Wall Street Corruption, Solyndra, and Fast & Furious: Today’s Q’s for O – 10/6/2011
EmailTAPPER: Thank you, Mr. President. Just to follow up on Jackie’s question, one of the reasons why so many of the people at the Occupy Wall Street protests are so angry is because, as you say, so many people on Wall Street did not follow the rules.
But your administration hasn’t really been very aggressive in prosecuting. In fact, I don’t think any Wall Street executives have gone to jail despite the rampant corruption and malfeasance that did take place. So I was wondering if you’d comment on that.
And then, just as a separate question, as you’re watching the Solyndra and Fast and Furious controversies play out, I’m wondering if it gives you any pause about any of the decision-making going on in your administration, some of the emails the Democrats put out indicating that people at the Office of Management and Budget were concerned about the Department of Energy, some of the emails going on — and with the attorney general saying he didn’t know about the details of Fast and Furious. Are you worried at all about how this is — how your administration is running?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, first, on the issue of — on the issue of prosecutions on Wall Street, one of the biggest problems about the collapse of Lehman’s and the subsequent financial crisis and the whole subprime lending fiasco is that a lot of that stuff wasn’t necessarily illegal, it was just immoral or inappropriate or reckless. That’s exactly why we needed to pass Dodd-Frank, to prohibit some of these practices.
You know, the financial sector is very creative, and they are always looking for ways to make money. That’s their job. And if there are loopholes and rules that can be bent and arbitrage to be had, they will take advantage of it.
So you know, without commenting on particular prosecutions — obviously, that’s not my job; that’s the attorney general’s job – you know, I think part of people’s frustrations — part of my frustration was a lot of practices that should not have been allowed weren’t necessarily against the law, but they had a huge destructive impact. And that’s why it was important for us to put in place financial rules that protect the American people from reckless decision-making and irresponsible behavior.
Now, with respect to Solyndra and Fast and Furious, you know, I think — you know, I’ve been very clear that I have — I have complete confidence in Attorney General Holder in how he handles his office. He has been very aggressive in going after gun-running and cash transactions that are going to these transnational drug cartels in Mexico. There’s been a lot of cooperation between the United States and Mexico on this front. He’s indicated that he was not aware of what was happening in Fast and Furious. Certainly I was not, and I think both he and I would have been very unhappy if somebody had suggested that guns were allowed to pass through that could have been prevented by the United States of America.
He’s assigned an inspector general to look into how exactly this happened. And I have complete confidence in him, and I’ve got complete confidence in the process to figure out who, in fact, was responsible for that decision and how it got made. Solyndra — this is a loan guarantee program that predates me, that historically has had support from Democrats and Republicans as well. And the idea is pretty straightforward: If we are going to be able to compete in the 21st century, then we’ve got to dominate cutting-edge technologies, we’ve got to dominate cutting-edge manufacturing. Clean energy is part of that package of technologies of the future that have to be based here in the United States if we’re going to be able to succeed.
Now, the Loan Guarantee Program is designed to meet a particular need in the marketplace, which is — a lot of these small startups, they can get angel investors and they can get several million dollars to get a company going. But it’s very hard for them to then scale up, particularly if these are new cutting-edge technologies. It’s hard for them to find private investors. And part of what’s happening is China and Europe, other countries, are putting enormous subsidies into these companies, and giving them incentives to move offshore. Even if the technology was developed here in the United States, they end up going to China because the Chinese government will say: We’re going to help you get started; we’ll help you scale up; we’ll give you low-interest loans, or no-interest loans; we will give you siting; we will do whatever it takes for you to get started here.
And that’s part of the reason why a lot of technologies that developed here we’ve now lost the lead in: solar energy, wind energy. And so what the Loan Guarantee Program was designed to do was to close that gap and say: Let’s see if we can help some of those folks locate here and create jobs here in the United States.
