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Home Front: Politix
Project Gunwalker: From it's Beginnings to "Downfall"
2011-06-27
H/T Sipsey Street Irregulars
It is hard for me to believe, but two more days and it will be six months since I wrote the first story about the murder of Brian Terry and the rumors of what has come to be known as the Gunwalker Scandal.

Of course, the forward progress toward the truth of the Gunwalker Scandal (and I'm happy as can be that the term, invented by David Codrea's sardonic wit, is catching on) has not been easy, nor in a straight line. Yet, the fact that it has progressed is due in no small measure to the readers of David's and my blogs and emails, to those who got off their asses and tried to make the system work, and moved it to where we are today. For that alone, gentle readers, I thank you and hope God blesses you and yours.

The cover-up continues to break down. That is a fact.

Today, in response to KC Star editorialist criticizes Darrell Issa's "tainted" political motivations. "Shielding indefensible political treason against the Constiution." we learn this about Mike Vanderboegh in his response to Ms. Sanchez:

Subject: re: Your editorial. "Tainted by politics"? The ENTIRE purpose of Gunwalker was politics.

I preface this by giving you my curriculum vita in the Gunwalker Scandal. On 28 December, I was the first blogger to pick up on the scandal and realize its significance. I used my sources within and near ATF to verify the rumor, get the story out to both Senators Sessions and Grassley, link them up with the whistleblowers and the whistleblowers with the media, among them Sharyl Attkisson of CBS News. I have also discovered ATF documents, contacted sources and written analysis pieces that demonstrate that this was an operation conceived and executed at the highest levels of the Obama administration. All of this, I am confident, will be demonstrated at future hearings. That's what I know about the Gunwalker Scandal and its cover-up, having been on the inside and helped create its public beginnings. What I am questioning here is what you actually know about these matters and whether it is enough to inform your editorial writing with any accuracy whatsoever. -- MBV.

Clarice Feldman, in today's American Thinker, ends the column "Fast and Furious Fiasco: Time to Abolish the ATF" with this:

I believe there were a lot of people involved at the Department of Justice and I doubt there'd be so much stonewalling and mudslinging were Holder in the clear.

Besides wanting Melson's testimony and a more forthright response to the Committee's document requests from the Department of Justice, Issa wants those agents who did come forward and speak to the Committee to be granted the federal whistleblowers protections they are entitled to by law. CleanUpATF.org. which asserts it is run by ATF agents, claims abuse of agents and mismanagement in the agency is common.

In the meantime, here's Holder's dilemma in a nutshell: If he doesn't fire Melson, the issue will continue to boil on the front burner. If he does, Melson is free to talk to the Committee, and if my suspicions are correct, Melson's testimony will lead to Holder's long deserved downfall as Attorney General.

The chronically story of blogs and media done by David Codrea (all links) on the reporting of Project Gunwalker:

A journalist's guide to 'Project Gunwalker'-Part One
From this chronology encompasses from Dec. 28, 2010 through March 8, 2011. The following is a summary and time line of articles appearing on the Sipsey Street Irregulars blog and Gun Rights Examiner, reflecting original reporting on the developing "Project Gunwalker" story by Mike Vanderboegh and myself. That's the purposely ironic name I assigned it, a parody of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive's "Project Gunrunner," and it refers to allegations by whistleblowing ATF insiders.

A Journalist's Guide to 'Project Gunwalker'-Part Two
March 9, 2011 through April 15, 2011.

A Journalist's Guide to 'Project Gunwalker'-Part Three
April 17, 2011 to June 19, 2011.

A Journalist's Guide to 'Project Gunwalker'-Part Four
June 20, 2011 to June 25, 2011.

Downfall
Project Gunwalker could lead to the downfall of AG Holder, and even the Obama adminstration (other departments had to involved).
There is one issue about this story that has amazed me from the beginning: the lack of curiosity from the media. Even if the NYT doesn't want it covered, reporters are trained to go after stories. Whatever their political inclinations, this is a story that would guarantee them plenty of ink, fame within their profession, appearances on cable networks, interviews with other journalists, and --yes, just maybe -- a Pulitzer or two.

It used to be that reporters would run over their mothers for a chance to grab onto a story like this. What happened to the ink-stained wretches?

