Networks Spend 27 Minutes on Climate Change, Just 15 Seconds on Lois Lerner Contempt Vote

◼ Not even a full vote by the House of Representatives to hold Lois Lerner in contempt can shake the broadcast networks out of their slumber in covering the IRS scandal. - MRC

On Wednesday the House voted 231-178 (all Republicans voted yes with six Democrats) to hold Lerner in contempt for refusing to testify about the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups. Total coverage by ABC, CBS and NBC? Just a 15 second brief on Thursday’s edition of ABC’s Good Morning America.

However the Big Three networks did find the 110x more time this week to tout the “dire” and “alarming” findings from the White House climate change report. In total ABC, CBS and NBC (from Tuesday morning through Wednesday morning) spent a whopping 27 minutes and 37 seconds on the Obama administration’s climate change scare-mongering....

While the Lerner contempt vote didn’t capture much attention from the Thursday morning shows there were some topics the networks deemed much more important.

■ ABC’s Good Morning America spent 1 minute and 19 seconds on the singing nun sensation that “blew away” the judges on Italy’s version of The Voice.

■ NBC’s Today show didn’t find time to talk about the Lerner contempt vote but did bring on their chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd to talk about a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll that finds there is a greater acceptance of tattoos. Total Today show tattoo time? 4 minutes, 30 seconds.

The IR-SS: It really should be called Organizing Against America.

◼ Lois Lerner talked about working for Obama’s group Organizing for Action while she had official oversight over it - Patrick Howley/Daily Caller

Ex-IRS official Lois Lerner talked about taking a job with President Barack Obama’s nonprofit advocacy group Organizing for Action (OFA) while she had official oversight at the IRS over nonprofit tax-exempt groups.

The revelation was made Wednesday in the House Ways and Means Committee’s referral letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prosecute Lerner on criminal charges. Ways and Means voted to refer Lerner to DOJ.

◼ Oversight panel recommends House hold Lois Lerner in contempt - Sean Lengell/Washington Examiner

A House Oversight and Government Reform Committee report on Tuesday recommended the full House find former Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress for her refusal to answers questions about the agency's conservative-targeting scandal.

"Lois Lerner's testimony is critical to the committee's investigation," read the report released Tuesday by the Republican-run panel. "Without her testimony, the full extent of the IRS's targeting of Tea

Party applications cannot be known, and the committee will be unable to fully complete its work."
◼ IRS under fire: Vote for Obama stickers, campaign cheerleading commonplace - Stephen Dinan/Washington Times via Mark Levin

Even as the IRS faces growing heat over Lois G. Lerner and the tea party targeting scandal, a government watchdog said Wednesday it’s pursuing cases against three other tax agency employees and offices suspected of illegal political activity in support of President Obama and fellow Democrats.
In one case the Office of Special Counsel, which investigates federal employees who conduct politics on government time, said it was “commonplace” in a Dallas IRS office for employees to have pro-Obama screensavers on their computers, and to have campaign-style buttons and stickers at their office....

Another IRS employee in Kentucky has agreed to serve a 14-day suspension for blasting Republicans in a conversation with a taxpayer.
“They’re going to take women back 40 years,” the IRS employee said in a conversation that was recorded. The employee also said that “if you vote for a Republican, the rich are going to get richer and the poor are going to get poorer.”
That employee went on to tell the taxpayer she knew she wasn’t supposed to be voicing her political opinions, and asked the taxpayer not to say anything....

◼ Darrell Issa: Emails suggest Elijah Cummings prompted IRS targeting of True the Vote - Susan Ferrechio/Washington Examiner

“The IRS and the Oversight Minority made numerous requests for virtually identical information from True the Vote, raising concerns that the IRS improperly shared protected taxpayer information with Rep. Cummings’ staff,” a statement from the Oversight panel reads.

...Issa said Cummings and his office asked for more information in January 2013 about True the Vote, this time getting Lerner involved.

At one point, an email revealed, Lerner asked her deputy, “Did we find anything?”

When the deputy said she had not received any new information, Lerner responded, “thanks – check tomorrow please.”

Issa said Cummings had previously denied asking the IRS about True the Vote.

◼ IRS Official Who Plead the Fifth Going To Jail? It Might Happen With Or Without DOJ Involvement - IJ Review

Lois Lerner could be jailed as a result of criminal charges via the Department of Justice or from direct Congressional action. At this point, Republicans prefer the latter and just took steps towards that end.

The House Ways and Means Committee formally requested that the Justice Dept. review pressing criminal charges.

The letter to DOJ can be read ◼ here. If convicted of these crimes in a court of law, Lerner could face up to 11 years in prison.

