Fast And Furious Hearing

Attorney General Eric "You're A Coward" Holder is getting drilled by the GOP.

At the start of a hearing, chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will do what is necessary to force the Justice Department to produce the information.

The attorney general said he will consider Issa's demand.

"I think you're hiding behind something here," Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., told Holder. "You ought to give us the documents. ... It appears we're being stonewalled."

Burton, a former chairman of the committee, said he would urge Issa to seek a contempt of Congress citation if the Justice Department does not produce the congressionally subpoenaed documents.

Meanwhile, Holder doesn't get why everyone is so upset. In fact, he should be getting some credit here.

"I should be held accountable for, certainly, my role -- whatever I did or didn't do in connection to the supervision of Operation Fast and Furious," Holder said during the hearing today. "But, yeah, I'm Attorney General of the United States and I should be held accountable, perhaps even given some credit -- imagine that, given some credit -- for the things that this Department has done under my leadership." Holder cited his role in "revitalizing" the civil rights division as an example of his good leadership, among other things.

His comments came in a tense response to a question from one of the House investigators. "How many more border patrol agents would have had to die as a result of Fast and Furious for you to take responsibility [and resign]?" Rep. Ana Marie Buerkle asked Holder.

Holder also wants a new law to prevent what his department did. I guess actually just not doing it any more never crossed his mind. (Added: Gunwalking like this already IS illegal. You'd think the Attorney General would know that kind of thing.)

CSPAN is streaming the hearing here. Not sure if it's still going on or not though.

posted by DrewM. at 12:58 PM

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