Late Friday WH Fast and Furious Document Drop Shows Extensive Communications Between Phoenix ATF Office and WH

In a late  Friday night document dump, the White House has turned over new information to the Congressional investigators looking  into the ATF “Fast and Furious” gunwalking scandal. The documents show extensive contacts between the then Head of the ATF’s Phoenix division, Bill Newell, and the then White House National Security staffer, (and Political Rasputin), Kevin O’Reilly.

This is another huge exclusive for CBS reporter, Sharyl Attkisson:

 Emails indicate the two also spoke on the phone. Such detailed, direct communications between a local ATF manager in Phoenix and a White House national security staffer has raised interest among Congressional investigators looking into Fast and Furious. Newell has said he and O’Reilly are long time friends.

ATF agents say that in Fast and Furious, their agency allowed thousands of assault rifles and other weapons to be sold to suspected traffickers for Mexican drug cartels. At least two of the guns turned up at the murder scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry last December.

ATF Manager says he shared Fast and Furious with the White House

The email exchanges span a little over a month last summer. They discuss ATF’s gun trafficking efforts along the border including the controversial Fast and Furious case, though not by name. The emails to and from O’Reilly indicate more than just a passing interest in the Phoenix office’s gun trafficking cases. They do not mention specific tactics such as “letting guns walk.”

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Among the documents produced: an email in which ATF’s Newell sent the White House’s O’Reilly an “arrow chart reflecting the ultimate destination of firearms we intercepted and/or where the guns ended up.” The chart shows arrows leading from Arizona to destinations all over Mexico.

In response, O’Reilly wrote on Sept. 3, 2010 “The arrow chart is really interesting – and – no surprise – implies at least that different (Drug Trafficking Organizations) in Mexico have very different and geographically distinct networks in the US for acquiring guns. Did last year’s TX effort develop a similar graphic?”

This Texas effort?

Some records were not included, the White House Counsel explained,  because of “significant confidentiality interests.” I can well understand why they’d be wanting to keep their blood stained interests, “confidential”.

Also included are email photographs including images of a .50 caliber rifle that Newell tells O’Reilly “was purchased in Tucson, Arizona (part of another OCDTF case).” OCDTF is a joint task force that operates under the Department of Justice and includes the US Attorneys, ATF, DEA, FBI, ICE and IRS. Fast and Furious was an OCDTF case. An administration source would not describe the Tucson OCDTF case. However, CBS News has learned that ATF’s Phoenix office led an operation out of Tucson called “Wide Receiver.” Sources claim ATF allowed guns to “walk” in that operation, much like Fast and Furious.

Mike Vanderboegh of Sipsey Street Irregulars notes this is not the first he’s heard of “Wide Receiver”

We heard about “Wide Receiver” a while ago and were asked not to break the story. Knowing that it would come out one day, we agreed. Can you say, “national policy to allow weapons to walk”? I knew you could. And the frigging White House is asking about it. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Congressional Investigators, Darrell Issa, and Charles Grassley have been trying to pin down O’Reilly for an interview, but inconveniently enough, he’s been hiding out until this  blows over “on assignment” in Iraq.

One administration source says White House national security staffers were “briefed on the toplines of ongoing federal efforts, but nobody in White House knew about the investigative tactics being used in the operation, let alone any decision to let guns walk.”

Well, it’s not like I don’t trust these boy scouts we have running our country, but I do think investigators need to see all of the records, including the  ones with “confidentiality interests.”

And Mr. O’Reilly needs to get his butt on a plane back to Washington, and start answering some questions.

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FCC Net Neutrality Power Grab Set To Take Effect In November, But There’s Still Time To Stop It

Americans for Prosperity is ringing the alarm bells:

They actually did it. Last week, the FCC published its net neutrality order in the Federal Register, stating that effective November 20 the federal government will begin regulating the Internet.

Americans didn’t want this.Congress rejected it decisively — it only had 27 sponsors last year. The courts rejected it — they said the FCC did not have the power to do this. And voters rejected it, defeating all 95 of the candidates who campaigned on the issue. That’s right a perfect zero for 95.

But unless the Senate votes to overturn this order before it takes effect November 20, we will start down the path to a government regulated and government controlled Internet.

Click here now to tell the Senate to STOP this outrageous power grab.

Under a special procedure called the Congressional Review Act, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is committed to forcing a Senate vote. Harry Reid can’t keep this off the floor, and it can’t be filibustered. We’ll need 51 votes to succeed.

This is a key test for the U.S. Senate. Will they stand up to one of Obama’s power grabs, or will they sit on their hands? And if they sit on their hands, why should voters re-elect legislators who refuse to legislate?

Seton Motley of Less Government and StopNetRegulation.org has described net neutrality as the FCC’s “one-stop shop for future censorship“, but he says there’s still time to stop it. “The quickest way to do away with the rules is to utilize the Congressional Review Act, which “is designed to rein in rogue agencies, commissions, departments, boards, etc”, he tells the Politics and Government blog:

Once an order gets filed with the Federal Register, a 60-day window requires the House, the Senate, and the White House to approve legislation that would stop the order. In the case of net neutrality, that window ends on November 20. Motley explains that the House has already passed it, and because of the finite time window, the Senate cannot filibuster. That means only 51 votes are needed to get it through the Senate.

“All 47 Republicans have said, ‘We’ll vote yes,’ so that means you [have] got to get four Democrats,” the StopNetRegulation.org editor-in-chief figures.

So he is optimistic, as nearly two dozen Senate Democrats are up for re-election next year. “Some of them aren’t running again, [but] most of them are, and a lot of them are from states that are center or center right,” he reports.