GOP sues to force Obama compliance on Fast and Furious

◼ House Republicans on Monday asked the federal courts to intervene and force the Obama administration to turn over documents from the botched Fast and Furious gun-walking operation, escalating what had been a simmering constitutional crisis. - Stephen Dinan/The Washington Times

House Speaker John A. Boehner said President Obama and his team were ignoring a congressional subpoena — something the courts have long recognized as valid — and said lawmakers were left with no choice but to ask the third branch to referee.

“By stonewalling Congress and ignoring a contempt order, the Justice Department has left the House no choice but to take legal action so we can get to the bottom of the Fast and Furious operation that cost border agent Brian Terry his life,” Mr. Boehner said.

◼ Holder Testimony Questioned in New Black Panther Party Scandal - The Moral Liberal

Deroy Murdock is right. America needs to remember how Operation Fast & Furious has affected Mexico.

◼ THE HYSTERIA IN MEXICO CAUSED BY FAST & FURIOUS - Mary Chastain/Breitbart's Big Government

Operation Fast & Furious was a scheme the Department of Justice used to sell state of the art assault weapons to straw purchasers who would give them to Mexican drug cartels. These guns are connected to the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in December 2010 and hundreds of Mexicans. But people aren’t just using these weapons to kill people. They’ve been used in injuries, kidnappings, and attempted homicides....

The Oversight Committee's July 26, 2011 report gives at least 48 separate recoveries involving Fast & Furious weapons. A letter from the DOJ to Chairman Darrell Issa and Senator Charles Grassley on September 9, 2011 gives in depth details on a few of those recoveries....

While America has been damaged by Fast & Furious, it's nothing compared to Mexico. 1,000+ guns are still missing, and until they're found the Mexican drug cartels will continue to use them to wreak havoc on Mexico.

FAST AND FURIOUS IS NOT A D.C. LAW FIRM

◼ Most Americans don’t care about whether Attorney General Eric Holder is hiding Fast and Furious documents because they don’t understand the story. - Ann Coulter/Human Events

Until someone can tell us otherwise, there is only one explanation for why President Obama’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives gave thousands of guns to Mexican drug dealers: It put guns in their hands to strengthen liberals’ argument for gun control.

Precisely because this is such a jaw-dropping accusation — criminality at the highest level of government to score a political point — Republicans refuse to make it.

But the problem with Republican rectitude in discussing this scandal is that as soon as they start talking about subpoenas and dates and documents, TV channels change across America. They’re never going to get answers unless they first explain to the American people why it matters....

First, the Democrats tried lying about how American guns were being found in the hands of Mexican drug dealers — while demanding a renewal of the assault weapons ban.

Obama had barely unpacked at the White House, when he and high-level administration officials and Senate Democrats — Holder, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Chuck Schumer — started railing about how our lax gun control laws were putting guns in the hands of Mexican drug cartels....

This isn’t just another government program gone bad — a $300 ashtray, stimulus money fraud, Solyndra or Van Jones.

It isn’t just a story about some government official refusing to testify.

It isn’t even a story about an American dying as a result of a government program, as outrageous as that is. Yes, Brian Terry died at the hands of a Mexican using a Holder-provided American gun. Pat Tillman died. Ron Brown died. People sometimes die as a result of government screw-ups. Fast and Furious is worse.

Innocent people dying was the objective of Fast and Furious, not collateral damage.

It would be as if the Bush administration had implemented a covert operation to dump a dangerous abortifacient in Planned Parenthood clinics, resulting in hundreds of women dying — just to give pro-lifers an argument about how dangerous abortion clinics are.

That’s what Fast and Furious is about.

DOJ REVEALS BRIAN TERRY WAS SHOOTING BEAN BAGS AT MEN WHO KILLED HIM

◼ The Department of Justice unsealed documents today showing that Brian Terry was shooting bean bags at men who returned fire with assault rifles.

◼ OUTRAGE: Eric Holder disarmed Brian Terry while arming his killers - Doug Ross (image source)

Just when you thought Operation Fast and Furious -- and its cover-up -- couldn't get any worse, another layer of the onion gets unpeeled.

◼ Justice unseals indictment charging 5 in Brian Terry's death, offers $1M reward for leads on fugitives - FOX

The developments come amid an intensifying debate over the department's failed Fast and Furious anti-gunrunning operation. Weapons from that program were found at Terry's murder scene -- Republicans seeking documents pertaining to Fast and Furious last month escalated their probe by voting to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, praised the department Monday for its announcement but questioned the timing.

"I applaud what they're doing, but I condemn the timing. It's very clear that the timing has everything to do with the House of Representatives holding Eric Holder in contempt," Issa told Fox News.

Issa, who led the contempt push, said Justice could have been doing more to find the suspects all along -- he called the timing of the FBI reward money "another example of using politics over good policy."