The high priests of the media scoff at the bloggers. It's the bloggers who have run this story down. Where are the reporters?
Posted by:Sherry

#11  The plot Sickens...

The Washington Post ran a hit-piece on Issa:

According to Bob Owens of Pajamas Media, his sources confirm this piece “had been shopped around to other news outlets and blogs by the Obama administration since the House Oversight Committee hearings last week.” Everyone except the Post took a pass.

And on a 2010 story the Post ran about 'lax gun laws contributing to arms in the hands of the drug cartels...

Connect the dots: a story that almost certainly required information leaked by the ATF, in a paper noted for its friendliness to the Administration, was used to build the case that lax American gun control laws are contributing to Mexican gun crimes, when the ATF was secretly running a program that deliberately pushed American guns into the hands of Mexican cartels, without any serious plan to track them, until they were used in the commission of crimes.

Now, take an educated guess what the true purpose of Operation Fast & Furious was.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2011-06-27 18:02  

#10  Guys, as much as I appreciate #5's clear picture of this, it's not helicopter stuff. These premises has been mentioned daily for the last 6 months. Some, with laws that are being broken. Check some of the links above.... there's lots that has been written on this very matter of the "cause/reason."

From the build up, (while Gunwalker was occurring) Hillary was in Mexico preaching "Most of the guns in the violence comes from the US."

Obama claimed 90% of the guns involved came from the US. That was quickly proven wrong.

And Obama to Mrs. Brady, "On, we are working on gun control "under the radar."

The guy that is supposed to, by now, be the Director of AFT, can't get confirmed for two years now, because he is a stringent gun control freak!

All planned --- prolly would have worked, except some outstanding AFT agents put their jobs on the line by coming forward with the facts, including the premise of the program was designed to create more cry for more gun controls.

Obama, ect had a plan -- they just caught.
Posted by: Sherry   2011-06-27 17:48  

#9  #5 - what you said is so obvious few have mentioned it. I agree. From the start it was underhanded and illegal political manipulation to further erode the right to bear arms, typical Obama BS.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2011-06-27 16:25  

#8  Yes, the socialists did this before using the Reichstag fire as an excuse to get the Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of People and State which basically nullified many of the key civil liberties of German citizens. Same game plan.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2011-06-27 13:57  

#7  #5 - totally agree
Posted by: Frank G   2011-06-27 12:01  

#6  It has been very obvious this plot had two purposes:
1. Cause such violence at the border that severe anti-gun legislation could be passed which would have involved confiscation of many firearms.
2. The second part would be Obama's last defense. The extreme violence at the border would allow him to declare martial law.

When both were implimented he would have effectively nullified the Constitution.
Keep this in mind. The narco-war at the border is killing people faster than Viet Nam.
Posted by: David169   2011-06-27 11:57  

#5  I'm going to float an idea. I don't want any of you to start the black helicopter/tin hat brigade comments about it.

I believe the "Gunwalker" program was a highly contrived vehicle, not to track narcoterrorists in Mexico or follow the weapons to the gun smugglers, but to discredit the gun rights factions in the US. The end game on Gunwalker was not to capture terrorists and arms smugglers but to get air tight gun control legislation on the books under the guise of protecting the public from the outlaws in the gun lobby.

Why else would they come up with this crap. There was no way it could work. Put the program together with all of the phoney news stories about 90% of the weapons used by the Narcos in Mexico coming from the US and the sniveling of the Mexican government and it looks like a contrived opinion manipulation scheme to get gun control and take away the right to bear arms.
Posted by: Bill Clinton   2011-06-27 10:53  

#4  this will hurt Obama, and with all hope, remove Holder. It therefore must not be covered.
Posted by: Frank G   2011-06-27 10:51  

#3  Where are the reporters?

Having coffee and donuts with locomotive firemen.
If you didn't get the memo, reporters, who once worked their way from apprentice to masters in a craft, have been long ago replaced by credentialed hacks graduated from institutions of 'advanced education political indoctrination'.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2011-06-27 08:29  

#2  Where are the reporters?

Apparently mostly dead, a least in the LSM. They've been replaced by JournoLists, whose Democrat/Tranzi political allegiance trumps all other ambition.
Posted by: PBMcL   2011-06-27 01:00  

#1  Apparently the bloggers have become the reporters, at least on this issue.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2011-06-27 00:48  

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