Now, we knew from the start that the loan guarantee program was going to entail some risk, by definition. If it was a risk-free proposition, then we wouldn’t have to worry about it.
But the overall portfolio has been successful. It has allowed us to help companies, for example, start advanced battery manufacturing here in the United States. It’s helped to create jobs. They were going to be some companies that did not work out. Solyndra was one of them.
But the process by which the decision was made was on the merits. It was straightforward. And of course there were going to be debates internally, you know, when you’re dealing with something as complicated as this. But I have confidence that the decisions were made based on what would be good for the American economy and the American people and putting people back to work.
And by the way, let me make one last point about this. You know, I heard there was a Republican member of Congress who’s engaging in oversight on this. And despite the fact that all of them in the past have been supportive of this loan guarantee program, he concluded, you know what, we can’t compete against China when it comes to solar energy.
Well, you know what? I don’t buy that. I’m not going to surrender to other countries’ technological leads that could end up determining whether or not we’re building a strong middle class in this country. And so, you know, we’re going to have to keep on pushing hard to make sure that manufacturing’s located here, new businesses are located here and new technologies are developed here. And there are going to be times where it doesn’t work out. But I’m not going to cave to the competition when they are heavily subsidizing all these industries.
TAPPER: Are you satisfied with how aggressive your administration has been when it comes to prosecuting this? I know a lot of it was legal, but a lot of it was not -
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Right, and — well, let me say this. The president can’t go around saying prosecute somebody. But as a general principle, if somebody is engaged in fraudulent actions, they need to be prosecuted. If they’ve violated laws on the books, they need to be prosecuted. And that’s the attorney general’s job. And I know that Attorney General Holder, U.S. attorneys all across the country — they take that job very seriously.
-Jake Tapper
Best Commencement Speeches of 2012 
Joe Biden Recalls Death of Wife, Daughter
“Now, with respect to Solyndra and Fast and Furious, you know, I think — you know, I’ve been very clear that I have — I have complete confidence in Attorney General Holder in how he handles his office.”…..Bah bah bah bah….uh, yeah, Attorney General Holder…when is that bus coming?
Posted by: newcountryman | October 6, 2011, 12:55 pm 12:55 pm
Go after him Jake. You seem to be one of the few who are willing to.
Posted by: newcountryman | October 6, 2011, 12:57 pm 12:57 pm
If I was Holder, I’d be a bit concerned about this:
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Right, and — well, let me say this. The president can’t go around saying prosecute somebody. But as a general principle, if somebody is engaged in fraudulent actions, they need to be prosecuted. If they’ve violated laws on the books, they need to be prosecuted…
Posted by: Fall Guy | October 6, 2011, 12:58 pm 12:58 pm
FALL GUY, Holder is not worried he is a DEMOCRAT.
Posted by: Lizzie | October 6, 2011, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm
Can’t wait for Pres Barry’s BS lines to the press when the SCOTUS have the last word on how Obama-care is really a worthless deal for American citizens.
Posted by: bl | October 6, 2011, 1:05 pm 1:05 pm
“FALL GUY, Holder is not worried he is a DEMOCRAT.”
Sacrifices will be made. Obama’s major, and only concern, is Obama.
Posted by: Fall Guy | October 6, 2011, 1:07 pm 1:07 pm
Once again, Pres Barry exonerates himself from his stupidity, endlessly. Wonder how Pres Barry’s support will sound when AG Holder resigns before 2012?
Ignorance is bliss to the 40% who give Pres Barry positives in the weekly/daily approval polls.
Posted by: bl | October 6, 2011, 1:15 pm 1:15 pm
And now we find out Holder ignored not 1 or 2 , but 5 separate memos on the matter.
Posted by: Zaggs | October 6, 2011, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm
we can’t compete against China when it comes to solar energy.
if it is economically feasible and everyone wants it then it will get done by some person tinkering away at it in his garage or his parents basement. [ Think Microsoft or Apple] Throwing money at something doesn’t necessarily mean it will work, especially money that goes to campaign bundlers and other supporters.
