Seven Democrat Congressmen Endorse Next Gaza Flotilla

The Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) has issued a Resolution in support of the second Gaza flotilla, which is scheduled for June 20th (originally October of 2010). Thanks to video cameras, the first flotilla - on Memorial Day weekend of 2010 - was proven to be an attack on Israel's sovereignty. Israeli soldiers had to kill nine in self-defense. Perhaps worse than the fact that one of the ships in the upcoming flotilla is named 'Audacity of Hope,' is that seven of PDA's members are members of congress.

Via Big Government, those seven members are (all Democrats):

John Conyers
Donna Edwards
Raul Grijalva
Barbara Lee
Jim McGovern
Lynn Woolsey
Dennis Kucinich

Here is the text of the Resolution that appears on PDA's website:

Resolution in Support of U.S. Aid Ship The Audacity of Hope
RESOLVED – We, the membership of Progressive Democrats of America, by democratic and representational vote, hereby affirm our support and endorsement of the U.S. aid ship The Audacity of Hope, due to set sail for Gaza in October of this year, as an expression of our insistence that Israel meet its obligation to recognize the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and end its occupation and colonization of Palestinian lands. As peace and justice advocates, PDA considers it our obligation not only to criticize immoral and illegal acts, but to back up that criticism with action.

Check out the list of PDA's Board members in addition to seven sitting congressmen. It includes Code Pink founders, SDS founder Tom Hayden, and liberal talk show host Thom Hartmann.

More at BG

Shocking Claim: Eric Holder going to Federal Prison?

Sipsey Street - which has multiple contacts very close to the Project Gunrunner investigation - is reporting that one of his sources will be surprised if Attorney General Eric Holder doesn't end up in federal prison. Additionally, the hearings relative to the scandal that involves the ATF allowing guns to 'walk' into Mexico are going to happen in three phases, with the third phase being the most explosive. If true, that is an excellent strategy because it can build the drama necessary to sustain this story in the bizarre news cycle we've been in lately, where there's always some new distraction popping up.

Via Sipsey Street:

Phase I will be "the presentation of allegations and factual information, evidence, and intended direction of the continuing investigation." This will include documents already presented to Senaqtor Grassley and Congressman Issa by whistleblower ATF agents. Senator Grassley will be among the first witnesses before Issa’s panel. Family members of Project Gunwalker victims are expected to testify, as well as other witnesses with first-hand knowledge of the conspiracy whose knowledge runs from Arizona to DC.

Phase II, according to my sources, "will focus on Mexico issues with witnesses called who have first hand Mexico information."

Phase III will be when it really gets interesting, when all the big names in ATF and DOJ complicit in this scandal who have been uncovered in the previous two phases are called to explain themselves. One source characterized this as "the testimony of compromised participants to include the numerous ATF and DOJ employees with dirt, blood or both on their hands."

Here is the direct quote from one of Sipsey's sources that is beyond shocking:

"Eric Holder is toast. If he stays out of federal prison, I'll be surprised."

Holder has gotten away with far too much over the years. That may give him an air of invincibility but something tells me this time might be quite different.

More here.

Video: Darrell Issa to Hold Hearings this Summer on Project Gunrunner

It would appear that Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) is not backing down on the project gunrunner scandal. What should be very worrisome for the administration is the volume of evidence and information Issa's committee is gathering, not as a result of the subpoena Issa has issued to the ATF but agents and whistleblowers themselves who have come forward. This means that Holder and company don't know how much information Issa has. This will make lying even more difficult to get away with.

In this exchange with Fox's Shannon Bream, Issa says hearings will be this summer. Some have speculated this month. Something tells me - based on past history - that some big event will happen on the eve of these hearings and dominate the news. The last time Issa was on the tail of a potential scandal with this White House was with Rep. Joe Sestak, who admitted to being offered a job to drop out of the Senate race. Bill Clinton took the fall in a document dump on the Friday afternoon before Memorial Day. The Gaza flotilla dominated the news cycle beginning on Monday morning.

Gaza flotilla 2 is scheduled for June.



h/t Sipsey Street