Sunday, June 24, 2012

Obama's Justice - upside down


San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 6/24/12 | Debra J. Saunders



The important question to ask about Attorney General Eric Holder is: Whom does he protect and whom does he pursue?

Until recently, Holder claimed "deliberative privilege" to justify his refusal to comply with House Oversight Committee subpoenas for documents involving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Fast and Furious program of 2009-10. The infamous "gun walking" program allowed Mexican smugglers to walk away with about 2,000 firearms, two of which were found at a December 2010 shootout that left Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry dead.

On Wednesday, as the committee was set to vote to find Holder in contempt of Congress, President Obama protected Holder with a first-in-his-presidency claim of executive privilege. Obama was not deterred by his previous criticism of predecessor George W. Bush's use of said power.
Holder had more familiarity with executive privilege than the president. In 1999, Holder worked in the Clinton Department of Justice when the president commuted the sentences of 16 convicted Puerto Rico independence terrorists. During his 2009 confirmation hearing, Holder cited Clinton's claim of executive privilege when he refused to explain why Justice switched its position on freeing the 16 FALN terrorists.
Holder also gave the "neutral-leaning to positive" recommendation that covered Clinton's last-minute pardon of big-donor fugitive Marc Rich, who had fled to Switzerland to escape federal prosecution on fraud and tax-evasion charges. Such are the people whom Holder protects.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...

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