Holder's Justice Department declines to prosecute Holder for contempt

[Curtis Baillie]

Who didn't see this coming?

[Condo Guard]

The whole thing just stinks. Politics aside, it was a stupid plan - it didn't work in the past, and only arrogance on the part of those involved let them think it would work this time. Everybody involved who approved it or didn't object needs to be fired.
By the time the election rolls around and Congress (maybe) can decide to actually start getting some work done, it will be forgotten. Sad...

[SecTrainer]

Who didn't see this coming?

Exactly. The surprising story would have been "DOJ WILL Prosecute Holder".

That's why they also went ahead and tacked on the civil contempt charge - the Committee can initiate legal proceedings themselves in a civil proceeding to get a Federal judge to force Holder to comply with the demand for documents. On the other hand, Congress has no power to force Justice to prosecute on the criminal contempt charge. It seems they can have Holder arrested but they can't force prosecution. If true, this is weird beyond imagination.

Imagine on the local level if a grand jury returned a true bill against the DA for corruption and the DA's office then "declined to prosecute" the DA. I suppose it might have happened somewhere (everything imaginable has happened at one time or another), but what would normally happen is that the DA, being under indictment, would be suspended from his position, he would be arrested on formal charges, and an independent prosecutor not connected with his office - representing the State - would be appointed to handle the case. In other words, it would be yanked out of the county level and kicked up to the state. As a defendant in the state criminal courts, the DA would have no special standing whatsoever.

Unfortunately, there's no higher level to take Holder's criminal charge, and apparently Congress doesn't have the mojo to force the issue.

[SecTrainer]

The whole thing just stinks. Politics aside, it was a stupid plan - it didn't work in the past, and only arrogance on the part of those involved let them think it would work this time. Everybody involved who approved it or didn't object needs to be fired.
By the time the election rolls around and Congress (maybe) can decide to actually start getting some work done, it will be forgotten. Sad...

I don't think Chairman Issa is in any mood to let this be forgotten so easily - especially if something incriminating at high levels is found in the documents.

And it seems most likely to me that there must be something incriminating in these documents, because it would have been so easy for the White House to win this battle and tie a tin can around the Republicans' necks. All it would have taken would be producing the documents, and then saying, "See! We told you there was nothing in them!".

It makes no sense to me for Obama to back Holder's losing hand and involve himself so personally in the fracas by claiming Executive Privilege if the documents are either as "irrelevant" or as "innocent" as they want us to believe.

"Barry, show me your report card!"

"No! I claim Executive Privilege! This is a communication between me and my teacher!"

"Okay. Probably straight A's anyway, right?"

"That's right! Straight A's, believe me. Nothing incriminating!"

Uh-huh. Righteo, Barry. Tell you what, Barry. Come on out to the woodshed with me, 'cause I'm going to "exercise" a little Executive Privilege of a different kind.

[copelandamuffy]

What boils me is the Drive By News Media knows what's what
When does the bastards at NBC, the worse, get theirs!
David Brnkley and Chet Hunltley must be spinning in their graves of what was time a very good network
The proud peacock is dead