Is Salazar the New Holder?
In April, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee unleashed on Attorney General Eric Holder for a litany of sins that had surfaced before one committee or another and made the Obama appointee a household name through cable news, talk radio, and the blogosphere.
“The pattern of pushing partisan ideology rather than neutrally enforcing the law began nearly as soon as the Administration took office and has continued unabated since,” the report from Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) stated, launching into criticism of Holder’s handling of Operation Fast and Furious, legal action against Arizona’s SB 1070 immigration law, challenging states’ voter ID laws, blocking congressional inquiries, offering shady counsel on recess appointments, etc.
Last month, Holder became the first sitting Cabinet member to be held in contempt of Congress.
Pushing the administration’s agenda. Not cooperating with committee investigations. Jeopardizing American values and the rule of law. The charges against Holder aren’t unique to the attorney general.
It brings to mind the question: Scandal-wise, congressional spotlight-wise, and perhaps soon headline-wise, is Interior Secretary Ken Salazar the new Holder?
The Interior Department has become synonymous with evading congressional requests in the investigation of how the Obama administration bent scientific reports to support its drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico after the BP oil spill. The department’s inspector general who was supposed to ensure oversight of that process is even being investigated herself on allegations that she tampered with a probe of the moratorium.
Sens. David Vitter (R-La.), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas) won a request for the Integrity Committee of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency to investigate Acting IG Mary Kendall. She has also been called to testify before the House Natural Resources Committee on Aug. 2.
In shades of the DOJ, the Interior Department has responded to committee requests for specific documents with blacked-out paragraphs and entire pages of redacted information, all while claiming to have answered the panel’s requests with “nearly 2,000 pages of documents.”
And when five witnesses linked to the Gulf drilling moratorium were asked to testify before the Natural Resources Committee this week, the Interior Department refused to confirm that it would make those officials available to Congress despite multiple inquiries from the committee. Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) was forced to cancel yesterday’s scheduled hearing, to be rescheduled sometimes after the August recess.
“There is a clear pattern of actions by the Interior Department to withhold information and answers on the Administration’s falsely edited report and decision to impose a Gulf drilling moratorium that cost thousands of jobs, inflicted widespread economic harm and restricted American energy production,” said Hastings.
“The Department is refusing to comply with a Congressional subpoena for documents and now they refuse to make key individuals in the Department available for on-the-record questioning,” he added. “This investigative hearing will happen and will be rescheduled to ensure cooperation.”
But this is far from the only taint on President Obama’s Interior Department.
Ken Salazar, a former Democratic senator and attorney general of Colorado, was brought into the fold early by Obama’s transition team.
Since then, his department has been held in civil contempt for refusing to comply with an injunction against the offshore drilling moratorium and has spun the administration line about domestic energy production being up while simultaneously cutting back on oil and gas exploration on federal lands — with leasing falling to the lowest amount of acreage in 20 years.
Then there was the Fish and Wildlife Service’s drastic cutback of water to cities and farms in California’s San Joaquin Valley in deference to a tiny threatened fish, based on an environmental study that a federal judge ruled in 2010 to be “arbitrary” and “capricious” junk science.
“There’s plenty of scandal to go around in this administration,” Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who represents the valley, told PJM. “With Eric Holder, you have a major scandal with Fast and Furious, which has resulted in numerous deaths. And it is inexcusable that Holder is defying Congressional requests to turn over documents that could explain how this misguided operation was conceived and implemented.”
“As for Ken Salazar, he is a fully owned subsidiary of the environmental lobby,” Nunes continued. “This is evident in the plight of my district’s farmers, who have had much of their water supply cut off and are being forced off their land due to federal environmental regulations that can accurately be described as anti-human.”
The Valley farmers aren’t the only Californians to be bullied under Salazar’s watch. The Drakes Bay Oyster Company was accused of having an adverse impact on harbor seals at Point Reyes, data “selectively” slanted, in the words of the National Research Council, by Pacific West regional director of the National Park Service Jon Jarvis.
Yeah, you lay out a great case here, Ms. Johnson. I think he’s banking everything on the Stetson. But is it clear that his actual stewardship in 100% Berkley. I think he needs a tie-dye to go with that western wear of his.
Salazar can’t be a new “Holder”, as Holder is still in place in his job as the Attorney General. It is worse. Salazar is another “Holder”, also at work undermining our Constitutional Republic. Holder is now making life miserable for ATF Agent John Dodson who blew the whistle on Operation Fast and Furious, after Congress told him specifically not to retaliate. There should be more news out on that action.
