Holder says contempt vote wasn't about documents, it was about Obama

AP Photo/Susan Walsh

(CBS News) Attorney General Eric Holder granted his first interview since being held in contempt of Congress last week and suggested the vote was more about the Justice Department's policies on hot button issues than it was about the "Fast and Furious" scandal.

"I've become a symbol of what they don't like about the positions this Justice Department has taken," Holder told The Washington Post in an interview Monday.

"I am also a proxy for the president in an election year. You have to be exceedingly naive to think that vote was about...documents."

House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., led the investigation into the "Fast and Furious" scandal, where the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives let 2,000 guns "walk" away with hopes of tracing them to high up Mexican drug cartels. The sting operation was considered by many to be a failure, especially after two of the guns were found near the body of a dead Border Patrol agent.

Complete coverage of Fast and Furious

Issa demanded that Holder hand over Justice Department documents on the operation, but Holder refused. The vote occurred last Thursday, and made Holder the first sitting member of a president's cabinet to be held in contempt.

Related: White House: Holder won't be prosecuted for contempt

"It's a sad indication of where Washington has come, where policy differences almost necessarily become questions of integrity," Holder told the Post.

Despite Holder's claims, Issa told the Post that Holder "can say over and over that this is all about him, but that isn't true."

All of this being said, Holder said he has no plans to step down.

"If anything, it made me more determined to stay and to continue to fight for the things that I think are important," Holder said.

[marychgo]

What part of "ongoing criminal investigation" and "protecting the identity of informants" do you NOT understand? Eric Holder and any OTHER Attorney General has, not a RIGHT, but an OBLIGATION to refuse to release documents that would interfere with an ongoing criminal investigation or with protecting informants' identities. Not to mention the fact that he's already released 7,600 pages of documents requested under the Committee's subpoenas.

Why is it that you (and Issa) are hysterical about the 1,400 guns F&F lost track of but don't care at all about the OTHER 66,000 U.S. guns that found their way into the hands of the drug cartels? That DOES tend to lead others to question the sincerity of your concern!

[jeninpenn]

Let's get this straight. Holder is holding tight to the documents because he doesn't want to compromise an "ongoing criminal investigation," and he's concenrned with "protecting the identity of informants"....Wow...I've got a bridge in Brooklyn you might be interested in purchasing....
Maybe I shouldn't be so cynical, but I can't help it. I've been disappointed in politicians and officials too many times.

[vparmleyusa]

It has to make you wonder, just what is in the requested documents? All Eric Holder had to do to avoid being held in contempt was to provide the requested documents. He chose to be held in contempt (which is a huge deal) rather than release the documents. So, would the information in the documents have been more harmful to Holder than being held in contempt? Just what is in those documents?
Lots of activities in Washington are solely about politics. But not this. This is about finding answers and justice for the family of the slain officer Terry.

AG holder can blame it all on politics. But again, I ask the question: Why not just release the documents?

[MurdochSucks]

Holder is the FIRST sitting AG to be held in contempt. He is correct, you really do have to be exceeding naive not to think this is a political stunt. What has been done, is not as bad as what most AGs get away with, and the Republicans are simply trying to drag Holder, and by proxy Obama down. Why don't they concentrate on creating jobs, instead of wasting my money on these silly charades!

[TimeToEvolve]

Because they are Republicons and they have no freakin idea how to govern. And they could care less about anyone in America who is not a rich white guy.

[TimeToEvolve]

I forgot to mention that the whole reason they are going after Holder is that he is trying to stop the Republicon election fraud being done in all the red states that have Republicon governors.

[CurmudgeonHouse]

You forgot because it was a lie!
Yea, sure that's what it is about.
That is a total other issue of corruption from Obama and Holder trying to get illegal aliens from Mexico to vote, ineligible transients, criminals and other dregs who mhaven't voted in years or for the first time to vote for some booze or drug money cash.
Obama and Holder are wetting their beaks in all sorts of illegal activities and making a mockery of the laws and America

[TimeToEvolve]

Shut off the Fox Keeps You Stupid Channel and read between the lines. These Cons don't care about laws or regulations, their purpose in life is to get rid of them.

[TimeToEvolve]

The very purpose of the failed Republicon Party is to make Obama a one term President, they have publicly stated that. They hate that he passed a health care plan, they hate he is half white and they hate he is a Democrat. In fact, they hate themselves more than anything else.

[wfw3536]

No, this vote is about the Terry family, whose son was killed by one of these guns. It sad that Holder continues this coverup when a brave American agent was killed. The Terry family has a right to know who was responsible, and no matter who it was, they need to face criminal charges.

[TimeToEvolve]

Blame the NRA for their lax gun laws they wrote for all the states. They control most of the right wing state legislatures. Now you have the criminal idiot Issa whose stupid party doesn't want to control weapons who suddenly is mad that the government did not control the weapons. Complete hypocrite, right wing, two faced moron.

[CurmudgeonHouse]

Evolve,
You lie and make it up as you go along just like Obama and Holder.
Like them, you aren't very good at it either.
Unbeleivable!
LOL

[redought]

notice that all of the democrat posters change the subject about the indefensible holder.

[CurmudgeonHouse]

Holder is a liar.
It's about both he and his boss Barry selloing guns to the Mexican drug cartels and then they murdering people on both sides of the border with those guns.
This goes deeper than politics and has to do with murder and a criminal cover up.
He and Obama will someday rot in hell for their crimes if they get away with this now.
Two despicable criminals from and organized criminal family call the Obama administration.

[dudley58]

OMG you are an idiot. Selling guns to the mexican drug cartels? Prove it. Point me to a website, a shread of evidence. You use phrases like "murder and criminal cover up" and "organized criminal family". Your entire post is nothing but propaganda and pure BS. This is about politics during an election year, nothing more. Speaking of criminal coverups - Bush invoked EP SIX TIMES during his presidency - Four of those were in the time span of ONE MONTH! Once to protect the criminal Karl Rove from testifying. Where was your outrage then?? Why weren't you crying "COVERUP!!" then? Don't take my word for it, look it up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_privilege#George_W._Bush_administration

[joule18]

It's about Holder, but Obama made it about him too by claiming Executive Privilege.

[carla-babcock]

Holder is a RACIST.
He refused to prosecute the new 'Black Panthers' for intimidating white voters in Philadelphia.
Would he have prosecuted the KKK if they had intimidated black voters.
Americans are becoming tired of the racial double standard.