Posted by: david | October 6, 2011, 1:44 pm 1:44 pm
Ah the Koch minions with their Solyndra and F&F talking points – deeply insignificant to the future of this country – nothing new there, always focusing on the wrong stuff – only policy: obstruct everything to regain power for themselves and the corporate friends in whose warm pockets they snooze – oh, Wall Street prosecutions for destabilizing the whole national and planetary economy? Shhh, we’re snoozing…
Posted by: libertyjustice33 | October 6, 2011, 1:55 pm 1:55 pm
“Certainly I was not”-the most telling moment of a terrible press conference.Obama looked like he didn’t want to be there;I think it is now greater than 50/50 that he will not run-if he is able to do so. The FIVE memos to Holder about F&F are proof that his level of perjury is at least as great as Roger Clemens with more documentation.I think Obama is lying about this-why would he even bring up his participation in this fiasco? Holder now has zero credibility; the “smartest President” is too dumb to see that.The other fly in the ointment is Solyndra-virtually everything he said is pure baloney.If we had a press corpse with any guts the next question should have been: ” Where you or any of the White House staff personally invested in Solyndra?”
Posted by: Nephron | October 6, 2011, 2:00 pm 2:00 pm
Should be were-
Posted by: Nephron | October 6, 2011, 2:03 pm 2:03 pm
Ah the Koch minions with their Solyndra and F&F talking points – deeply insignificant to the future of this country – nothing new there, always focusing on the wrong stuff –…
—–
What’s $535 million and 1,000 people losing their jobs? Small stuff…
Posted by: Ron Pelosi | October 6, 2011, 2:31 pm 2:31 pm
Bush Let Guns ‘Walk’ Into Mexico Long Before Obama
From all the media reports coming out, it looks like running a program allowing guns to ‘walk’ into Mexico was first put in place under Bush’s ATF in ‘Operation Wide Receiver”. Initiated under Bush, the right wing must be terribly offended!
Posted by: Sara | October 6, 2011, 2:47 pm 2:47 pm
From all the media reports coming out, it looks like running a program allowing guns to ‘walk’ into Mexico was first put in place under Bush’s ATF in ‘Operation Wide Receiver”. Initiated under Bush, the right wing must be terribly offended!
——
A shame such an activity was continued under the Obama adminsitration. Any link to the program when Bush was POTUS?
Posted by: Memo to Gitmo | October 6, 2011, 2:53 pm 2:53 pm
“it will get done by some person tinkering away at it in his garage or his parents basement”
That’s exactly the way we’re approaching it. All those billions we’re spending is just for people tinkering away in basements all over China.
Posted by: China | October 6, 2011, 3:01 pm 3:01 pm
Bush Let Guns ‘Walk’ Into Mexico Long Before Obama
From all the media reports coming out, it looks like running a program allowing guns to ‘walk’ into Mexico was first put in place under Bush’s ATF in ‘Operation Wide Receiver”. Initiated under Bush, the right wing must be terribly offended!
——
A shame such an activity was continued under the Obama adminsitration. Any link to the program when Bush was POTUS?
Posted by: Memo to Gitmo | October 6, 2011, 2:53 pm 2:53 pm
Certainly, the program to let guns ‘walk’ was first put in place by the ATF under the Bush administration.
Posted by: Sara | October 6, 2011, 3:24 pm 3:24 pm
“[Holder] has been very aggressive in going after gun-running and cash transactions that are going to these transnational drug cartels in Mexico.” -Obama
Did he mean to say ‘international’ instead of ‘transnational’? He’s been know to get the two confused.
Posted by: Larry | October 6, 2011, 3:43 pm 3:43 pm
Did he mean to say ‘international’ instead of ‘transnational’? He’s been know to get the two confused.
Posted by: Larry | October 6, 2011, 3:43 pm 3:43 pm
“transnational – extending or going beyond national boundaries”
Posted by: Stu | October 6, 2011, 3:52 pm 3:52 pm
It’s not the banksters crimes. It’s the way they offended Barry’s morals the concerns our president.
A nation of men and not laws?
Posted by: foggy | October 6, 2011, 3:59 pm 3:59 pm
THAT concerns our president.
Posted by: foggy | October 6, 2011, 4:00 pm 4:00 pm
will someone at abc please address the the wordpress Check Comment Flood feature on this blog. You are killing us out here.
Posted by: foggy | October 6, 2011, 4:03 pm 4:03 pm
Listening to Pres Barry’s excuses and ramblings about Wall Street has made me dumber.
This is the Twilight Zone as if the last three summers of no economic recovery have nothing to do with Pres Barry and his agenda for saving big banks, GM & also touting Solyndra etc.
Posted by: bl | October 6, 2011, 4:04 pm 4:04 pm
What’s $535 million and 1,000 people losing their jobs? Small stuff…
Posted by: Ron Pelosi | October 6, 2011, 2:31 pm A lot of money, but……..cost of Iraq (GOP war of choice) and Afpak wars since 9/11 = 4000 “Solyndras”; cost of financial meltdown in 2008 on GOPs watch = 40000 “Solyndras”…
Posted by: libertyjustice33 | October 6, 2011, 4:04 pm 4:04 pm
Sara,please document your statement.#1 Any guns end up in Mexico under Bush? #2 How many Mexican citizens were murdered with guns from this Bush program #3 How many American Law officers were murdered with guns from the Bush program? #4 How many Attorneys General in the Bush administration perjured themselves lying about the program? #5 What does Bush have to do with a program run by Obama’s Justice Department?
Posted by: Nephron | October 6, 2011, 4:07 pm 4:07 pm
Posted by: Nephron | October 6, 2011, 4:07 pm 4:07 pm
All of that information is coming out. The gun walking program under Bush was called “Operation Wide Receiver”. It’s quite easily researched with a news search. You’ll see there has been information brought forward by two agents of the ATF and by at least one gun seller who was brought into the operation. Hundreds of guns. Look it up.
I’m sure as one who was terribly upset by the ATF program called ‘Fast and Furous’ you are also appalled at the initial program under the Bush administration and you’ll want to research it just as religiously.
Posted by: Sara | October 6, 2011, 4:17 pm 4:17 pm
“I’m sure as one who was terribly upset by the ATF program called ‘Fast and Furous’ you are also appalled at the initial program under the Bush administration and you’ll want to research it just as religiously.”
No, because I never read the memo.
Posted by: DOJ | October 6, 2011, 4:30 pm 4:30 pm
Sara, you have answered none of my questions.”is coming out” is not documentation.What is coming out is that Holder was informed about the program at least 5 times-he has perjured himself as much as Scooter Libby did. Sauce for the goose,sauce for the gander.
Posted by: Nephron | October 6, 2011, 4:34 pm 4:34 pm
–Sauce for the goose,sauce for the gander.–
And firearms for drug criminals. As well as work for morticians in Mexico. Yay for job growth!
Posted by: Recovery Summer | October 6, 2011, 4:38 pm 4:38 pm
Sara, you have answered none of my questions.”is coming out” is not documentation.What is coming out is that Holder was informed about the program at least 5 times-he has perjured himself as much as Scooter Libby did. Sauce for the goose,sauce for the gander.
Posted by: Nephron | October 6, 2011, 4:34 pm 4:34 pm
All of that information is coming out. The gun walking program under Bush was called “Operation Wide Receiver”. It’s quite easily researched with a news search. You’ll see there has been information brought forward by two agents of the ATF and by at least one gun seller who was brought into the operation. Hundreds of guns. Look it up.
I’m sure as one who was terribly upset by the ATF program called ‘Fast and Furous’ you are also appalled at the initial program under the Bush administration and you’ll want to research it just as religiously.