I hope the Republicans have the courage to prosecute this criminal if they get control again.
Bam’s management style seems to be to hire the biggest nut he can find, and then totally ignore him or her while they rush to impose their pet fascist atrocities on the American people.
If anybody says anything, and why would the republicans say anything when the gravy train is overflowing for them as much as everybody else in gubamint, his approach is to igore it, shuffle papers for years, and then whine about executive privilege. The criminal seems to have gubamint figgered out fairly well. Looks like the inability to form a grammatical sentence doesn’t impact his ability to cause the most damage in the shortest period of time possible.
Anything more would take time from the permanent party he seems to be enjoying at our expense. No doubt the drugs are a whole lot better now than they were in the choom gang days.
I started work on a blog post a few weeks ago entitled “Quien es el mas malo”, the point being to decide who was the worst person in the Obama Cabinet. Holder was the clear winner, but it was close between Salazar and others. I finally gave up and threw up my hands in disgust.
For Biblical scholars, the “Man of Lawlessness” will surely come to mind as an adjective phrase, if not a fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
His brother John was so crooked that voters in a heavily Dem area were disgusted enoth to throw him out. Seems to be a family trait.
Fear not … the reformation has already begun. I’m happy to see corruption being exposed and called out; thanks for that Bridget Johnson; “it’s up to us now Hamish!”.
The mass majority of this country will never be made aware of these endless scandals. The MSM is completely controlled by the Progressives. As long as they continue to controll all information, there will never be enough outcry for change. What information is out there has been spun as partisan attacks because we are all “racist”.
Nothing will come of all this as long as Obama has complete control over the DOJ, the Senate, the MSM and it appears the Supreme Court. One more term for Obama and I can assure you the Progressives will have the majority rule with SCOTUS and the Constitution and Peoples Law will be no more.
Salazar and the rest of the Obama herd will be packing their things in a few months. President Romney will fix our broken country.
The names are interchangeable. As long as they’re Obama appointees, each and every one of them is a lying, self serving, traitorous skunk and should be fined then sent to prison along with half the joint chiefs of staff.
43 peaceful transfers of power. A large part of that has been that we don’t go after the departing members of government. And a large part of that was that egregious behavior was addressed when it came to light. The Obama administration refuses to police it’s own, so yes, after Jan 21, the ex-officials will be investigated and in all probability prosecuted. Which endangers the Republic, because if you know you are going to prison when you leave office, you will do just about anything to stay in office.
Obama is either stupid or indifferent. Or he has no plans to ever leave office. And I am no longer sure of which it is.
When Dear Leader came on board I predicted he would go down as America’s Salvador Allende (the Chilean Marxist who won the presidency in a three-way election in 1970, went spectacularly hard-left and tried to usurp constitutional power and make himself a dictator. General Pinochet only took him down in 1973 after both the Judiciary and the Legislature called for Allende’s ouster).
Some of us were indulging in lurid speculation that Bill Clinton would try something like this. I thought it over-the-top at the time, but I don’t dare put anything past Obama. I fear the weeks after the November election are going to be the most crucial in our nation’s history since the Civil War. I pray it does not come down to who the men with guns obey.
Surely you must realize by now that no one cares what the current, record breaking unpopular congress does or says anymore. It is perfectly predictable who they will hold in contempt, and almost no one cares. The credibility of US political party pronouncements on almost any topic is vanishingly close to zero.
Are tar and feathers environmentally-friendly?
“Not the final issue by far is the 5-year offshore drilling plan that shrinks the access area for energy production to the smallest amount in the history of 5-year plans”.
Any questions as to what type of government issues 5 years plans folks?
Ya, I knew you guys were smart enough to see that too.
is the stetson meant to hide the white guy with a hispanic surname?
First Holder, now Salizar. Question, is there any cabinet department in this entire administration that is not overun with leftist idealogues and hopelessly corrupt and rife with cronyism. I had thought that perhaps the national security establishment was free of the Obama taint, but now after the leaking scandal even they are suspect.
The BLM under the corrupt salazr is also violated the 1971 Wild Horse and Burro act that mandates they protect them. This creep repeatedly violates this law and is directly responsible for the death and injury of many of America’s wild mustangs including pregnant mares and new born foals. I work with a mustang rescue and see the effects of his policy on a reguar basis.
