Thursday, March 10, 2011

In the aftermath of yesterday's "Big Day," some observations. Melson, like Cortez, burns his boats. The cavalry arrives, late and needing direction.



It is said that Spanish Conquistador Hernando Cortez, caught between the daunting forces of Montezuma and a mutiny among his own troops, scuttled and burned all his boats, save one small one for communication with Cuba. Thus did he quash the mutiny and direct all his soldiers' energies toward the task of defeating Montezuma.

ATF acting Director Melson, it seems, is burning his own boats. From an ATF source:

Word from the ATF executive staff caucus. Melson and Hoover have told Newell that they will back him to the end and that ATF’s position is, “we did nothing wrong”.


Of course this was on Monday, before yesterday's "Big Day." Let us recap, shall we?

From just the post headlines at Sipsey Street:

"The first Gunrunner rat is in." Is ATF Deputy Assistant Director for Intelligence Steve Martin rolling? Some agents seem to think so.

Mexican legislators demand US talks on gun scandal! All three major parties represented!

This just in: The Washington Post, rising from the dead, walks the Gunwalker walk and even mentions David and me! Well, not by name but reputation.

"Closing ranks and circling the wagons." "A major scandal." FOX News finally gets on the Project Gunwalker sidewalk.

CBS -- The Project Gunwalker questions under oath begin: Big Sis frying on Senator Grassley's Grill. She ain't done yet.

Finally! NRA weeniemobile finds a parking spot in the Project Gunwalker Scandal. "Welcome to the party, pal!' They're only a couple months late.

Okay, so I was over-optimistic about getting some sleep. One last post and it is a doozy: The House comes out swinging.

Okay, ad seriatim:

1. The cover-up is coming uncovered as more guilty players seek their own self-interest.

2. The Mexican political establishment and press is now united, demanding an explanation of the Project Gunwalker scandal.

3. The Washington Post finally deals seriously with Gunwalker in an article that, while full of meme defense, puts out the bare bones of the scandal where the DC Mandarins can see it. Major fact: something is not a DC concern for the Mandarins until the Post reports it.

4.FOX News finally got into the Gunwalker game with an excellent piece. This is important for getting the word out to people disposed to help us seek the truth on Gunwalker.

5. Senator Grassley hit Big Sis Napolitano with questions under oath about Gunwalker. And when he did, anal sphincters tightened in federal offices all over the country. Melson and his co-conspirators know that this is just the beginning and must have thought about what they're going to say when they get hauled before the Congress UNDER OATH.

6. The NRA finally showed up, demanding hearings.

7. A significant portion of House Republicans are now demanding answers. One of them, Lamar Smith of Texas, is perfectly positioned to call his own hearings.



To Melson and the other cover-up artists, this must look like the arrival of the seven sisters of doom.

For those of us who have been struggling to keep the story alive, this looks like a small, but crucial victory, especially the last two events. The NRA, late and lumbering, is now on the field. So too are the GOP congressmen. Still, some of this is going to look like a cavalry charge led by Jubilation T. Cornpone.

But even so, for all of the understandable frustration of us pathfinders who have been fighting surrounded for so long, for all of the derisive "Welcome to the party, pal!" taunts, to this soldier who has been in it since the beginning the cavalry looks, at this moment, pretty damn good. It will, however, be up to y'all -- you NRA members and Congresscritter constituents -- to keep these new troops focused and all charging in the right direction.

To Melson and Company, on the other hand, after the "Big Day" it must be starting to look like Little Big Horn. We'll see how many decide to figuratively die with him on this hill, and how many decide that now is the time hop ship back to Havana.

Mike Vanderboegh
The alleged leader of a merry band of Three Percenters

And for those of you who don't understand the Jubilation T. Cornpone reference, from Li'l Abner:

6 comments:

John Robert Mallernee, KB3KWS, in Vernal, Utah said...

Mr. Vanderboegh:

I remember watching this on our black and white television when I was a kid.

I just checked the NETFLIX web site, and I selected it for my "SAVED" queue, which in reality, means they don't have that movie (I think).

Aw, shuckin's!

Thank you.

John Robert Mallernee
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Gulfport, Mississippi 39507

Anonymous said...

Your best post ever. From Cortez to Lil' Abner -- what a wonderful example of the power of new media. We need a Pulitzer Prize for this kind of reporting, and you should win the very first one. Just awesome!

Anonymous said...

"Melson and Hoover have told Newell that they will back him to the end..."

Such promises are worthless.

Circa 1972: Presidental candidate George McGovern declares support for his politically (and psychologically) damaged Vice-Presidental selection, Tom Eagleton, with the famous declaration, "I back Eagleton 100%--no, 1000%."

Almost immediately thereafter, Eagleton was dropped from the ticket in favor of Sargent Shriver. Nixon went on to win 49 states.

It looks a lot like Newell is being set up to take the fall. ;^)

MALTHUS

Anonymous said...

Of course you cannot be mentioned by name by the MFM. Doing so would recognize that you and David have more credibility with folks than those so-called news organizations.

Congratulations to you and David for helping bring this atrocity to the forefront of America's consciousness. It is a wonderfully glorious sight to behold, watching all these rats scurry for cover and their apologists trip over themselves to spin the story for their purposes.

Without depreciating the tragedy that is Agent Terry's family's loss (as well as countless Mexican lives, no doubt), or diminishing the rightful outrage, I nervously anticipate and giggle at the daily developments.

Lest anyone late to the party forget: this is not about some simple bureaucratic lapse in judgment or bungle at the hands of idiots.

This is about an agency of the U.S. government conspiring and actively participating in breaking the laws of the United States. (The ATF had to approve these transfers to known or suspected straw buyers.)

Oh, behold the irony of the fact all this was brought about by renegade RKBA activists or militia folks. You must have their heads spinning.

Good on you two.

Dean Carder said...

Love him or hate him, he has a huge radio audience, Michael Savage commented on the Gunwalker travesty in last nights program. Keep up the good work!

Bad Cyborg X said...

What teeth does the congress have? Who would prosecute any perjury? The DOJ??? REALLY?????

THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN! THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH NO LONGER EVEN PAYS LIP SERVICE TO THE RULE OF LAW! From where I sit it appears that it is the Dems in Congress who are paying "lip service" to the executive branch - with SCOTUS waiting in the wings to bat "clean up". When SCOTUS had an opportunity to SETTLE the eligibility issue last week IT PUNTED!

Let's see:
Weapons acquired? check
Training on weapons? on going
Foodstuffs stockpiled? in process
Storm shelter? check

Bastards.

Bad Cyborg
Ignorance is correctable. Stupidity is permanent - and (thankfully) frequently terminal!