________________________________________
Oh so you don’t care to do real research, it’s just political posturing on your part. What a bunch of phonies you right wingers are.
How many Mexicans were killed with weapons walked from Bush’s program? How many Americans? Why was this program kept secret from the American publc? Why didn’t Bush come forward and explain he’d already been running the same program when the ATF under Obama came to light?
Posted by: Sara | October 6, 2011, 4:41 pm 4:41 pm
How many Mexicans were killed with weapons walked from Bush’s program? How many Americans? Why was this program kept secret from the American publc? Why didn’t Bush come forward and explain he’d already been running the same program when the ATF under Obama came to light?
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We may never know. But send that memo!
Posted by: DOJ | October 6, 2011, 4:43 pm 4:43 pm
Wall Street could never have created CMOs without the help of Fannie, Freddie, Frank & Dodd. The problem with mortgages started with government overreach – you know, everyone should OWN a home. It’s not fair to hold some people to the standards that have existed for decades for mortgages, so let’s get rid of those pesky down payments, proof of employment and credit scores so everyone who wants to buy a home can do so. Too bad if they can’t actually afford them. No biggie. Then let’s put the blame on investment bankers for creating crappy securities out of the crappy mortgages that banks were forced to issue because the government said so. More pretzel logic from the left.
Posted by: ConservativeWoman | October 6, 2011, 5:05 pm 5:05 pm
“that banks were forced to issue because the government said so”
It’s also best if you all forget who was actually in charge at the time.
Posted by: Republican Majorities | October 6, 2011, 5:54 pm 5:54 pm
Posted by: ConservativeWoman | October 6, 2011, 5:05 pm 5:05 pm
1) Bush homeownership plan aims at $5.5 million lift for minorities (2003)
President Bush announced an Administration effort to increase home ownership rates among African Americans and Hispanics by 5.5 million by 2010.
The plan would provide down payment assistance to 40,000 minority homebuyers each year . . .
Bush’s plan would be closely tied to some $440 million in minority loan programs offered by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. President Bush commended Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s efforts . . .
2) 2004: Under President Bush, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announces that it will require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, also known as the Government‐Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) “to increase their purchase of mortgages for low‐ and moderate‐income families and underserved communities.” In order to meet these new requirements, the GSEs begin purchasing mortgage‐backed securities made up of subprime loans.
All the Democrats fault apparently – majority Republican congress and Republican presidency.
Posted by: Trace | October 6, 2011, 6:26 pm 6:26 pm
If our Greatest Smartest Clueless Leader did not ridicule Hilary Clinton’s idea, during the 2007 primaries, to use the “stimulus” money to save banks and mortgages, instead of giving that money to the voters to gain votes, then, the financial crisis probably would have been avoided – who knows.
You blind followers believed in his vote-buying promises, now what are you complaining about when you cannot find jobs under his leadership that does not lead?
Posted by: tutu | October 6, 2011, 6:30 pm 6:30 pm
If our Greatest Smartest Clueless Leader . . .
Posted by: tutu | October 6, 2011, 6:30 pm 6:30 pm
Your use of the term seems to reflect more on you than the President.
Posted by: John | October 6, 2011, 6:43 pm 6:43 pm
Posted by: Trace | October 6, 2011, 6:26 pm 6:26 pm
Trace, I don’t understand. Why do you hate the poor?
Posted by: Lydia | October 6, 2011, 9:09 pm 9:09 pm
The poor won’t keep quiet.
Posted by: dude | October 6, 2011, 9:18 pm 9:18 pm
sara wrote:”How many Mexicans were killed with weapons walked from Bush’s program? How many Americans?”
.
Brian Terry survived the Bush administration…. he did not survive the oBama administration.
Posted by: Michelle Shu Jas | October 6, 2011, 11:13 pm 11:13 pm
Brian Terry survived the Bush administration…. he did not survive the oBama administration.
Posted by: Michelle Shu Jas | October 6, 2011, 11:13 pm 11:13 pm
He could just as easily been killed by a weapon that ‘walked’ under the Bush ATF program “Operation Wide Receiver”.
Posted by: Chuck | October 6, 2011, 11:30 pm 11:30 pm
“Wall Street corruption”? It’s “Pennsylvania Avenue” corruption with Solyndra, Fast & Furious, failed government bailouts, a president who in 3 years produced more debt than all the presidents from George Washington to Bush Sr. COMBINED according to CNSNews. While Obama is busy waving his pointy finger at everybody but himself and his administration for out country’s economy China meanwhile is outproducing us a millionfold and they have all the jobs. This is all thanks to Obama and his radical party’s overregulation of our nation’s economy, overregulation of our farms, our commercial fishing industry, our logging industry, overtaxing our take home paychecks, and destroying production and manufacturing because of LIBERAL POLICIES that Obama and his party is perpetuating.
The corruption is in the White House. Can Wall Street improve? Yes, but they’re just gaming the overregulation that the liberal agenda has propped up over the decades and taking our money overseas, because they see that liberals want to just take the money and run. Can Wall Street improve? Only with the help of a government letting loose of their firm stranglehold on our economy – and Obama is not about to let his tight clenched grip on power slip through his fingers.
Posted by: EPU | October 7, 2011, 12:58 am 12:58 am
a president who in 3 years produced more debt than all the presidents from George Washington to Bush Sr. COMBINED
Posted by: EPU | October 7, 2011, 12:58 am 12:58 am
You might want to just shut up until you learn what ‘truth’ means, and ‘lies’. And until you learn how to do research.
Here’s a clue. Go to the Bureau of the Public Debt website. They have a program that allows you to call up the national debt by date. Can you figure it out from there, or do I have to lead you through the process step by step to find out the debt when Bush left office and now?
Then you can keep in mind that the budget for the fiscal year 2009 was not an Obama budget and subtract whatever you think that might be from the total.
Then you can begin to think of the impact on the national debt of the massive economic collapse under the Republican president. Any ideas? A budget is made up of two things 1) revenues and 2) expenditures. Any idea how a massive economic collapse might affect revenues? What about expenditures?
The right wing should be embarrassed by the complete jackas*es it creates.
Posted by: Danny | October 7, 2011, 1:14 am 1:14 am
These gun-running Feds are not only guilty of murder but also of bankrolling ruthless criminals, international terrorists, right/left-wing paramilitaries and various death squads with their counter-productive, sado-moralist policy of Prohibition.
Colombia, Peru, Mexico or Afghanistan with their coca leaves, marijuana buds or poppy sap are not igniting temptation in the minds of our weak, innocent citizens. These countries are duly responding to the enormous demand that comes from within our own borders. Invading or destroying these countries, thus creating more hate, violence, instability, injustice and corruption, will not fix our problem. We need to collectively admit that we are sick. — Prohibition is neither a sane nor a safe approach; left unabated, its puritanical flames will surely engulf every last one of us!
When we legally regulate something, (as opposed to when we foolishly attempt to prohibit something) we do NOT automatically condone it’s use; the legal regulations concerning the sale and manufacture of alcohol and tobacco are there to protect us from the vast increase in criminality and mayhem that would otherwise surely exist if we were foolish enough to prohibit them.
When governments prohibit drugs they effectively and knowingly hand a monopoly on their sale to dangerous criminals and terrorists. Without a legal framework in which to operate, these black-market entities can always be expected to settle their disputes violently, while terrorizing many peaceful and innocent citizens in the process. Were the users of alcohol to blame for the St Valentines massacre in 1929? Of course not! It is just as naive to assume that one can compel all the users of Marijuana or Cocaine to simply quit, as it is to assume that all the users of Alcohol should have stopped drinking after the introduction of alcohol prohibition in 1919.
