Holder Denies Guilt Over "Fast And Furious"

By Adrianna McGinley

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder today condemned federal officials for authorizing controversial “gun-walking” tactics under Operation Fast and Furious, but told lawmakers he is committed to investigating and holding accountable those responsible.

“I think that I acted in a responsible way by ordering the Inspector General investigation,” Holder said to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “On the basis of that report and any other information that is brought to my attention, those people who did make mistakes will be held accountable.”

Holder called the Operation “flawed in its concept and flawed in its execution.” He said that its impacts will be felt for years to come since many guns that ATF agents allowed to be purchased and carried across the U.S. border into Mexico are still unaccounted for and some continue to appear at cartel crime scenes.

“This should never have happened, and it must never happen again,” Holder said.

While admitting that there were grave mistakes made during Fast and Furious, Holder said it was in fact “a flawed response to, not the cause of” illegal gun flow into Mexico and the violence that results.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) asked Holder if he has or would like to apologize to the family of deceased Border Patrol Agent Brian Terr, who was murdered last December. Weapons discovered at the crime scene were traced back to Fast and Furious.

“I certainly regret what happened,” Holder replied. “It is not fair, however, to assume that the mistakes that happened in Fast and Furious directly led to the death of Agent Terry.”

Holder pledged that the Department of Justice is committed to punishing Mexican drug cartel members who have murdered American citizens. He also said that his agency is working with the Mexican government to curtail the violence caused by the cartels. To that point, Holder expressed concern that Republicans in Congress have proposed cutting DOJ’s budget for the coming fiscal year.

“Those proposed cuts are simply unacceptable and place this nation at risk…We are enjoying historically low crime rates…[DOJ cuts] put at risk the possibility that these historically low rates will not remain there forever.”

Holder suggested Congress take into consideration testimony from whistleblower agents who have called on Congress to support the fight against illegal weapons being trafficked into Mexico.

Health Insurance Mandates Unconstitutional, Says Republican Poe

By Justine Rellosa
Talk Radio News Service

Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) fully supports Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s decision to legally challenge recently passed healthcare reform.

“The federal government has overreached its authority and Texans, like the majority of Americans, have had enough. Attorney General Abbott has my full support and I will continue to fight to uphold the Constitution for the people of the great state of Texas,” said Poe in a statement released on Thursday.

Earlier this week, Poe introduced HR. 4904, a bill that would prohibit Congress from using federal funding to fund mandates requiring Americans to purchase health insurance or pay a fine. In December 2009, Poe filed a similiar piece of legislation challenging the constitutionality of any bill requiring citizens to purchase goods or services as a condition of citizenship.

“Nowhere in our Constitution does it give the federal government the authority to force us to buy anything,” said Poe.

Poe said he wants his constituents to know that he will fight to repeal the new law vigorously, and will ensure that Congress follows the laws of the country.

Democrat Lee To Texas Attorney General: Shame On You!

By Chingyu Wang
Talk Radio News Service

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) accused attorneys general who have filed suit against the "Patient Protection and Affordable Act" of treating sick Americans as second class citizens.

"The lawsuits remind me of the approach that was taken as the Civil Rights Movement was able to exercise its authority," said Lee. "State rights activists wanted to use the Commerce Clause then. African American were second class citizens. Now, sick Americans seem to be second class citizens. So I would say to them, shame on them...to use these kinds of tactics to marginalize and permanently declare there is a second class status for Americans who happen to sick," scolded Lee.

Lee took a swipe at Texas Attorney General (AG) Greg Abbott, one of 13 AG's across the U.S. that claim the new law is unconstitutional, accusing him of "seeking to circumvent Federal law because he is of the opposite political party."

The AG's are challenging that a provision within the law that requires individuals and businesses to purchase health insurance or else pay a fine violates the nation's 10th Amendment.

Lee, however, said "the Federal government has the authority to legislate a health insurance mandate under the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution...Congress can avoid legal challenges related to the 10th Amendment and states' rights by pre-empting state insurance laws and implementing the mandate on a federal level."

"Why, when you have a bill that will provide 100% Medicaid reimbursement the first year, 95% the second year and 90% the third year, are you suggesting that your states will lose billions or millions of dollars?" Lee asked. "Why do you rebut and refute the opportunity for relief."

In VA-35, Both Campaigns Predict Tight Race

The race to replace 35th District Delegate and Democratic Attorney General candidate Steve Shannon is within a 2-point margin – or at least it was two weeks ago, according to polls conducted for Republican candidate Jim Hyland.

Hyland’s margin, described by his campaign manager Kevin Conroy as “within the margin of error,” reflects a tightening of the race since a July benchmark poll, when pollsters Barry Zeplowitz and Bill Lee of TelOpinion Research indicated in a confidential memo posted on Hyland’s website that Hyland held a 7-point lead 43 percent to 36 percent lead, with 21 percent undecided. The memo did not indicate the size of the sample or whether “likely voter” filters were used.

Read more at Collins on Politics

Top Court: Ashcroft, Mueller Not Liable For Muslim Civil Rights Violations

By Jonathan Bronstein, Talk Radio News Service

Shortly after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. government allowed law enforcement officials to arrest people of “high interest” according to race, religion, or national origin, according to Javaid Iqbal, a Pakistani citizen who was placed in a maximum-security prison in early 2002.

Iqbal claimed that the government’s decision violated his civil rights and he sued former U.S. Attorney General John Aschcroft and Robert Mueller, then-Director of the FBI.

Today, the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision written by Justice Kennedy, ruled against Iqbal.

Kennedy wrote that Iqbal’s initial filings did not provide enough information to automatically find Ashcroft and Mueller responsible for the abuses he suffered while being held.

The case will now return to the lower courts, where Iqbal may have a chance to substantiate his claim that he was subjected to harsh conditions on account of his religion and nationality, and that Ashcroft and Mueller were the “principle architects” of this plan.

Four Justices dissented, and in an opinion written by Justice Souter agreed with the lower courts' findings that Ashcroft and Mueller did violate his civil rights and could therefore be held responsible.