. Those criminals used those guns to kill a few hundred Mexicans and Officer Terry. Has Obama apologized to Officer Terry’s family, or to Mexico, or does he only apologize for things that prior presidents have done?

“90% of the guns in Mexico come from the United States.” When does a 90% lie become a 100% lie?

As soon as it was uttered by Clinton, Holder, and Obama. The lie (THE LIE) was explained ealier by Obama when he said “we are doing something about gun control under the radar.” This is as much about the unconstitutional disarming of our Second Amendment rights as it is about the arming of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Here is an example of presidential transparency: tell THE LIE; arm the bad guys; kill innocent Mexicans and Americans; then blame those who cling to their guns and religion. One might wonder what other business the administration was doing with a drug cartel.

This is as much about the unconstitutional disarming of our Second Amendment rights as it is about the arming of the Sinaloa Cartel.

POSTED BY: RAOUL MAGNETO | OCTOBER 19, 2011, 1:08 AM 1:08 AM

Oh sure . .. which right wing nutcase did you buy this garbage from?

We hold you accountable Mr. President. All your blame shifting won’t work. This is your Justice department.

My guess is Obama’s investigation will be the same as his “most transparent administration ever”. Which means worthless, words just words.

“Well, folks, Mr Holder and I, your President throughly examined Fast and Furious, and determined that the people responsible for the screw-ups were: Not Us. Nope: We’re golden, but PROBABLY it was some low level DOJ expendables, and somehow John Boehner and the Tea Party. Now, everyone as you were. Nothing to see here, folks.”

Wait for it. Don’t be surprised.

Anyone can say anything, but what is the record of a desperate person following through? In the president’s case, not very good.

The people DEMAND that a special INDIPENDENT investigator MUST be appointed to investigate the administrations actions and potential cover-up. Holder’s own credibility before congress has been tainted by his lies, disqualifying him from conducting an investigation. “Misremember” is no excuse when people have been killed. This is far bigger chicanery than the trumped up second rate burglary known as Watergate in which nobody died. This administration has blood on it’s hands and since Clinton burned innocent American women and children at Waco, TX, the people cannot condone the Dems sweeping more deaths under the rug. Can’t everyone see that truth, human rights, indeed life itself, takes a back seat to the Dems rabid power lust? These people are sick!

Sounds like Obama’s trying to distance himself from this situation. I’ll bet before this is all said and done, in order to save his own a**, Obama will throw Holder under the bus!

Fast and Furious was not a new idea, look up operation Wide Receiver that was started under the Bush administration, same thing only smaller.

Here’s the facts

The first known ATF “gunwalking” operation to Mexican drug cartels, named Operation Wide Receiver, began in early 2006 and ran into 2007. The ATF was informed of a suspicious gun purchase by licensed dealer Mike Detty in Tucson then hired as a confidential informant working with the ATF’s Tucson office, part of their Phoenix, Arizona field division. With the use of surveillance equipment, ATF agents monitored additional sales by Detty to straw purchasers. With the belief that the firearms would be tracked and interdicted before reaching the streets, he would sell a total of about 450 guns during the operation. They were eventually lost as they moved into Mexico. At the time, under the Bush Administration, no arrests or indictments were made. After President Obama took office in 2009, the DOJ reviewed Wide Receiver and found that guns had been allowed into the hands of suspected gun traffickers. Indictments began in 2010, over three years after Wide Receiver concluded. As of October 4, 2011, nine people had been charged with making false statements in acquisition of firearms and illicit transfer, shipment or delivery of firearms; two of them had pled guilty.

Take it as you choose

I would FIRE both Obama and Holder in a SECOND. Have at it!

NOZ

If you notice Congressman Issa, being fair and unbiased LOL has never mentioned “Opertion Wide Receiver”

“..what ya gonna do , turn yourself in? hey you’re a politician” bonzo goes to bitzburg Ramones

Why does Obama always say I will hold this one and that one accountable and then does nothing so far its Wall Street, Fast and Furious and Iran and those are just the ones that stick out and I feel like remembering.

