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: