Where is the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Fast and Furious?

Red County has run my column about the complete absence of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus when it comes to calling for Attorney General Eric Holder's resignation over Fast and Furious. Hundreds of Mexican nationals have been killed as a direct result of this failed program. Yet, a group ostensibly charged with putting the interests of Hispanics at the top of their priority list is more interested in supporting a Democratic Attorney General and administration:

If you want evidence that the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) cares more about ideology than it does about the fate of Hispanics, look no further than its collective silence when the subject turns to the failed ATF operation known as Fast and Furious. In particular, consider the number of CHC members who have called for Attorney General Eric Holder's resignation.

The number stands at zero. Not so coincidentally, every member of the caucus is a Democrat; so is Holder.

Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was murdered and guns put into the hands of the bad guys who did it, were found at the scene. ICE Agent and hispanic, Jaime Zapata, was murdered in Mexico with guns that appear to have been placed into the hands of the thugs who fired them, through ATF inaction and possibly as part of Fast and Furious. As the congressional investigations into the failed operation approach the one year mark, 53 congressmen, 2 Senators, and 2 governors have all called for Holder to resign because responsibility ultimately lies with him.

The group of people who have suffered the consequences of Fast and Furious most are Hispanics, Mexican nationals to be exact. Reports put the number of Mexicans killed with Fast and Furious guns at a minimum of 200; Holder himself conceded that number is likely to rise as a result of the guns that have not yet been recovered. Evidence is also overwhelming that officials very high in the Department of Justice were intricately involved in the operation.

Yet, the vast majority of congressmen who are calling for Holder's resignation aren't hispanic and not one member of the CHC has called for the Attorney General's ouster?!

In fact, on the eve of the first anniversay of Terry's death, CHC member Nydia Margarita Velázquez told the Daily Caller that she hadn't even heard of Fast and Furious. Another CHC member, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) went a step further, saying that he would call for Holder's resignation if the latter is shown to have be knew about Fast and Furious but said he hasn't seen evidence of that yet. Gutierrez said he would be watching the December 8th House Judiciary Committee hearing at which Holder would be testifying about Fast and Furious.

Hopefully, Gutierrez did not end up sharing the sentiment of fellow CHC and Judiciary committee member, Pedro Pierluisi (D-PR). Of all the Democrats on the committee, Pierluisi was ironically, perhaps the most sychophantic when it came to questioning Holder. He fawned when talking to Holder:

"The first thing that comes to my mind is that I should commend you... You've had the candor, the demeanor, and the patience to deal with them (repetitive questions)... I thank you and I commend you..."

Pierluisi then re-directed his focus away from Fast and Furious, saying that Holder has already denounced it, and put it onto gun shows and as well as the lack of a permanent ATF Director. By doing so, he implied that Fast and Furious was more the fault of Congress than the Justice Department.

The standard line from Holder when asked uncomfortable questions has been that he has placed the investigation into the hands of the DOJ's Inspector General. Pierluisi asserted that this was the right decision and that “no one has questioned the objectivity” of the IG. Uh, that statement does not even hold a parcel of a grain of truth. In addition to Inspector General Cynthia Schnedar and Holder having a very rich history of working together, Schnedar egregiously handed over secret audio tapes between a gun store owner and an ATF agent to the US Attorneys office in Phoenix; this ostensibly harmed the congressional investigation.

As facts about Fast and Furious come out, much of what clear thinking individuals suspected is being confirmed. The longer the Congressional Hispanic Caucus toes the Democratic line in that regard, the much of what clear thinking individuals suspected of them is being confirmed as well.

Ideology trumps race. Period.

Red County includes links.

OWS Planning to Shut Down all Major West Coast Ports Today

Back on December 1st, Van Jones tweeted an article that called on all OWS protesters to join in the attempt to shut down all major ports on the west coast on December 12th.

Last week, I contacted the office of House Judiciary Committee chairman, Lamar Smith (R-TX) to request that someone on his committee ask Attorney General Eric Holder what the latter was planning to do about the proposed shutdown scheduled to take place today. That question was never asked of Holder during the December 8th hearing.

Now, whether this planned shutdown amounts to anything has yet to be seen. In fact, OWS enthusiasm has actually been waning of late so it's quite possible that there will be no significant disruption. Then again, it's not like these plans have been unavailable for public consumption so there really should be no shutdown.

Besides, there's another interesting twist to the story. Apparently, the Longshoremen aren't all that interested in OWS shutting down their ports...or are they?

Here is an excerpt from the Workers World website via Michelle Malkin:

Battle lines have formed as the West Coast Occupy movements, from San Diego to Alaska, flex their collective muscle against the federally coordinated, brutal attacks targeting the pro-Occupy Wall Street movements across the country. They are organizing for blockades of West Coast ports on Dec. 12 in San Diego; Los Angeles/Long Beach; Port Hueneme, Calif. (central coast); Oakland; Portland, Ore.; Seattle; Tacoma, Wash.; and possibly more. Solidarity actions have been called by OWS in New York and inland locations, as well. 

The pro-OWS movement is aligning itself with labor and the working class, as the West Coast Occupy movements organize to support the struggle of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in Longview, Wash. Longshore workers there are waging a ferocious battle against transnational EGT, controlled by Bunge Ltd., of the grain cartel that controls most of the world’s trade in food products. EGT is trying to break the ILWU in an attempt to drive down wages and destroy the union. (Read “Longshore workers call for anti-racist unity in their ranks” at www.workers.org/2011/us/ilwu_0922) 

The West Coast Occupy movements are also aligning with the struggle of port truckers, who are fighting for the right to organize for union representation. Twenty-six of them were fired in Los Angeles for wearing Teamster jackets to work. Occupy LA and Long Beach are targeting SSA, an anti-union port terminal operator, majority owned by Goldman Sachs, the notorious Wall Street investment bank. Teamster president, Jimmy Hoffa Jr., has publicly expressed support for the Occupy movement.

Today is the day. Stay tuned.

Much more HERE.

Video: Watch the Guy Behind Eric Holder

I watched this live but totally missed this interesting bit of body language. The Fast and Furious scandal is getting VERY close to Attorney General Eric Holder. Rep. Darrell Issa's persistence with regard to getting ahold of Holder's emails, especially the ones after the February 4, 2011 letter sent by Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich to Senator Charles Grassley, is telling.

Holder's declared refusal to release any emails sent or received after that date is what prompted Issa to threaten him with being held in contempt of Congress while also comparing him to Nixon's Attorney General, John Mitchell.

In a completely separate exchange - between Rep. Sandy Adams (R-FL) and Holder - Adams began asking the Attorney General about his personal email account. Pay particularly close attention to the man over Holder's right shoulder. That is Weich and he is visibly very nervous about this line of questioning. Adams asked him about this after Issa had already brought up the issue of work / personal email accounts.

This entire exchange is worth watching but if pressed for time, fast forward to the 4:50 mark. The smoking gun might just involve Holder's personal email account.



h/t Free Republic

Video: Walid Shoebat's New Initiative; Rescuing Christians in Pakistan

One of the most tragic consequences of the 'Arab Spring' is the increase in the number of Christian persecutions. This is extremely prevalent in Pakistan. Former Muslim terrorist and PLO member and current Christian, Walid Shoebat is currently working to help raise awareness about what's really going on there. Here is a documentary (in two parts) that includes interviews with real victims.

Via Rescue Christians:

Part 1



Part 2