Posted by: malcolm kyle | October 7, 2011, 5:49 am 5:49 am
Obama: “Well, first, on the issue of — on the issue of prosecutions on Wall Street . . . a lot of that stuff wasn’t necessarily illegal . . .”
You don’t say. You really should better educate your liberal followers.
Obama: “You know, the financial sector is very creative, and they are always looking for ways to make money. That’s their job.”
That’s why government should have stayed out of the mortgage market, rather than guarantee the debt behind such risky behavior. Absent the government guarantee, the private sector would have never taken on so much risk on their own. The private sector did their job and did what was expected by making money within the system government created. I’m glad Obama can finally admit that.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 7, 2011, 11:01 am 11:01 am
chuck wrote:”He could just as easily been killed by a weapon that ‘walked’ under the Bush ATF program “Operation Wide Receiver”.”
.
But he wasn’t, now was he…. there were no weapons that crossed the Mexican border under Bush ATF unlike oBama and Holder’s blatant attempt to arm Mexican narco-terrorists with American taxpayer dollars.
Posted by: Michelle Shu Jas | October 7, 2011, 11:49 am 11:49 am
You might want to just shut up until you learn what ‘truth’ means, and ‘lies’. And until you learn how to do research.
Posted by: Danny | October 7, 2011, 1:14 am 1:14 am
I agree that research is critically important when fighting right-wing smears but it’s very time-consuming. With nothing to weigh me down like a job, family, friends, or even pet goldfish, I usually spend all but 6 hours a day devoting my life to spinning anything negative about President Obama. I never leave my PC. Power outages cause me to have panic attacks. I keep a large supply of ramen noodles, bottled water, and a microwave in my room and a 5-gallon bucket when nature calls. Do you have any tips to help me improve my productivity? I’d like to sleep only 4-6 hours a week, sitting upright if possible. Maintaining my current lifestyle is obviously of paramount importance, so you can understand why Obama’s re-election means so much to me.
Posted by: Jazz | October 7, 2011, 1:29 pm 1:29 pm
Occupy wall street is being pushed by van jones, obama’s communist Ex-Green Czar, this is a prelude to obama declaring martial law because he knows he is toast in the coming election.
The coming next president should be looking for charges of treason against Obama and his racist shoe shine boy Holder.
Posted by: Wes Freeman | October 9, 2011, 3:07 am 3:07 am
- “All of that information is coming out. The gun walking program under Bush was called “Operation Wide Receiver”. It’s quite easily researched with a news search. You’ll see there has been information brought forward by two agents of the ATF and by at least one gun seller who was brought into the operation. Hundreds of guns. Look it up.
I’m sure as one who was terribly upset by the ATF program called ‘Fast and Furous’ you are also appalled at the initial program under the Bush administration and you’ll want to research it just as religiously.”
It’s a pity that you didn’t take your own advice with regard to research. If you had you would have known that “Wide Receiver” was conducted in conjunction and with the full involvement of Mexican law enforcement. In every case in which the guns were allowed to walk across the border during Wide Receiver (relatively few in number compared with the thousands under Fast and Furious) Mexican authorities were given notice so that they could pick up surveillance on their side of the border. After they lost track of some of the guns a few times the problem with the operation became apparent and Wide Receiver was halted.
Now, contrast that with Fast and Furious…which was initiated under the Obama administration, in spite of the “lessons learned” from Wide Reciever. Under F&F *thousands* of guns were not only intentionally walked across the Mexican border, at NO POINT WAS THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT INFORMED ABOUT IT. In other words, the policy of Wide Receiver was to track the weapons to their final customers, but it failed on some occasions, and so was halted. Under the Obama admin, it was decided to resume walking guns not only on a larger scale, but without even TRYING to track them. The clear intent of F&F was to arm drug cartels. It succeeded.
Now let’s see if you clowns attempting to blame this one on Bush can figure this one out.
Posted by: Dan Parker | March 7, 2012, 11:35 am 11:35 am