Operation Fast and Furious should have been brought up in Arizona’s debate. I’ve no idea how you can have a debate in a border state that is being sued by the Obama administration for enforcing its immigration laws and yet not discuss this issue. The fault belongs to CNN and the politicians. Yes, the politicians could have easily brought it up. They’re big boys. That’s the thing that separates us from the left: We don’t have to be told what to do. They didn’t have to go on and on about contraception! Representative Ron Paul said Attorney General Eric Holder should not only resign, but should also be criminally charged! Senator Rick Santorum said if he was president he would fire Mr. Holder and not allow him to resign. Governor Mitt Romney demanded Mr. Holder resignation. Speaker Newt Gingrich said Mr. Holder should be fired.
This is from an op-ed by Representative Darrell Issa. [Bold my emphasis]
Conceived by the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives — a Justice Department agency — Fast and Furious began in November 2009 after calls by Justice officials to focus resources on Mexican drug cartel leaders rather than low-level straw buyers.
And yet NONE of them brought it up. The debate was in Mesa, about 25 minutes from PHOENIX! The program started in PHOENIX! Not only did it start in Phoenix, but Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was murdered in Arizona by a person using a gun from Fast & Furious. That gun was bought in a gun store in Glendale, Arizona. Do you see where I’m going with this? Operation Fast and Furious and Arizona are tied together. You cannot separate the two.
The website Truth About Guns has a list of where Fast & Furious guns were found.
Three hundred and seventy-two guns have been recovered in America — two hundred and forty-two of those guns in Arizona alone. So why was Operation Fast and Furious not brought up in this debate? Rep. Paul got so incredibly close to it, but he didn’t take the extra step and the others didn’t pick up on it. Rep. Paul in his answer about the pill said, “I think it’s sort of like the argument — conservatives use the argument all the time about guns. Guns don’t kill, criminals kill.” IDEAL LEAD IN!! This was the absolute superb time to get off the pill (no pun intended) and get to an issue that is actually important. Last December Sharyl Attkisson at CBS uncovered documents that prove the ATF was using this operation for more gun control laws!
After that debacle an audience member asked the candidates how their administration would secure our border and protect the American people. Great! Perfect!! I can think of a GREAT way to protect the American people: How about not running an operation that puts guns in the hands of already incredibly dangerous criminals like the Mexican drug cartels? Just a thought. Nope. Instead the candidates talked about a fence and reforming our immigration system. Those are fine answers, but we wanted to hear about Operation Fast and Furious. My timeline was blowing up with people begging for someone to talk about Fast and Furious. Here are a few examples.
Representative Paul Gosar from Arizona was in the audience and I asked him about how Fast and Furious was ignored during the entire debate:
“While it is frustrating that the media keeps ignoring Fast and Furious, I was infuriated that CNN chose to ignore it at a debate hosted in Arizona where this failed operation was run. It is our neighbors, families and law enforcement that were been used as pawns in this gun walking program which put thousands of firearms in the hands of dangerous Mexican cartel gang members. We must continue to demand answers from Attorney General Holder and the Obama administration but we also need to make certain that the current presidential candidates give assurances that upon election in 2012 they will continue see that justice is served for those responsible.”
Hey GOP candidates! The people who are voting for you in the primary want to know how you would handle a Department of Justice allowing guns to walk and purposely end up in the hands of Mexican drug cartels. Those in Congress also need to know you will have their backs. Hey media! Ask the candidates questions about Fast & Furious! We voters care about this topic NOT birth control! It’s embarrassing for all involved that such a major subject was missed … or purposefully avoided.
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