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« WaPo finally covers Operation Gunwalker | Main | Wrap up of today's hearings »

Gunwalker -- the media dam breaks

Posted by David Hardy · 26 July 2011 09:36 AM

So yesterday the WaPo carried a story on Gunwalker, and the world did not end. That must mean it is now a safe topic.... so today

The New York Times gives it space.

So does the LA Times.

USA Today weighs in.

The Toledo Blade's ombudsman outlines the story and concedes the paper should have carried it sooner. "Frankly, while there has been nothing unethical about The Blade's not having covered it, Operation Fast and Furious probably deserves more scrutiny."

If there is a theme to the above (it may be coincidence), damage control seems to have shifted from "nothing was done wrong" to "don't mention the Attorney General or his deputies."

And in the meantime, the House Committee on Oversight releases releases another report, and holds more hearings -- live video here. Just listened to a guy doing damage control, claiming that straw purchasers by definition have a clean record -- which, as posted below, isn't true when the ATF and FBI "fix" the background checks -- and usually get probation -- Federal sentencing guidelines call for 1-2 years in prison for that offense, if first offense.

Mr. Meehan is now questioning former SAC Bill Newell. He's asking who originated the plan. Newell refuses to name a single person, finally says four people in his office did. Did the other agent who testified participate in it? He was aware of it. Mr. Mahon, the "plaza boss." regional head for a cartel, you said he gives orders to buy. Plaza boss is in Mexico, right? Yes. Now, you claim the strategy wasn't to allow guns to go to Mexico. How does that work? Other agencies involved? Yes, ICE, IRS, DEA. Did they know about this program? Yes. Were they aware guns were being walked to Mexico. Witness evades, they were aware of the strategy.

Ms. Burke: was this gunwalking a breach of ATF usual ops? Agent Canino: First time I've heard of it happening in 22 yrs of service with ATF. I initially heard of Agent Dodson's allegations, didn't believe them. Then I saw documents that convinced me he was telling the truth. Other agents say same thing. First time anyone has seen this.

UPDATE: The Christian Science Monitor (which never saw a gun law it didn't like) weighs in with a hard-hitting piece.

· BATFE

7 Comments | Leave a comment

kalashnikat | July 26, 2011 11:05 AM | Reply

About bloody time...

Nobody died in Watergate, this should have been bigger than Watergate, certainly bigger than phone hacking by journalists, and it goes straight to the incompetent and racially biased Attorney General.

Total breach of public trust in pursuit of an anti-gun agenda, endangering lives in two countries to generate an excuse to tighten the controls on guns in this country and create a de facto registry, starting with the border states...and then say...see, it works okay there, lets expand it to the rest of the country.

AlanR - GunRightsAlert.com | July 26, 2011 11:07 AM | Reply

My email to the Blade ombudsman:

Thank you for finally mentioning BATFE's "Fast and Furious" debacle in the Blade. I'm curious though, given that ABC broke the story in the mainstream press well before Fox, do you believe ABC is too "partisan" to be reliable as well? (Credit for breaking the story, of course, goes to blogger/journalists David Codrea and Mike Vanderbough.)

Also, blaming the Blade's lack of coverage on the lack of coverage sounds kind of lame.

AlanR - GunRightsAlert.com | July 26, 2011 11:21 AM | Reply

Little too quick, here's the final version:

Thank you for finally mentioning BATFE's "Fast and Furious" debacle in the Blade. I'm curious though, given that CBS's Sherryl Atkinson has been covering the story in the mainstream press since Feb. 23, do you believe CBS is too "partisan" and "slanted to the right" to be reliable as well? (Credit for breaking the story, of course, goes to blogger/journalists David Codrea and Mike Vanderbough who have been coving the story since Dec. 28, 2010.)

Also, blaming the Blade's lack of coverage on the lack of coverage comes across sounding kind of lame.

Harry Schell | July 26, 2011 2:03 PM | Reply

LA Times is going along with "okay, there is an elephant in the room but it's just a small one, no worries" act.

The paper did editorialize over the weekend that IF there had, maybe, kinda, some rules broken by ATF, that little sideshow should't derail the common sense of long-gun registration and reporting, without discussing the provisions in US law that specifically prohibit such requirements be promulgated.

So they knew about the elephant, but ignored it. Like Bill Maher, as Obama's polls sink, they get more desperate to bury any possible turds that might reflect poorly on the Messiah.

Carl from Chicago | July 26, 2011 4:29 PM | Reply

Posted by: kalashnikat at July 26, 2011 11:05 AM
"... it goes straight to the incompetent and racially biased Attorney General."

You have made a statement of fact, but the fact you assert has not (yet) been confirmed. Be careful what you state.

I am not defending Holder ... I am defending truth.

Steve | July 27, 2011 4:07 AM | Reply

I think certain parts of the media are covering it now because everyone is focused on the ceiling discussion.

NevadaSteve | July 27, 2011 9:54 AM | Reply

This just keeps getting worse. It seems that every time I think it has hit bottom a new revelation comes along and gives me new reason to despair. How many agencies were involved in this debacle and how closely did they coordinate?

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