◼ Fast & Furious: Brian Terry Murder Indictment Unsealed, Five Charged - Katie Pavlich/Townhall

After more than 18 months of waiting and a contempt of Congress charge against Attorney General Eric Holder, the FBI unsealed an indictment of five illegal Mexican bandits charged with the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry today in Arizona and offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the arrest of four of the five men who are still on the run and suspected to be in Mexico.

Sharyl Attkisson double-taps Eric Holder on CBS

◼ News: perjury, cover-up and retribution confirmed - Doug Ross

◼ Fast and Furious: GOP says wiretaps revealed 'Gunwalking' early on - Sharyl Attkisson/CBS
◼ Fast and Furious whistleblowers now supervised by ATF manager who allegedly threatened retaliation - Sharyl Attkisson/CBS

Thanks to heroes like Dodson and Forcelli, as well as true journalists like Sipsey Street Irregulars, Gun Rights Examiner and Sharyl Attkisson of CBS News, it will become increasingly difficult for vintage media to ignore the utter lawlessness of Eric Holder and his out-of-control DOJ.

◼ Meanwhile on CNN SOLEDAD O'BRIEN QUESTIONS WHETHER FAST & FURIOUS ACTUALLY HAPPENED - Breitbart

In the midst of a fiery floor debate over contempt proceedings for Attorney General Eric Holder, House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) quietly dropped a bombshell letter into the Congressional Record.

◼ Darrell Issa Puts Details of Secret Wiretap Applications in Congressional Record - Roll Call

The wiretap applications are under court seal, and releasing such information to the public would ordinarily be illegal. But Issa appears to be protected by the Speech or Debate Clause in the Constitution, which offers immunity for Congressional speech, especially on a chamber’s floor.

◼ Obama Contributor, Who Helped Enact Assault-Weapons Ban, Ran ‘Fast and Furious’

It was in July 2010, after his nomination as U.S. attorney, that Burke told the Arizona Capitol Times that he had “been working on homeland security and border enforcement issues” during the transition, and that there had “clearly been direction provided already by President Obama and Attorney General Holder as to what they want to be doing.”

ERIC HOLDER CHARGED WITH CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS: 255 – YES, 67 – NO

◼ The House on Thursday cited Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. for contempt of Congress in a historic vote weighted with political significance, though it does little to break the stalemate over his decision to withhold documents... - Stephen Dinan/Washington Times
◼ Following nearly two hours of on-floor debate and months of investigation, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to charge Obama Attorney General with Contempt of Congress. Many Democrats staged a walk out protest just prior to the vote – while other Democrats voted with their Republican counterparts in favor of the contempt charge. - Ulsterman

Members of Congress believe Eric Holder to be involved in an ongoing cover-up regarding the failed and deadly Fast and Furious gunrunning operation that saw deadly weapons willingly sold to known criminals by the Obama government. Some 2000 such weapons were allowed to “walk” across the border into Mexico – without the knowledge of Mexican authorities. These weapons have since been used in crimes both in the United States and Mexico. U.S. border agent Brian Terry was killed with one of these weapons. Hundreds of Mexican civilians were killed with these weapons.

Following President Obama’s order to his Attorney General to NOT disclose documents to Congressional investigators, Republicans indicated they had no choice but to proceed with the contempt charge against Eric Holder. The circumstances of Barack Obama’s use of Executive Privilege is similar to that invoked by Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal of the 1970s.

Following the contempt vote, House Republicans introduced and then passed legislation allowing for a special counsel to independently investigate the Operation Fast and Furious scandal. The parallels to Watergate grow ever closer…

◼ Not above the law: Holder first U.S. Attorney General to be voted in Contempt of Congress - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

17 Democrats joined Republicans in voting for contempt. One member voted present, and 110 members did not vote.

The House votes on two separate items:
1: Whether to hold Holder in contempt and then refer him to the DOJ
2: Authorization to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to sue the DOJ in federal court [TK]

Four House Dems back measure to place Holder in contempt

◼ At least four Democrats say they will vote Thursday in favor of placing Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress. - The Hill

Democratic Reps. John Barrow (Ga.), Collin Peterson (Minn.) and Nick Rahall (W.Va.) will all vote in favor of contempt in addition to Rep. Jim Matheson (Utah) when the measure comes to the House floor on Thursday.

The vote is expected to generally be a party-line vote, but one report by Fox News on Wednesday said as many as 20 Democrats could break with President Obama and support the measure.

Republicans are moving forward with the vote because they say Holder has refused to hand over documents dealing with the Justice Department’s handling of the botched “Fast and Furious” operation.
In announcing his decision, Barrow critized Holder for withholding the documents.

“While Republicans and Democrats argue over the scope of the people's right to know what happened, the attorney general has decided to withhold relevant documents,” Barrow said.

“The only way to get to the bottom of what happened is for the Department of Justice to turn over the remaining documents, so that we can work together to ensure this tragedy never happens again.”