ANGUS and GET REAL

I gave you the facts about Wide Receiver and Fast and Furious. Your letting your hatred for the President of the United Sates cloud your judgment and denying those facts. It’s been said “Never tell a republican the truth, it just confuses them” Come on guys; at least acknowledge this whole gun running business started under the Bush administration.

Thats what happens when he speaks without the trusted telepromter

Documents Highlight Bush-Era Incident Pre-Dating ‘Fast and Furious.”

Newly surfaced emails reveal problems going back to 2007 with the ATF office in Phoenix and guns ”walking” across the U.S.-Mexico border.

The emails about the Bush-era problems were given to Congress by the Justice Department as part of the congressional investigation into the ATF’s botched Obama-era firearms trafficking case, dubbed “Fast and Furious.”

The documents show that the special agent in charge of the ATF’s Phoenix office, William Newell, was involved in a 2007 incident that resulted in guns slipping into Mexico and, later, part of Fast and Furious. Newell was the special agent in charge of the Phoenix office until earlier this year.

The incident arose on Sept. 27, 2007, when ATF agents were conducting surveillance on subjects under investigation for gun trafficking and they hoped to work with the Mexican government to interdict them. The emails’ existence was first reported by The Associated Press Friday night.

Confusion over the incident came to the attention of ATF headquarters from Carson Carroll, who was then the deputy assistant director for the Office of Field Operations.

“ATF agents observed this vehicle [carrying guns] commit to the border and reach the Mexican side until it could no longer be seen,” Carroll wrote in a Sept. 28, 2007 email. “We, the ATF … did not get a response from the Mexican side until 20 minutes later, who then informed us that they did not see the vehicle cross. For the first time we are working hand in hand with the GOM [Government of Mexico] and providing them with what they want and this is what we get!”

The following day, ATF Acting Director for Field Operation William Hoover was demanding information on the strategy.

“Have we discussed the strategy with the U.S. Attorney’s Office re letting the guns walk? Do we have this approval in writing? Have we discussed and thought thru the consequences of same?” Hoover wrote to Newell and Carroll. “Are we tracking south of the border? Same re U.S. Attorney’s Office. Did we find out why they missed the hand-off of the vehicle? What are the expected outcomes?

“I do not want any firearms to go south until further notice,” Hoover wrote on Oct 5. “I expect a full briefing paper on my desk Tuesday morning from SAC Newell with every question answered.”

On Oct. 6, 2007, Newell wrote in an email, “I’m so frustrated with this whole mess I’m shutting the case down and any further attempts to do something similar. We’re done trying to pursue new and innovative initiatives – it’s not worth the hassle.”

Newell testified earlier this year about his role in Fast and Furious and acknowledged mistakes.

WHERESMYMONEY

As I said “After President Obama took office in 2009, the DOJ reviewed Wide Receiver and found that guns had been allowed into the hands of suspected gun traffickers. Indictments began in 2010, over three years after Wide Receiver concluded.”

Was Fast and Furious a fiasco? Of course it was. It never should have been tried again, but I’m sure those ATF agents thought they could coral some of the leaders of the cartels. It was a mistake and a border agent was killed.

You can’t deny that Issa is trying to use this as a political weapon against the president. Issa knows this whole gun walking idea was started during the Bush administration.

I’m not blaming Bush or Jon Ashcroft, both Wide Receiver and Fast and Furious were hair brained ideas developed at the district level that agents thought would do some good. End of story he would acknowledge this whole gun walking

Obama: “. . . we’ve also got a responsibility to make sure we are not helping to either arm or finance these drug cartels in Mexico . . .”

