On May 4th of this year, House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., asked Attorney General Eric Holder, under oath, “When did you first know about the program, officially I believe known as Fast and Furious, to the best of your knowledge, what date?”
Holder responded: “I’m not sure of the exact date, but I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks.”
New documents obtained CBS News show that Holder’s statement is false. As early as July 5, 2010, Holder began receiving memos about the Fast and Furious program from the head of the National Drug Intelligence Center and Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer. The program was not shut down until last December, when Fast and Furious guns were found at the scene of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry’s murder in the Arizona desert.
Now DoJ is telling CBS News “Holder misunderstood that question from the committee – he did know about Fast and Furious – just not the details.” Go back and look at the question. Or watch this video. Decide for yourself if there is any way Holder could have misunderstood the question. Then ask yourself if Holder should be cited for contempt of Congress.
Around the Bigs
The Washington Examiner, Docs show Holder was briefed on Fast & Furious: Contrary to his sworn testimony before Congress, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was briefed on Operation Fast and Furious as early as July 2010, according to new documents obtained by CBS News. The Justice Department now claims, “Holder misunderstood that question from the committee – he did know about Fast and Furious – just not the details.”
The Wall Street Journal, Cantor: Obama’s Job Bill Is Dead in Congress: Asked at a press conference yesterday if President Obama’s jobs bill as a whole is dead, Mr. Cantor replied, “Yes.”
CBS News, 7 in 10 say Obama has not helped economy: According to a new CBS News poll, 69 percent of Americans say Obama has made no real progress on the economy. Only 35 percent of Americans approve of Obama’s handling of the economy and just 44 percent approve of his job as president.
ABC News, Majority Expects Obama to Lose Re-Election: According to the new ABC News/Washington Post poll, 55 percent of Americans expect Obama to lose his re-election campaign next November.
The Washington Examiner, White House dismissed Solyndra warnings: House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats released emails showing that President Obama was advised not to visit Solyndra in May 2010 because the firm could go bankrupt before the 2012 election. Obama told ABC News yesterday he did not regret giving Solyndra $527 million in taxpayer money: “It went through the regular review process and people felt that it was a good bet.”
The Wall Street Journal, Protesters Drawing Labor Support: Powerful labor unions, like the Service Employees International Union and the Transport Workers Union, are beginning to support the Occupy Wall Street protests in Lower Manhattan. “The premise of the protest, we’re in complete agreement with,” TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen told The Journal.
The New York Times, After Ruling, Hispanics Flee an Alabama Town: Just hours after Birmingham federal judge in upheld most of Alabama’s immigration enforcement law, Hispanic immigrants began leaving the state en masse.
The New York Times, Fannie Mae Knew Early of Abuses, Report Says: According to a new Federal Housing Finance Agency Inspector General report, Fannie Mae knew that the law form it hired to perform foreclosures routinely filed false pleadings in bankruptcy court as early as 2003.
USA Today, ESPN drops Hank Williams Jr. from ‘Monday Night Football’: ESPN pulled Hank Williams Jr., of “are you ready for some football?” fame, from their broadcast Monsay night, after Williams told Fox & Friends that Speaker John Boehner playing golf with Obama “would be like Hitler playing golf with Benjamin Netanyahu.”
The Hill, White House submits trade pacts after deal with House GOP: President Obama sent the Colombia, Panama, and South Korea trade deals to Congress yesterday after Speaker John Boehner promised a vote on a watered down Trade Adjustment Assistance Program. Boehner said the trade deals would be passed “consecutively and in tandem with Senate-passed TAA legislation.”
The Hill, Senate votes 79-19 to move bill punishing China on currency: The Senate voted 79-19 to end debate on the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2011, a bill that would raise tariffs on China if the Treasury Department determined the country was manipulating its currency.
Campaign 2012
GOP Field: Just 25 percent of Republican voters told The Washington Post Mitt Romney was their top choice for the 2012 GOP nomination, the same percent as last month. But because Rick Perry’s support dropped by 13-points, to just 16 percent, Romney is now back in the lead. Herman Cain is now tied with Perry for second at 16 percent, and Ron Paul is the only other candidate in double digits at 11 percent.
Righty Playbook
The Weekly Standard‘s Michael Warren reports on the West Virginia Governor’s election which takes place today.
Power Line‘s John Hinderaker exposes Bloomberg’s hit job on Koch industries as a fraud.
RedState‘s Erick Erickson details his misgivings about each candidate in the Republican primary.
Lefty Playbook
The Occupy Wall Street protesters have posted their list of demands, including: “Guaranteed living wage income regardless of employment.”
Matt Yglesias bemoans the lack of a mobilized left during the early years of the Obama presidency.
The Washington Monthly‘s Steve Benen despairs over polling showing Americans distrust the federal government by accusing Republicans of purposefully undermining it.
