That took less than 24 hours. Jennifer Rubin has the exclusive news at the Washington Post. Lamar Smith is demanding answers. The speed in which this demand came out of the New Congress sends a message.
UPDATE: Jennifer Rubin's piece at the Washington Post notes that the letter is five pages long. It demands to know why the DOJ wants so much more money, and in this context demands answers on New Black Panthers and the unwillingness to enforce Section 8 of the NVRA. And Lamar Smith, according to Rubin, states the obvious: the DOJ has blown this matter from the moment Steven Rosenbaum and Loretta King became belligerent hacks toward Chris Coates, to the moment they could have just gotten the injunctions and moved on, to the time they could have just told the truth and confessed error. It is a textbook example how not to captain a ship, and how not to captain a ship that springs a leak. From Rubin's Washington Post piece:
"The letter is noteworthy on a number of levels. First, administration flacks and liberal bloggers have insisted that the New Black Panther Party case is much to do about nothing. But as Smith has correctly discerned, the issue of enforcement or non-enforcement of civil rights laws based on a non-colorblind view of those laws is serious and a potentially explosive issue for this administration. Second, Holder's strategy of stonewalling during the first two years of Obama's term may have backfired. Had he been forthcoming while Democrats were in the majority, he might have been able to soften the blows; Smith is not about to pull his punches. And finally, Smith is demonstrating the sort of restraint and big-picture focus that is essential for the Republicans if they are to remain credible and demonstrate their capacity for governance."
UPDATE TWO: A further review of Chairman Smith's letter reveals that Deputy Assistant Attorney General Julie Fernandes is also on Smith's radar. It is clear that she is now in the cross-hairs of the House Judiciary Committee, and that is a very unwelcome place to be in Washington D.C. One saw how Democrats running the House and Senate Judiciary Committee handled the DOJ in 2006-2008. Fernandes is the one who refuses to enforce Section 8 of Motor Voter to remove ineligible voters from the rolls. The piper wants to be paid.
UPDATE THREE: I discuss Smith's letter in greater detail at NewsReal here.
Posted by Christian Adams at January 6, 2011
Replies
Congress gets another atta boy.
Congress, keep in mind that five 'atta boys' get cancelled by one 'aw shit'.
Old Military Reward System.
Congress, please remember this Reward System.
You have three atta boys now. "Reading the Constitution"; "Challenging Place Holder"; "Challenging the Health Bill"
Not sure how the cancellation side works. It most probably is a rolling cancellation. Last Five get cancelled. But, you can have multiple cancellations in a row and can go negative fast.
Keep trying.
Results are what count.
We're still watching.
I'm liking that! Think positive everybody.
The same Lamar Smith is also wanting to investigate the Pigford Farm scandal?
I am lovin this Texan!
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