APRIL 24, 2012

Around the Water Cooler: Gripes

by Rich Grassi It's been a while since the curmudgeonly side reared its ugly head, but there's been lots of provocation. The story that kicked off this rant was "Cartagena Hookers vs. Fast & Furious." The only thing about Fast and Furious that is, well, fast and furious, is the rate at which the stonewall is built. We've spent years "investigating," while a BP Agent dies and the stack of deceased Mexican citizens builds higher and higher. And what? We've had subpoenas returned with documents so heavily redacted you can't tell it was ever a federal record. "Oh, we'll call it "contempt of Congress!"" Yeah, well who doesn't have contempt of Congress? They've gone out of their way to dissatisfy conservatives and liberals (now called "progressives"). They've talked big against the current government-centered administration and acted little. How many years has it been . . . our first discussion of the anti-gun propaganda machine using Mexican drug mobs as their tool was in 2009. The regime used Barry McCaffrey to dummy up a report saying Mexican drug guns came from U.S. gun shows. It was crap and it was proved to be crap. Then our rich Uncle decided he could make the report accurate by compelling federal licensees to sell to straw purchasers and to let the guns walk. That's what they did, violating state and federal laws governing gun sales, violating international and federal laws about gun smuggling, knowingly providing firearms to known narcotics gangs; to known killers. The number of ATF-sanctioned smuggled guns has been placed at 2,000. They knowingly, predictably caused the deaths of citizens - ours and Mexico's. They admit to not even telling Mexican authorities about the operation. I wonder why Mexico doesn't trust us. And, being as ignorance in politicians isn't unique to America, the Mexican President called on us to have another federal gun ban - as if that would help the corruption of underpaid Mexican soldiers who turn over machineguns and other articles of war in exchange for currency or recreational pharmaceuticals. Want to keep U.S. guns out of Mexico? Disband the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They provided more guns to Mexican criminal elements than all the gun dealers in the Southwest. On the other hand, just let a horny Secret Service Agent try to save a few bucks with an indigenous sex worker in Colombia and heads have to roll today! There were badges called in before the ink was dry . . . well, of the few newspapers left in print. Why can't we get movement on Operation Gun Walker? Well, the Cartagena operation involved cops. Federal cops, but cops nonetheless. It's easy to feed them to the public opinion machine. Feeding us the U.S. A.G.? Well, he likely knows where some bodies are buried. And those dead bodies likely still vote. Here's a clue for the House. You want to make it look like you're actually doing something for all that money and all those benefits you get? You know what you need to "know." Subpoena them for the records, the real ones. Have a "drop dead" date (so to speak; we're not asking the contrabandistas to take a hand here). When they fail to make it (which they will), issue a contempt citation. When they blow it off, file articles of impeachment against that attorney general and get the trial on the schedule. I don't want to hear, "The Democrats own the Senate," "It's an election year and it looks obstructionist," "I might have to get up early and blow off some of those NBC cocktail parties." I know what you're up against. Try doing the right thing for the right reason. If it fails, your conscience is clear. If you have one.