Then, why did your administration authorize the sale of thousands of guns to the very cartels you claim you are trying to disarm? Had we tried this in a very limited scope and with the close cooperation of the Mexican government, as the Bush administration did, this would have never happened. In fact, even with the more responsible approach of the Bush administration, they canceled and rescinded authorization for any further operations due to the risk to human life.

Why then did the Obama administration reauthorize such already-known dangerous programs, expand them exponentially, and not cooperate with the Mexican government making such practices yet more dangerous? There wasn’t a political motive, was there?

Sure they will Barack, sure they will. When will you be leaving?

ANONYMOUS

BS, the authorization for sting operations is a general authorization for stings against broad criminal organizations given by the DOJ. The actual specifics are authorized by the district leads with legal advice from the local district DOJ attorneys. Sorry the president and attorney general do not know where every undercover agent is planted in the Mafia or the drug cartels or what the sting involves. Until now, George Bush would think “Wide Receiver” was a player in the NFL, and rightfully so, he had no clue until it went sideways.

As I said, Issa is on a witch hunt, throwing mud and inuendos hoping the public will by into his nonsense. He needs to be investigating why Congressmen are signing oaths to people like Grover Norquist, in violation of their oath of office. Sounds to me like a lot of corruption and influence pedaling is involved there.

As I said, Issa is on a witch hunt, throwing mud and innuendos hoping the public will buy into his nonsense. He needs to be investigating why Congressmen are signing oaths to people like Grover Norquist, in violation of their oath of office. Sounds to me like a lot of corruption and influence pedaling is involved there.

Posted by: tmferretti | October 19, 2011, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm

Once again you ignore the fact that Newell said he would not do anything like “wide reciever” again. Who ordered Newell to do this? Would he have taken orders from a subordinate? Issa is on the right track with his questions.

WHERESMYMONEY

The President and Secretary of Defense authorize military operations in Afghanistan. Do honestly believe they know details of every combat assault authorized by every 2nd lieutenant in the field. I think not.

Posted by: tmferretti | October 19, 2011, 1:34 pm 1:34 pm

Do liberals not LISTEN to what Holder and Obama have said in the past?

Obama April 17, 2009:
And so our focus is to work with Secretary Napolitano, Attorney General Holder, our entire Homeland Security team, ATF, border security, everybody who is involved in this, to coordinate with our counterparts in Mexico to significantly ramp up our enforcement of existing laws. And in fact, I’ve asked Eric Holder to do a complete review of how our enforcement operations are currently working and make sure that we’re cutting down on the loopholes that are resulting in some of these drug trafficking problems.

Holder: April 2009

I would like to thank the Mexican and U.S. experts who have worked so hard on this issue. On our side, Secretary Napolitano and I are committed to putting the resources in place to increase our attack on arms trafficking into Mexico.

Last week, our administration launched a major new effort to break the backs of the cartels. My department is committing 100 new ATF personnel to the Southwest border in the next 100 days to supplement our Project Gunrunner, DEA is adding 16 new positions on the border, as well as mobile enforcement teams, and the FBI is creating a new intelligence group focusing on kidnapping and extortion. DHS is making similar commitments, as Secretary Napolitano will detail.”

But I’m sure you will continue to deny, deny, deny.

Should they have shut down all similar operations because one went sideways, by your logic again yes?
Posted by: tmferretti | October 19, 2011, 2:44 pm 2:44 pm

That’s EXACTLY what Newell did. Until he was ordered to let guns WALK WITHOUT TRACKING them. WHERE DID THE ORDER COME FROM??

The order probably came from some department head in DOJ or the southwest district that thought that maybe it would work this time, who knows? The point is these things happen, they have since Washington’s time and stings will fail in the future. They should be investigated and corrected. They should not become political fodder that disrespects the border agent killed or his family just for the purpose of discrediting the president.

If Issa really wanted to do something constructive, he should be investigating the influence pedaling in Congress on both sides of the aisle. Maybe we could get a Congress that works for a change.

