29 June 2011

Fast And Furiouser

Chicago's Top Cop Plays the Race Card

Chicago's new top cop, Garry McCarthy, played the race card at a Chicago church recently.  If you listen to the speech it almost makes sense.  Especially if you're black.  But a little analysis shows that McCarthy's diatribe was a classical piece of propaganda.  I was utterly disgusted. If you want to read why I think McCarthy (as well as Chicago's government) should be ashamed, read Of Racism and Gun Control on the Handgun Club website.

Fast and Furious picks up speed

This week things are moving along with the ATF "Fast and Furious" scandal - aka "Gunwalker".  This is the scandal by which the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms allowed over 2,500 weapons to be puchased and smuggled into Mexico and delivered to the ultra-violent drug cartels.

House Oversight committee chairman Darrell Issa went to Mexico over the weekend to seek their cooperation in his investigation.  Mexico is rightfully pissed off about the ATF scandal.  Not only did it provide guns to their worst violent groups, those guns likely killed hundred of Mexican citizens.  ATF guns were found to be involved in the brutal torture killing of the brother of the Jalisco state attorney general. 

Word now is that Kenneth Melson won't quietly let the Obama administration throw him under the bus.  Insiders say that the acting director has said he wasn't going to be "the fall guy".  This, of course, implicates someone higher up in DOJ was pulling his strings. 

The good news is that Senator Patrick Leahy, chair of the Senate Judiciary committee,  wrote a letter to Eric Holder on behalf of Senator Chuck Grassley.  In the letter he urged Holder to allow Melson to testify and for DOJ to release the documents Grassley has requested.  In return, Grassley would lift his blockade on three DOJ nominees.  This has been done  and Melson is expected to testify in July.

Developing story:  ABC-15 News is Phoenix is reporting that some of the ATF "Fast and Furious" guns are showing up in local crime now. This is new and would indicate that not every gun purchased by the straw-buyers went across the border.  So now the ATF has also allowed US criminals to obtain weapons in violation of US gun laws.  A follow-up story is due to be aired on Thursday.

Just For Fun
Ageless Darrell Issa?

This is just for fun. While looking at several photos of Rep. Darrell Issa (D-CA) who chairs the House Oversight Committee, I kept thinking he looked familiar somehow.  I mean, that I'd seen him someplace else.  Well, a little relaxation time helped.  I'd put in a DVD of the 1960's TV show Combat! which was always well written and acted.  And sure enough, that led me to looking a little closer at Darrell Issa.

Here is a composite comparison photo of Mr. Issa and actor Rick Jason, who played Lt. Gil Hanley on Combat for five seasons.  Mr. Jason was born Richard Jacobsen and described himself as "second-generation nouveau riche" and a born romantic.  He was an outdoorsman, hunter and marksman with a rifle.  Sadly, Rick died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2000. He was 77 years old. 

Perhaps it's just me, but I see a striking resemblance between the two men. The  noses, shape of the face, eyebrows, even the eyes. 

Is it possible that Mr. Issa is related to Rick Jason?  Mr. Issa is of Lebanese descent so it's quite possible there is some kind of family relation, however remote.  Or could Darrell Issa be one of Robert A. Heinlein's "Howard Family" members from Time Enough for Love?

Like I said, this is just for fun. I happened to notice the resemblance between the two.  But you can be the judge here and decide for yourself.

Comments? Questions? Suggestions?  Email Me!




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