Stupid Bureaucrats That Backfired

Acting ATF Director to resign

Rick Moran

Like a good little soldier, acting ATF director Kenneth Melson is apparently ready to fall on his sword to save the behind of higher ups - specifically, his ultimate boss, Attorney General Eric Holder.

By offering up Melson's head, the administration is hoping the Fast and Furious buck stops there. If Rep. Darrell Issa has anything to say about it, that won't happen.

The committee's chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, called the operation "felony stupid." As many as 2,000 semiautomatic rifles reached the hands of cartels as a result, and Issa said the top two ATF officials were briefed on the program regularly.

In Mexico, the case has drawn nationwide attention and sharp criticism from top officials, who have long stressed that U.S. weapons are fueling the country's drug war.

The Mexican attorney general's office demanded a quick U.S. investigation of the matter in March and said authorities must hold accountable anyone who was responsible for the operation.

"As the United States government has signaled, the government of Mexico was not informed of any operation that would include the controlled transport of weapons to Mexico," the office said.

There have been some conspiracy theories about this program circulating on the right that the operation was some kind of stealth attempt to scare the American people into supporting gun control -- a spectacular charge with absolutely no proof. It's not that it's impossible, just very unlikely. As Carl Sagan used to say about ET, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof." In this case, there is only weak circumstantial evidence and wishful thinking.

Fast and Furious was a cockamamie idea dreamed up by stupid bureaucrats that backfired. Melson should go, as should Holder. And those who are responsible for allowing the gun that killed the border agents should be tried and sent to jail.