The one thing that is truly by-partisan from the Washington DC cesspool, is corruption.
Congress has to take there power back. Obama is now a king and does as he pleases. With a complacent media to swoon over the crease in his pants; N.Y. Times. Its like living in Bizarro World. We need to take our country back by force Now!
The OBAMA CABINET apparently has only met with ObAMA once this year according to a recent statement I have heard.
It is probably an intentional approach to advancing the “RADICAL AGENDA” to “TRANSFORM MAMERICA”.
The strategy seems to me to allow Obama to stay above the actions of his Cabinet member’s departments and keep each department isolated from the others so as not to allow any jurisdictional issues or conflicts arise when one department’s rules or orders or actions affect another’s area.
Interior and energy and EPA, for example, are all adversely using their powers to deny domestic energy to Americans. Any jurisdictional questions might interfere AND DELAY pace of the debilitating steps being taken by all three.
Holder is clearly the most “contemptable” towards Congress( and the House yas so decared) but in fact,- the entire Executive branch has contempt for Congress.
With the cooperation of ex Speaker Nancy Pelosi and still majority leader Reid and the Senate Democrats who follow their leader with out even reading some of the legislation they have passed– continue to protect all of His Cabinet appointees.
THE EXECUTIVE CABINET DEPARTMENTS OF DEFENSE, HOME LAND SECURITY, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, ENERGY AND EDUCATION ALL HAVE ACTED WITH LITTLE ATTENTION TO THE LAWS CONGRESS HAS PASSED AND PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS HAVE SIGNED. THEY SEEM NOT TO CARE AT ALL IF WHAT THEY DO IS IN CONFLICT WITH OUR CONSTITUTION.
OF COURSE-
IF THE PRESIDENT CAN DECLARE THE SENATE IN RECESS AND MAKE A RECESS APPOINTMENT WHEN THE SENATE IS SPECIFICALLY ACTING TO PREVENT RECESS or initiate military action against lybia, with no congressional involvement at all-
WHAT OTHER CONCLUSION CAN ONE CCOME TO BUT THAT THE ENTIRE EXECUTIVE BRANCH from the president von vdown — ACTS IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS.
BY THE WAY – back in my school days it was stressed that THE Legislatve BRANCH – I.E. CONGRESS IS ELECTED IN EVERY INDIVIDUAL STATE TO PROVIDE A VOICE OF THE ENTIRE COUNTRY in making laws ( not regulations or executive orders – TO GOVERN. HENCE THETHEY ARE THE PEOPLE’S REPRESENTATIVE’S; SO A CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS IS INDEED A CONTEMPT OF THE PEOPLE BY THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF THE “GOVERNMENT FOR THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE”.
THIS HAS BEEN A DISGRACE3FUL AND CORRUPT ADMINISTRATION AND THE MAINSTREAM MEDIAS HAS TOTALLY FAILED IT’S 5TH ESTATE ROLE TO INFORM THE PEOPLE WHEN IT’S GOVERNMENT OVERSTEPS IT’S AUTHORITY.
Very well said . This insanty in the Obama administration is enough to drive one over the edge with anger. Day after day Americans are suffering with this knowledge , there is literally no recourse , other than this . Were it not for the lying media , Obama would have long ago been ran out of Washinton with pitch forks . It’s astounding the depth of destruction happening with many any the country believing otherwise . When one try’s to tell an Obama supporter the facts , they attack. Maybe there’s some truth to a story I saw which described how Obama literally hypnotized millions in 2008 ? God Bless the USA.
#11 Albert: “…..no one cares what the current, record-breaking congress does or says anymore…..” That is well said; what is the current approval rating of Congress? Something like 9% ?
The author quotes Rep. ‘Doc’ Hastings: “cost thousands of jobs, inflicted widespread economic harm, restricted American energy production.” What a bunch of pious crock & baloney! Three energy companies that I own shares in cut their dividends so far this year. Reasons are the glut of natural gas and a growing amount of oil; imports are down, cars run more efficiently and for longer time periods. Last year, the US was a net exporter of petroleum based products for the first time since the early 1960s.
And I have difficulty seeing what all the hoopla is now about Gulf drilling. In 2008, the Bush Administration offered a million + unleased acres in the Gulf and got almost no takers. Maybe industry is figuring out they don’t have to worry about hurricanes in places like N. Dakota and Montana.