Now that the Republican-led House of Representatives has voted to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt, chances are, not much more will happen. The Justice Department, not surprisingly, has no interest in prosecuting the man who leads the Justice Department, and House GOP leaders intend to push the issue into the courts, where it could take years to resolve.
But there is one other avenue.
Associated Press
Two months ago, I warned that House Republicans, eager for drama, could try to create a bizarre constitutional crisis by telling the House Sergeant at Arms to try to arrest the Attorney General. It seems hopelessly outlandish, and exceedingly unlikely, but it's possible.
And of late last week, one House Republican was willing to at least raise the specter of such a crisis.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) on Friday raised the possibility that Attorney General Eric Holder could be placed under arrest now that he has been found in contempt of Congress.
"I find it hard and dramatic to do, but look we want to get to the bottom of this. We're serious about this. I don't think the Democrats thought we were serious to actually hold him in contempt, but this is a serious enough case," said Chaffetz on Fox News.
Chaffetz, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, told Fox News that there are three options moving forward -- going through the U.S. attorney, taking civil action or instructing the House sergeant at arms to "take control of the situation" with an arrest.
However, he acknowledged the House had received a letter from Department of Justice instructing the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia to not pursue legal action.
No U.S. Attorney is going to prosecute. The House GOP leadership is content to see what happens in court, but in this case, we have one fairly prominent House member who's still eyeing the constitutional crisis route.
I'd still be surprised if Republicans really pursued this, but the fact that Chaffetz is willing to talk like this, out loud and on national television, isn't reassuring.
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I don't really follow the whole 'Fast and Furious' "scandal" so I don't know but... do they actually have any charges against Holder? Anything concrete that's actually worthy of arresting him, or are they just sticking to the "he sold guns to Mexicans so he and Obama can destroy the 2nd Amendment!" thing?
If you really want to know what's going on, this is the best assessment of the non-scandal I've come across. http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2012/06/27/fast-and-furious-truth/ Happy reading.
Just wow.. A nation of morons soundly agreed that we should invade Iraq using the same complicit and institutionally challenged media engine, and that same nation of morons will take this blather just as seriously, especially because their moron in chief isn't yet calling the shots. Even potentially out of context, that guy's face has deception written across the hairline. Good times!
The Associated Press photo makes him look like just another GOTP wack-a-loo.
The GOP and Radical, Right-Wing Republicans and Tea Potty freaks are in this perpetual Jr. High School state of mind.
The emotional IQ of these people is so low it cannot even be measured, not to mention their mental IQ being stupendously challenged as well.
The most dangerous aspect of their presence in our society is that they are terrorists -- economic, religious, social, military and political terrorists.
How do we defend our country and our rights against this terrorism from within ?
VOTE THEM OUT !!!
And how many jobs has resulted from all this teapub bullpucky?
"...don't think the Democrats thought we were serious to actually hold him in contempt,..."
Actually Democrats didn't think you were crazy enough to go thru with this sham a of hearing on baseless charges! As Fast & Furious started under the Bush mis-administration it would seem as though it's a logical place to start - if you really wanted to get to "the truth" but that's so NOT what you people are after! Just as with Van Johnson, the GOTP's only trying to embarrass this President so that you all can keep him as a 1 term President!
VOTE OUT THE GOTP IN NOVEMBER! Re-ELECT PRESIDENT OBAMA!
I used to kind of like Chaffetz but he has become a suck up and continually only pushes 'ideas' that he thinks will help him with the crazies. Listen up Jason...it ain't gonna happen. First off, you have NOTHING to send Holder to jail for except your stupid contempt vote which will never hold up in the COURTS. You didn't find him in contempt for any blocking of any law but for not giving you information on what happened AFTER Holder found out about F&F. You are fishing, you didn't get it and you 'voted'. It was a CIRCUS and YOU KNOW IT. SHAME ON YOU!!!
I too have not followed F&F, but one would like to believe that while Republicans are persuing this issue, they can, in some measure, also be working on other critical issues and I don't mean the empty posturing over the SCOTUS ruling on ACA.
If you really want to know what's going on, this is the best assessment of the non-scandal I've come across. http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2012/06/27/fast-and-furious-truth/ Happy reading.
Oh, come on, GOP! It's an Olympic Year- go for the gold, and impeach Obama!
(Summer TeeVee is terrible, we some excitement. . .)
Hmmm, Republicans are ramping up violent rhetoric attacking the very legitimacy of a Democratic administration in the months ahead of a national election. Why am I not surprised?
Yes, by all means, arrest Holder for his imaginary crimes and allow Bush, Cheney, and every Wall Street CEO to continue walking about freely despite their very REAL crimes.
These people are unbelievable.
IOKIYAR
C'mon, give Holder a trial by jury, as is his right!
Put Issa and Boehner on the witness stand and make them say under oath what the hell they're doing. Then bring in Wayne LaPierre to testify.
Since you'd have to have a jury with no registered Republicans or Democrats, this would be a very interesting proceeding indeed.
what planet are these meshuggeners from, anyway? can they be re-programmed? how do they even get to any of their conclusions??????
Are the meshuggeners from the planet Chutzpah?
Someone is surprised that a Moron, er, I mean a Mormon wingnut is coming up with crap like this? For anyone who hasn't lived in the West, these people have always been trouble.
Who the F is Jason Chaffetz? Has anyone heard from this idiot before today? Seems these wannabes will stand up and say just about anything to try to get noticed.
First time I heard from this guy Chaffetz was the time when Pres. Obama walked straight into the GOP den at one of their luncheons and proceeded to spend an hour or so giving them a good spanking. Chaffetz offered up this gem to the Prez:
"I'm one of 22 House freshmen. We didn't create this mess, but we are here to help clean it up. You talked a lot about this deficit of trust. There's some things that have happened that I would appreciate your perspective on, because I can look you in the eye and tell you we have not been obstructionists."
Next time I spotted him was shortly after that, during a committee meeting where he was making such a pest of himself that Dennis Kucinich exasperatedly called him out to school him on the rules of committee meetings.
Not the brightest bulb.
The Republicans should actually be more intent on finding out the culprit who mercilessly beat Chaffetz with the ugly stick... It seemingly left its mark both outside, and inside.
Can the GOP be arrested under the Citizens United ruling?
If the Republicans arrested Holder, where would they jail him?
The DC jailhouse?
The basement of Congress?
The Koch bros. dungeon?