A CITIZEN FOR OUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS

Do you honestly believe what your saying. This was a terrible mistake by an courageous and honorable agency (the ATF). It wasn’t an attempt to focus on gun control. I’m sure if any ATF agent could he would take back his/her decision not for his/her sake but for the sake of the agent killed..

The order probably came from some department head in DOJ or the southwest district that thought that maybe it would work this time, who knows? The point is these things happen,
Posted by: tmferretti | October 19, 2011, 3:45 pm 3:45 pm

Who knows? Yet you are so quick to say who it ISN’T. And you “Oh, well, things happen” attitude is truly disgusting.

You say, “This was a terrible mistake by a(n) courageous and honorable agency. It wasn’t an attempt to focus on gun control.”

1. As you have so readily pointed out, something on this line was tried by the Bush administration (during that administration they actually tried to follow the guns, UNLIKE the Obama administration). A definition of insanity is trying the same failed thing over and over, and expecting different results. (Obama is trying to force through the same thing with stimulus 3, er the american jobs act).

2. How do you know it wasn’t an attempt on gun control? Obama said in April 2009 (with Mexican President) he wants a ban on assault weapons, but he can’t get it passed through Congress.
You make a lot of “statements” as if they are facts rather than your opinions.

You are nothing but a paid hack from the Obama campaign.

I wish I was a paid hack, I’d charge a fortune, and it’s easy all you need is a little common sense. No,. I’m just one of those average middle class Americans who aren’t buying in to the republican nonsense
Do you honestly believe the President or Eric Holder knowingly gave assault weapons to the cartels for them to use against us and the Mexican people, or do you just want the American public to believe it so the president won’t be re-elected?

“Do you honestly believe the President or Eric Holder knowingly gave assault weapons to the cartels for them to use against us and the Mexican people?” – tmferretti

I checked NoBo’s arrogance meter and yep, he has reached a level sufficient to knowingly give assault weapons to cartels for them to use against us and the Mexican people.

I have to agree with what the president said. Not what he means, but what he said.

Obama, Holder, Clinton, and on down the line. Those who can provide evidence against superiors will get greatly reduced sentences. Give us a recording of the meeting with Melson, Holder, Obama, Clinton where they conspire about making the 2nd Amendment worthless by treaty, and you walk.

It’s obvious to me, but could you convince Barney Frank that his constituents need this conviction?

Cheers.

This is as much about the unconstitutional disarming of our Second Amendment rights as it is about the arming of the Sinaloa Cartel.

POSTED BY: RAOUL MAGNETO | OCTOBER 19, 2011, 1:08 AM 1:08 AM

Oh sure . .. which right wing nutcase did you buy this garbage from?

Posted by: Brad | October 19, 2011, 1:43 am 1:43 am

Brad, all of the information I quoted is in the public domain except my speculation about Obama trying to bypass the 2nd Amendment. For that, I direct you Obama’s officer position with an anti-gun organization before his election — look up his anti-gun diatribes from then, add his public lying about the American guns in Mexico, then add the guns his administration supplied to Sinaloa (again public information), and ask yourself the question: If he lied and supplied guns to Sinaloa, what did he expect to get in return?

The multiple choice answers are a:) money? (can’t be because ATF used US money to buy the guns; b.) increased violence? (He got that with Mexicans and Americans killed); blaming the violence on American gun users? (he has already blamed them so he’s the right wing nut I quoted); or profit from drugs exported from Sinaloa into the US? (unknown, but can increasingly be viewed as possible).

No “right-wing nut,” or for that matter, any other American, illegally bought and resold guns to a drug cartel, blithely accepted the death of an American agent (where’s the official rage?), and then blamed it on the American people? Remember, since December 2010, he has blamed Americans (too many legal guns!); only in the last week has he even admitted something illegal may have occurred. Why do you think the American government has done these things?

I’m anxiously awaiting your factual answer and, please, don’t be as name-calling shallow as your last post because, for me, it’s no fun debating the programmed.