The Full Committee hearing entitled, “Operation Fast and Furious: The Other Side of the Border” will take place at 10:00am on Tuesday, July 26th in room 2154 Rayburn House Office Building.
The hearing will be streamed live at http://oversight.house.gov.
There is no word yet on whether CSpan will cover the hearings tomorrow like they did last time. I really hope they will as I want to see William Newell squirm under questioning.
FoxNews reported today that at least two of the indicted straw purchasers in Operation Fast and Furious were not only straw purchasers but convicted felons. When the FBI conducted the NICS check, they should have been flagged immediately as prohibited purchasers and the sale denied.
Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) represents the Spartanburg area of the Upstate of South Carolina. Prior to entering Congress, Gowdy was the local solicitor or district attorney for Spartanburg County. He has also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and has experience in prosecuting violations of Federal firearms law. He says “you cannot sanction illegal activity to further an ill-fated, ill-founded, ill-conceived investigation.”
In an interview with CNN reporter Abbie Boudreau in May 2010, ATF Acting Director Kenneth Melson was highly critical of the website CleanUpATF.org. He objected to ATF critics hiding behind made-up screen names. You know, like Vincent Cefalu and Jay Dobyns. Oh, wait – those are their real names. He does mention “Thor” which was the name of the Norse God of Thunder. Thor, according to Wikipedia, is also charged with the protection of mankind. Given the important role that the members of CUATF have played in exposing Project Gunwalker, I would say Thor is an appropriate screen name.
As one might imagine, the CUATF people who have posted this video are none too thrilled with Mr. Melson. From the webmaster:
Many of us here at CUATF.org used to believe that Kenneth Melson was simply another clueless career bureaucrat, who, although he might not be a bad guy personally, had not the slightest idea what was really happening in the agency he was supposedly responsible for “leading”. Although that would make him patently incompetent (which seems to have been rather conclusively established at this point), many of us gave him a certain benefit of the doubt in terms of personal integrity. That misconception has now been irrevocably clarified.
The simple fact is that Kenneth Melson is a bald-faced LIAR.
In the interview shown below, Melson states that he has an “open door” policy. However, on the basis of repeated conduct, such a claim is an unequivocal lie. A significant number of employees have, while using their real names, attempted in good faith to make Melson aware as to just how screwed up ATF is in terms of managerial malfeasance, corruption and unlawful conduct, only to either be retaliated against, or to receive nothing but a big, fat cold shoulder.
“Open-Door” Policy? Our ass.
You might also recall that when confronted about the fact that Whistleblower Special Agent Vince Cefalu had been deliberately relegated to twiddling his thumbs all day (at significant taxpayer expense) by his vicious, retaliatory, corrupt, perjuring managers (who all work directly for Kenny-Boy, Melson told the nation, “Not on my watch”. However, Melson then proceeded to do precisely NOTHING about that ridiculous abuse of taxpayer monies (and complete waste of Cefalu’s 25 years of top-notch training, experience and accomplishments), and Cefalu remains in the same basket-weaving status to this very day, more than a YEAR after Melson’s shameless whoppers.
Once again, there is a word for what Melson did; it’s called LYING. You are a professional prevaricator, Melson…an unmitigated, unadulterated, dyed-in-the-wool fibber. You might manage to somehow save your own ass in this ginormic fiasco you have overseen, but you’re still a liar by any reasonable measure.
Also, you’ll note that Melson laughably contradicts himself in the most amateurish manner by first pompously stating that he personally blocked www.CleanUpATF.org (from access through government computers) “because no employee should be exposed to such lies and distortions” (in so many words), but in the same breath, saying that he encourages employees to visit the site(!), as long as it’s on their own time. Only the most dronishly jaded lifelong federal bureaucrat could make such an incomprehensibly muddled and logically incompatible statement.
Ken Melson, you are a disgrace and a stain on the honor of decent, hard-working law enforcement agents. You have failed miserably in your duties as Acting Director of ATF, a position for which you were clearly not qualified or competent. We call on you to resign immediately and spare yourself, ATF, DOJ and this nation further embarrassment.
“Pama” is a bit more forgiving of Melson but agrees that he is lying about what he knew and his involvement in Project Gunwalker.
Although Melson was obviously involved in “supervising” and directing Fast and Furious, it equally obviously was not his idea. I personally believe this came directly from Obama, Holder, Breuer and a few other political appointees. I believe the State Department and Homeland Security were involved in planning this deplorable debacle or at the least, were well aware of it and approved of it. I have a secret suspicion that FnF is why Hillary and Mueller are leaving the Regime. Melson was appointed in April or May of 2009. I believe the planning for this operation was already well underway by that time. That being said, he is clearly lying about what he knew and about his involvement. However Holder and Obama are chiefly responsible. Everyone involved needs to be exposed, prosecuted and pilloried.
If this interview were recorded today as opposed to a year ago, I wonder what Melson would be saying about CUATF.
The Complementary Spouse and I are spending the week in southern Illinois and Missouri visiting family. One of my self-imposed chores for the week is to clean and oil all of her late father’s guns. He was quite the collector and had a goodly number of shotguns and commemorative Winchester 94s.
