Fast and Furious Coverup now Involves Hiding Gun Found at Brian Terry Murder Scene

As the scandal known as Operation Fast and Furious continues to inch closer and closer to Barack Obama and Eric Holder, it's being learned just how ugly the creature behind the stonewalls really is. It was more than bad enough when it was learned that two of the guns found at the murder scene of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry were guns the ATF allowed to 'walk' into Mexico but now it's been learned that a third gun was at the scene and the FBI appears to have made it 'disappear' because it would have implicated one of its informants. An informant, by the way, who allegedly provided the money to buy the guns used to murder Terry.

Via Fox News:

A third gun linked to "Operation Fast and Furious" was found at the murder scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, new documents obtained exclusively by Fox News suggest, contradicting earlier assertions by federal agencies that police found only two weapons tied to the federal government's now infamous gun interdiction scandal.

Sources say emails support their contention that the FBI concealed evidence to protect a confidential informant. Sources close to the Terry case say the FBI informant works inside a major Mexican cartel and provided the money to obtain the weapons used to kill Terry.

Unlike the two AK-style assault weapons found at the scene, the third weapon could more easily be linked to the informant. To prevent that from happening, sources say, the third gun "disappeared."

In addition to the emails obtained by Fox News, an audio recording from a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent investigating the Terry case seems to confirm the existence of a third weapon. In that conversation, the agent refers to an "SKS assault rifle out of Texas" found at the Terry murder scene south of Tucson.

The FBI refused to answer a detailed set of questions submitted to officials by Fox News. Instead, agency spokesman Paul Bresson said, "The Brian Terry investigation is still ongoing so I cannot comment." Bresson referred Fox News to court records that only identify the two possible murder weapons.

However, in the hours after Terry was killed on Dec. 14, 2010, several emails written to top ATF officials suggest otherwise.

In one, an intelligence analyst writes that by 7:45 p.m. -- about 21 hours after the shooting -- she had successfully traced two weapons at the scene, and is now "researching the trace status of firearms recovered earlier today by the FBI."

Again, this is not a scandal limited to the ATF as was alleged early on. This revelation implicates the FBI. We already knew that the US Attorneys office in Phoenix was involved.

Additionally, Oversight Committee chairman Darrell Issa and Senate Judiciary ranking member Charles Grassley have decided to press forward with leads that implicate the White House in this scandal.

HERE is a letter sent to Thomas Donilon, Asst to the President and National Security Advisor.

Of all the scandals that could have damaged Obama to this point, this one would, by far, do so to the greatest degree if he's involved. Beyond that, Issa has already held multiple rounds of hearings and has been investigating this case for six months so far. Any scandal that takes down an administration would take a long, long time. Watergate took well over a year to get to Nixon. As this continues to build, voters should consider a dynamic that could rear its head in the run-up to November. All signs point to Fast and Furious getting exponentially worse for Obama between now and then. As it does, incumbent Democrats will have to reassess their allegiance to Obama.

Here is the Fox News report on that the third weapon at Terry's murder scene:

Sheer Video Awesomeness! Ford Ad RIPS Auto Bailouts

It's hard to imagine Barack Obama not taking anything personally but in this case, he should. This is the equivalent of a counter-offensive launched by Ford Motor Company against the Obama administration and if ever there was an ad destined to garner more sales, this one will. I can't recall any Super Bowl ad being this strong. The message communicated in just these 30 seconds is very, very powerful. If you believe Obama is waging war against the private sector, you'll love this. I promise. There is one potential downside. 'Chris' might just find himself in the Obama administration's crosshairs.



h/t GWP

Message from a Texan: Don't Drink the Perry-Aid

Conservatives need to be careful that the fervor they have for Texas governor Rick Perry as the Republican nominee doesn't cause them to abstain from vetting him. Remember, that's what happened with Obama in 2008. I'm not comparing the two men; Perry would be an exponentially better president than Obama. The point is that Perry is NOT the man portrayed by his tough campaign talk. As Obama falls in the polls, the electability of a true conservative increases. A Rick Perry presidency would be the equivalent of electing a RINO at the end of the Carter administration. Don't settle in RINOville folks. Please.

Don't Drink the Perry-Aid
Ben Barrack

As a Texan who studies politics for a living, I beg conservatives not to eat the red RINO meat Rick Perry is throwing their way right now. The gap between his Tea Party rhetoric and his deeds is cavernous; he wants you to cross that bridge without looking down. Doing the latter would quickly send you back where you came from.

Of course, Perry's history includes a gig as Al Gore's campaign manager and support for HillaryCare. In 2001, he signed hate crimes legislation; he also supported the Trans-Texas corridor. In 2007, he signed an Executive Order that mandated all 12-year-old girls be vaccinated against a particular kind of venereal disease with a drug called Gardasil. The public outcry was fierce and the governor relented when he could not overcome legislation that overwhelmingly rebuked him. This is all to say nothing about Perry's coziness with individuals whose allegiance to the US should be questioned.

While in New Hampshire recently, Perry called the idea of a border fence “nonsense.” In 2001, Perry signed Texas' version of the DREAM Act; it allows illegal aliens to pay in-state college tuition. Yes, an American citizen from Oklahoma would have to pay more to attend the University of Texas than would an illegal alien.

Then, last year, when his border state colleague, Jan Brewer, was locked in a battle with the Federal government over Arizona's tough immigration law, SB 1070, not only was an expression of solidarity with Arizona absent, Perry took it a step further. He said such a law would not be right for Texas.

Now, fast forward to the September 7th MSNBC debate. In particular, consider the issue of repealing Obamacare. Perry pledged that, if elected, the first thing he would do would be to sign an Executive Order granting waivers to all 50 states and then said he would work to repeal Obamacare “as much as it can be.” Neither assertion instilled much confidence for a full repeal. In fact, when one looks at Perry's record and compares it with rhetoric intended to demonstrate he's read the tea leaves properly, the disparity is very significant.

The most recent legislative sessions in Texas – one regular, one special – may provide a look into what a Perry presidency might look like. When the regular session started, Perry put sanctuary cities legislation at the top of the list, as an emergency item. As governor, that's all he could do, really. The sausage would made by a legislature equally responsible for choosing what got processed. Perry's proclamation was music to the ears of conservatives but the odds of something getting to his desk were long. Perry wasn't responsible for putting bills on the agenda and such legislation was unlikely to overcome required super majorities. The sanctuary cities bill – which would have prevented municipalites from instructing police officers not to check immigration status during taffic stops – died and Perry could say he did all he could. Aw, shucks.

Then, when a Democrat unwittingly filibustered a bill that couldn't be left unresolved, Perry had to call a special session; he immediately had more power. Not only could the governor suddenly put bills on the agenda but super majorities were no longer required. With sanctuary cities legislation being the only “emergency item” not resolved, it should have been the first order of business for Perry, right? It wasn't. The governor waited several days before putting it on the agenda. Upon doing so, he did virtually nothing to help push it through. In fact, when two of Texas' wealthiest men – Charles Butt and Bob Perry – threatened to withhold contributions to the Republican Party if the legislation passed, Perry's silence practically communicated a desire that it not reach his desk at all.

Another bill of great significance when it came to Perry's allegedly tough stance on states rights was the TSA anti-groping legislation, which would have made it a misdemeanor for TSA agents to grope airline passengers in Texas. Passage of this legislation would demonstrate Perry was ready to back up his rhetoric with action. It's true that the governor placed the bill on the agenda but again, he did so three weeks into a 30-day special session and the bully pulpit remained vacant as the legislation died. Nothing illustrates this disparity between words and actions better than a video of Perry on April 9, 2009, just six days before the first Tea Party. As you watch, think about the fate of the two bills Perry refused to fight for when it mattered most.

The best indicator of future behavior is past behavior. When you look at Texas governor Rick Perry's actions, you will see an executive whose political rhetoric is not met with a matching dose of political will, not by a long shot. If it's important for conservatives to elect a president who will doggedly pursue things like the repeal of Obamacare, Perry's record demonstrates he's not your guy.

If you contrast Perry's performance at the MSNBC debate with that of Michele Bachmann, relative to repealing Obamacare, Bachmann showed more resolve, resolve that she has a history of backing up with action. Unfortunately, the congresswoman from Minnesota may not have what it takes to overcome the perception that Rick Perry is the Tea Party candidate of choice. There is another woman who might; her name is Sarah Palin.