The Dam Breaks. Oh, Gunwalker, where is thy sting? Melson and his popcorn. The meeting of Obama's Gunwalker capos & "a goin' jessie."

For those who have been paying attention, the Gunwalker conspirators' cover-up has been reduced to a tattered piece of underwear that wouldn't cover Weiner's little wiener.

First, the testimony of the ATF agents at the hearing today demonstrated that there was no "sting", thus there could not have been a "botched sting." What there was, it seems, was a program to encourage straw purchases and smuggling, but no "sting" by any known meaning of that word. Which begs the question, why? Issa, nettled by Cummings' complaints of a "political agenda" responded by asking if the entire purpose of allowing large numbers of weapons into Mexico didn't itself serve a political purpose? Meaning, of course, further restrictions on American firearm rights. Precisely.

Second, the the Melson emails, released by the Committee, show that the Acting Director was "very much in the weeds" of Gunwalker, with at least weekly briefings and his own Internet access to the webcams situated at the Lone Wolf Trading Company.

From the Committee press release:

Moments ago in his opening statement at today’s hearing, Operation Fast and Furious: Reckless Decisions, Tragic Outcomes, Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) released three e-mails detailing the intimate involvement of ATF Acting Director Kenneth Melson and Acting Deputy Director Bill Hoover in Operation Fast and Furious:

-The first e-mail from March 10, 2010, to Operation Fast and Furious Group VII Leader David Voth indicates that the two most senior leaders in ATF, Acting Director Kenneth Melson, and Deputy Director Billy Hoover, were “being briefed weekly on” Operation Fast and Furious. The document shows that both Melson and Hoover were “keenly interested in case updates.”

- A second e-mail from March 12, 2010, shows that Deputy Assistant Director for Field Operations William McMahon was so excited about Fast and Furious that he received a special briefing on the program in Phoenix - scheduled for a mere 45 minutes after his plane landed.

-A third - and perhaps the most disturbing – e-mail from April 12, 2010, indicates that Acting Director Melson was very much in the weeds with Operation Fast and Furious. After a detailed briefing of the program by the ATF Phoenix Field Division, Acting Director Melson had a plethora of follow-up questions that required additional research to answer. As the document indicates, Mr. Melson was interested in the IP Address for hidden cameras located inside cooperating gun shops. With this information, Acting Director Melson was able to sit at his desk in Washington and – himself – watch a live feed of the straw buyers entering the gun stores to purchase dozens of AK-47 variants.

Ken Melson exerts headquarters oversight in the Gunwalker scandal.

Melson undoubtedly sat at his desk and watched the gunwalking in real time. You've got to wonder if he had his secretary pop some popcorn. Melson now has a choice, roll or take the fall. And it is a fall that, according to my sources, increasingly looks like it might involve some prison time.

Third, John Solomon's blockbuster that there was a meeting in October 2009 involving representatives at the highest levels of various agencies from whence Gunwalker first toddled. A comprehensive list of the people at that meeting just might bring the entire rotten edifice down upon the conspirators. Don't think that Issa's people aren't keenly interested in that list, and the notes taken and memos issued.


FBI Director Robert Mueller. He was at the October 2009 meeting. I think Issa should subpoena him and ask him about the Terry murder cover-up.

Folks, we're just gettin' started. As they say up in Winston County, the Gunwalker Scandal is now "a goin' jessie."