Unfortunately, while kept in an air-conditioned house, a few are showing signs of spotty rust. I have heard 0000-size steel wool when used with gun oil will take care of the rust and not harm the blueing. Is this correct? Do you have other suggestions for removing little bits of rust without harming the blueing?
Any suggestions for a gun oil to use for longer term storage short of covering them in cosmoline? I planned to use a light oil like RemOil. Should I go with something heavier like RIG Gun Grease instead?
Thanks for the help.
A Tweet from Cheaper Than Dirt advertising their 30-round magazines for the HK 91/G3 reminded me that I have at least 100 G3 magazines (20-rounders) and don’t even own a HK 91/G3/PTR-91! I’m sure I am not alone in owning magazines for firearms that I don’t currently own.
I bought most of them a couple of years ago when the great Obama’s Gonna Ban Them rumors were going strong. CMMG was planning on launching an AR-10 variant which would use the G3 magazines. They did come out with the lower but you had to shave down the DPMS upper. I wasn’t too keen on doing that work myself.
I think if I ever get around to having a rifle that can use these magazines, it will either be a PTR-91 or a semi-custom rifle built by SI Defense out of Kalispell, Montana. SI Defense has a lower that will fit modifed G3 magazines and they will build the whole rifle for you. I did speak with them at the NRA Annual Meeting in Charlotte and that seems the way to go for the higher quality build.
In the debate over stripping funding from the ATF’s new multiple rifle sale reporting requirement in the Southwest, Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) said removing the funding from the rule would be akin to “virtual wholesale slaughter.” His comments, as reported in The Hill, go on:
“The NRA is so afraid that the people who are really funding the NRA, the gun manufacturers, might lose some sales that we’re willing to sacrifice the lives of these people that are casualties of this gun war,” Moran said during the markup.
“And we’re promoting it. We’re enabling … that slaughter to continue,” Moran said.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation did not take Moran’s comments lying down. They responded with a blistering 3-page letter which took him to task over his comments. The full letter is here.
First, NSSF General Counsel Larry Keane points to Moran that ATF was never given the authority by Congress to impose the reporting requirement.
We are filing the lawsuit on behalf of our members challenging ATF’s new record keeping and reporting requirement because Congress never gave ATF the legal authority to impose this requirement. In 1986, Congress amended the Gun Control Act to require the multiple sale reporting of handguns. Congress could have, but did not, require reporting of long guns.
Then, the NSSF reminds Moran that it is the NSSF that speaks for the firearms industry.
Please allow me to correct another misunderstanding. The people who are really funding the NRA are its 4 million members. The NRA does not speak for the firearms industry. The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry – we, not the NRA, are the voice of our industry
Next, Keane points out that the new reporting requirement will make it harder for FFL’s to spot straw purchasers and proactively report them to ATF.
..the policy is ill-advised as it will actually make it more difficult for firearms retailers to cooperate with law enforcement, as illegal firearms traffickers quickly modify their schemes to circumvent the new reporting requirement. They can simply send a straw purchaser to multiple dealers, recruit more straw purchasers, spread out the purchases beyond five business days, or acquire firearms in non-border states. America’s firearms retailers, the very people ATF identifies as their “partners” and the first line of defense, will no longer be able to detect suspicious purchases and alert the proper authorities.
Finally, he discusses the decade-old “Don’t Lie For The Other Guy” program that NSSF has funded to the tune of $5 million dollars and then reminds Moran they sought his help for more funding to expand the program.
About a year ago, we visited your office to seek your help as a member of the Appropriations committee in securing grant funding for the Don’t Lie program so we could grow and expand the program and deliver its message throughout the country. Unfortunately, you did not provide the bipartisan leadership we had hoped for.
In other words, Jim Moran is not just an ignorant tool of the gun banners but a hypocrite as well. When he had the chance to help expand the Don’t Lie program, he took a pass.
Lest it be forgotten, during Operation Fast and Furious, firearms stores in Arizona reported the suspicious sales of firearms, requested that the sales be denied, and were specifically told to go through with the sales by ATF to what were obvious straw purchasers. The guns didn’t walk to Mexico because of FFLs; they walked under orders from ATF and DOJ.
Having reached the age where I need reading glasses to read this page as well as to see my front sights, I was very amused by Miguel’s latest at the Gun Free Zone about the Tactical Metrosexual.
You have seen the type: Dressed in Under Armour Black T-Shirts one size too small so the biceps (with the duty tribal tattoo) and other muscle groups are tightly defined. Oakley wraparound ballistic sunglasses that they never remove unless they are going to bed (But I bet they keep during sex), cargo pants…er… excuse me “tactical” pants in black or khaki and scuffed tan boots that scream “I was there” referring to their time as supply clerks in Iraq. At the range they’ll be carrying every piece of gear they can attach with MOLLE and more guns than a Latin Kings meeting in South Central LA. Their ultimate wet dream is to make the cover of SWAT magazine but they will settle for an insert in Soldier of Fortune.
It was written in reference to this post on another blog. Make sure to read Miguel’s full post.
I am solidly in Miguel’s camp on this one. I will admit to wearing Woolrich Covert Khakis. I find they are more comfortable than jeans and I’ll be damned if I’m going to wear “mom jeans”. I’ll leave those to the President.
UPDATE: I just saw this post on Tactical Fanboy. I think this is the appropriate camo for the well-dressed Tactical Metrosexual so they don’t have to wear old fat white guy BDU Woodland.
Crimson Trace won a Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence Award for their Lightguard. I have a Laserguard on my Ruger SR9c and like it. It was very easy to install and turns on when you grip the pistol. Now to find a custom holster for it.
Crimson Trace Wins Seventh Consecutive Academy of Excellence Award
(Bowling Green, KY) Crimson Trace’s new Lightguard™ platform garnered the coveted Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence award on Friday, adding one more win to the company’s already impressive track record. In front of around 300 industry peers, Lew Danielson CEO of Crimson Trace accepted the accolade for Best Self Defense Product on behalf of the company he founded 15 years ago.
Academy of Excellence award nominees are selected on the basis of innovation and quality, with individual members of the shooting industry voting for the products they consider to be the best in their field. The Lightguard system of pistol-mounted lights allows the user to positively identify their target in a low-light environment and is sufficiently lightweight and compact to allow for concealed carry. “It’s a great honor to accept this award on behalf of the hard-working folks at Crimson Trace,” said Danielson. “We’ve introduced many new products this year, building on our previous successes, but we still design and manufacture everything right here in the USA.”
The Lightguard platform fits popular models of Glock, Smith & Wesson and Springfield handguns and the company plans to introduce more models in the coming months. With a profile no wider or longer than the pistol’s slide and an impressive 100 lumen output, the Lightguard fits comfortably into a concealment holster and will run for 2 hours on one CR2 battery.
CORRECTION: My discussion was on the Laserguard while Crimson Trace won for the Lightguard. I have made corrections above. I do like my Laserguard.
As to the Lightguard, it seems to be a much smaller and easier activated light than other alternatives.
While I might argue that you can’t have too many 1911s (or Browning Hi-Powers), this is a one of a kind collector’s item for the ultimate John Moses Browning fan.
The Browning Mansion in Ogden, Utah is now on the market again. The price for the 8 bedroom, 3 bath home which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places is a mere $350,000. It has updated heating and cooling system and new carpeting.
For all we know, the ghost of JMB inhabits the home and will share some of his gun-designing genius with the new owner.
A post yesterday from “Noreaster” on the CleanUpATF.org forum pointed out that Acting Director Kenneth Melson may not have been as far out of the loop on Project Gunwalker as he is claiming in his testimony with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Read the post below regarding Mark and Vivian Michalic who are both officials with ATF. Mark Michalic is an ATF Agent seconded to Deputy Attorney General James Cole as his Special Assistant while his wife Vivian is Assistant Deputy Director for Management and the former Chief of Staff to Ken Melson. This points in my opinion to a direct up and down communication link between the highest levels of ATF and the highest levels of the Justice Department. This is definitely something that deserves more attention from the House Oversight Committee.
Interesting talk with a good source at 99 New York the other day made me particularly angry about Melson claiming that he had no idea what was going on in F & F, which most of us think is a lie or cleaver lawyer-speak about what “know” or “learned” means.
1. Did you know ATF has had an ATF agent at DOJ HQ for 2 years working at the Special Assistant to the Deputy Attorney General? I didn’t, but his name is Mark Michalic, formerly of the Intel directorate (OSII). My source tells me this was a hook up from Jim McDermond, the former Secret Service guy and head of ATF Intel who got sent to be the assistant director of Public and Government Affairs last year. Michalic (my source said he is a good guy and a Waco vet) has been there so long he has worked for or with most of the people on Issa/Grassley’s latest demand memo for DOJ emails.
2. Michalic reports to and talks to Melson, Hoover, Sarnacki and Pelletiere as the official and unofficial link to senior management at DOJ and there are LOTS of emails between them.
3. Michalic’s wife is Vivian Michalic, the current assistant director for ATF’s Office of Management but also Melson’s former chief of staff. That directorate controls all of the money, personnel (until recently) and administrative things inside ATF.
So it looks like acting director Melson, breeder of Portuguese water dogs and Captain Crunch stunt double – a guy more in the weeds than any other director we have ever had wants us to believe that even though he had the IP address of surveillance cameras, demanded briefings for he and Hoover weekly, had an AD and former chief of staff feeding him information from AND TO his connection in the DAG’s office, that he didn’t know what was going on? I think that is bull s###.
If the tactic is for Melson and Hoover to blame everyone above and below and try to claim they were poor misled executives, I pray Sen. Grassley and Rep. Issa will not be fooled. If you want to use Melson to beat the hell out of DOJ that is your political business, but 5000 employees in ATF deserve better than just that. Act with honor. Act with speed. Act with courage or go down in history as letting 10-15 lousy ATF employees destroy an important government agency and damage ATF’s fight against violent crime, a fight we do better than any other agency, even as screwed up as were are right now.
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