Here’s Seton talking about Net Neutrality on The Morning Meeting on Talkradio 930 WTAD, last December:

NFRW Convention In KC This Weekend Featuring Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Jan Brewer and Scott Walker

This weekend, I’ll be covering The National Federation of Republican Women’s  36th Biennial Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. With more than 1,500 Republican women from across the country expected at the convention, it is shaping up to be one of the top Republican gatherings of the year. It promises to be an action packed three days with twelve confirmed speakers, seminars, workshops and other key events including the straw poll  to be conducted on Saturday.

Each convention registrant will be allowed to cast one vote in the NFRW Presidential Straw Poll, which will feature nine  Republican presidential candidates. The straw poll will be conducted on Oct. 1 by Palladian View of Spartanburg, S.C. Results will be announced publicly Oct. 2. For more information about the straw poll, visit www.nfrw.org/programs/convention/poll.htm.

A complete list of the speakers, here. Schedule of events,here.

Last year, the NFRW Armed Forces Committee requested each state federation to donate a quilt, commemorating military women awarded the purple heart.

Here are The Lakewood, Washington Federation of Republican Women showing off their quilt which will be part of the display:

Pass It Nope: Dick Durbin Admits They Don’t Have The Votes In The Senate To Pass Obama’s jobs bill (Audio)

But, but, but – Obama said to pass it NOW…

Allahpundit says, eh – not so much:

Five Democrats — Begich, Webb, Landrieu, Mikulski, and Casey — were specifically named as opponents. Three days after that, Durbin told CNN not to expect any action on it until October at the earliest, a prediction that’ll end up being proved right. To the extent that his latest comments are “news,” it’s for two reasons. One: Despite having had two weeks to convince his own party’s congressional caucus to rally behind him on this extremely prominent measure, Obama’s still up shinola creek. That’s what happens when your job approval trend lines look like this. Two: We all realize, I hope, that the bill is chiefly a political ploy designed to show The One being proactive on the seminal electoral issue of the day. He expects Republicans to block it, at which point he’ll turn around and blame our endless economic malaise on the GOP. That’s perfectly straightforward — except that he forgot to craft the bill to make sure that it would attract the support of Democrats at least, which is essential if he wants to frame opposition to it as blind wingnut partisanship. I’m as confused as Dave in Texas is about that. If you want to isolate Republican obstructionism as America’s big problem, you should probably first double-check with your own guys to make sure they’re not being obstructionist too, huh?

Here’s Mark Levin talking about it, earlier tonight:

Video: So-Long Solyndra

We hardly knew ye.

We really didn’t want to know ye.

And now, against our wishes, we have to keep hearing about ye.

Ain’t central planning, grand?

CNN Covers Fast And Furious: “ATF Accomplices To Murder”

If CNN has covered this story, this prominently before, I haven’t seen it.

Anderson Cooper asked AZ Sheriff Paul Babeu whether from a law enforcement standpoint, this operation made any sense, at all. Well, conservatives who have been following this story online, all along, already know the answer to that. But  perhaps the average CNN viewer doesn’t. That’s why this is an important  interview.

Babeu spoke with CNN’s Anderson Cooper Wednesday night about the “Fast and Furious” weapons program conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The program filtered weapons purchased in the United States into Mexico, where they were to be tracked. However, Babeu said there was no tracking mechanism and that the weapons have been used in more than 200 murders.

Three of the guns, Babeu said, were found at the scene where Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed last December in a shootout north of Nogales.

“I’m fearful that not just my deputies, but other officers, citizens in America, we are going to be facing the barrels of guns that have been put in the hands of the most violent criminals in North America and who’s going to be held accountable?” Babeu told Cooper.

When asked if he believed ATF agents have been accomplices to murder, Babeu replied, “Absolutely,” and added, “Now, that’s one step away from Eric Holder (U.S. attorney general). This is his Department of Justice and there are people who have lost their lives.”

Babeu said the U.S. put guns into the hands of cartels working to topple Mexico’s government.

Ace has more video from their coverage, here.

MORE:

That Obama “smart power” thing doing wonders and winning friends south of the border (not):

Jim Kouri, Law Enforcement Examiner reports:

Mexico’s attorney general is infuriated over the allegations that the U.S. was behind the smuggling of weapons into Mexico that ended up killing her countrymen.

In a statement released by Mexican Attorney General Marisela Morales, she called Operation Fast and Furious “an attack on Mexicans’ security.”

Morales told Mexican reporters that she is demanding a full and honest explanation from the United States government especially since evidence is being gathered that reveals the Obama administration was more involved in Operation Fast and Furious than top officials admitted in their sworn statements.

If what is being reported is true, U.S. Attorney General and other government officials may have committed perjury and/or obstruction of justice if it’s proven they lied when testifying before House and Senate committees.

Now these scandals are being covered outside of the conservative media, I’ll be surprised if this SCFOAMF makes it to 2012 without being impeached.

But then again, Media Matters is on the case, doing damage control for their master.

How do you defend the indefensible? You go after the messenger.

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UPDATE:

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Doug Ross is wondering if Holder and Obama were trying to touch off a civil war in Mexico:

An El Paso Times article – as of now ignored by mainstream media — went into much more shocking detail:“They’ve found anti-aircraft weapons and hand grenades from the Vietnam War era,” Plumlee said. Other weapons found include grenade launchers, assault rifles, handguns and military gear including night-vision goggles and body armor.”
Scenario #3:

• The ATF arms the Sinaloa cartel

• The State Department arms the Zetas

• The combination helps fuel a full-blown civil war in Mexico

• Civilians start streaming north to safety

The resulting humanitarian crisis is used as a lever for a mass immigration event with hundreds of thousands of undocumented Democrats entering the U.S. seeking asylum.

It’s as good an explanation as any I’ve heard — and certainly consistent with the mindset of the Holder and Obama duo: the ends always justify the means.