While Attorney General Eric Holder is legitimately taking the heat for his scorched Earth policy toward journalists and whistleblowers. His deputy, Jim Coles, is also being criticized for signing off on the investigation of the Associated Press. However, a third prosecutor has largely escaped attention in the scandal and is equally worthy of immediate termination for his role in this scandal. He is Ronald Machen Jr., the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. As with Holder, Machen was a friend and campaign contributor to Obama when he was selected to serve as U.S. Attorney. He proceeded to discard any concern for the freedom of the press in his investigation, particularly his pursuit of sources for Fox reporter James Rosen. He was also involved in the refusal to prosecute Holder for contempt of Congress in refusing to turn over critical documents in the “Fast and Furious” scandal.
Machen was recommended for the job by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.). He was however an obvious choice of Obama.
Machen has called Obama a “legend” from their time at Harvard.
Notably, Holder selected Machen as one of the leaders in an overall investigation of leakers in the Administration. Obama has proven truly Nixonian in his crackdown on whistleblowers and leakers. Machen unleashed an abusive investigation of Rosen’s telephone calls and emails as part of the Obama Administration’s crackdown on whistleblowers. Machen even seized calls of Rosen’s parents and, as the basis for the seizure, Rosen was called a possible criminal “co-conspirator” in the leak. Recently, however, he expressed concern over threats to the media — despite years of public criticism of his administration on that very issue.
Machen’s office insists that they did not actually wiretap the calls in seizing the record — a distinction rejected by civil libertarians and free press advocates. His targeting of Rosen was facially abusive and an attack on the free press. He needs to be held accountable. However, Obama now has two of his closest friends at the heart of a scandal. It is a scandal of his own making. He dismissed objections for years over his Administration’s attacks on reporters and whistleblowers. Now he is calling for a review but he knows where responsibility lies (beyond at his own desk): with his two friends Holder and Machen.
itchinBayDog 1, May 27, 2013 at 10:06 pm
Ralph and Matt above:
I didn’t buy stocks. I did buy some 90% U.S. silver coins. Still U.S. legal tender currency so not subject to sales and use tax.
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how is it that the darn Dow went up so high since Bush left in January of 2009
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Quantitative easing. Eighty-five billion dollars a month in perpetuity.
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You have given me someone to blame and so I shall itchBay about Bernanke.
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He doesn’t know what else to do.
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I dont know what my left pay has to do with anything tho. Somebody called me a “right winger” but I am a dog and dont have wings.
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Nobody has wings.
Ralph and Matt above: You are right. I had a leftist or left paw fantasy that Obama was responsible for my “short stock fund” going to hell. I am glad that I can blame that Bernanke guy for making the economy do better than I predicted. But, if Obama is slowing the economy by not doing things then I am happy with him. But, this is neither right nor left, how is it that the darn Dow went up so high since Bush left in January of 2009? You have given me someone to blame and so I shall itchBay about Bernanke. I dont know what my left pay has to do with anything tho. Somebody called me a “right winger” but I am a dog and dont have wings. Four legs good, two legs baaaaad. [Animal Farm]
Hero worship NEVER leads to any good. This entire campaign and administration has been a classic example of sycophant hero worship of a man obviously in way over his head.
s for fiscal policy, Obama has PREVENTED the economy from genuinely improving from the excellent monetary efforts of the Fed. That is why unemployment is still way too high. Obama’s policies of raising taxes and spending massive and unprecedented government funds on waste, fraud, corruption, and mismanagement are harming the economy, and may ultimately defeat even the best work of the Fed.
But I’m sorry for introducing reality into the discussion. Do carry on with your Leftist fantasies.
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Do believe you’re correct.
“itchinbaydog,” you say: “I am still seething about Obama’s handling of the economy. My human pal bought some “short” stock fund thing just when Obama came in. The Dow was 9600 and now its 15400 or so and my Pal is flat busted.”
Obama had nothing to do with the performance of the stock market. The rise in US stocks is due primarily to one force: The Federal Reserve Bank, as headed by Ben Bernanke. The Fed had done nearly everything it could to avert a very deep and painful recession. And, for the most part, it has succeeded. Not for nothing was Bernanke–who was (and is) considered one of the leading economic experts on the Great Depression)–wisely appointed to become the Chairman of the Fed. You can thank Bush for that; although Bush, I’m sure, was merely following the recommendations of the Banking Community.
I’ve done very well in the stock market because I believe in what the Fed is doing, even though I hate Obama’s policies and think they’re destructive to our economy. There’s an old rule that still holds: “Don’t fight the Fed.”
As for fiscal policy, Obama has PREVENTED the economy from genuinely improving from the excellent monetary efforts of the Fed. That is why unemployment is still way too high. Obama’s policies of raising taxes and spending massive and unprecedented government funds on waste, fraud, corruption, and mismanagement are harming the economy, and may ultimately defeat even the best work of the Fed.
But I’m sorry for introducing reality into the discussion. Do carry on with your Leftist fantasies.
While Attorney General Eric Holder is legitimately taking the heat for his scorched Earth policy toward journalists and whistleblowers. His deputy, Jim Coles, is also being criticized for signing off on the investigation of the Associated Press. However, a third prosecutor has largely escaped attention in the scandal and is equally worthy of immediate termination for his role in this scandal. He is Ronald Machen Jr., the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. As with Holder, Machen was a friend and campaign contributor to Obama when he was selected to serve as U.S. Attorney. He proceeded to discard any concern for the freedom of the press in his investigation, particularly his pursuit of sources for Fox reporter James Rosen. He was also involved in the refusal to prosecute Holder for contempt of Congress in refusing to turn over critical documents in the “Fast and Furious” scandal.
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Is there a common denominator here? Do they all look alike?
They won’t win. Do they want to go to Liberia? They get to make their choice.
John Wilkes Booth is dead. Be careful.
I was born in Oregon.
I am still seething about Obama’s handling of the economy. My human pal bought some “short” stock fund thing just when Obama came in. The Dow was 9600 and now its 15400 or so and my Pal is flat busted.
Holder, Coles, and Machen are heros of the Left. They adore them. They are there to enact Obama’s policies. Leftists have no right to complain and whine as Turley and his ilk do because they voted for Obama.
Every thinking person who abhors Leftism and all that it stands for certainly didn’t vote for him. Turley and his ilk cannot argue that they were merely stupid and dupes when they voted for Obama, although all Leftists are to a considerable degree stupid and dupes. When you vote for a extreme Leftist, you are going to get Leftist policies. I think that’s common sense and obvious, even to the most obtuse, dense, and subcretineque-ultra-moron-Leftists that have taken hold of this formerly great country. (I know, that’s a lot of redundancies in that sentence.)
So why not just shut-up and enjoy the fruits of your efforts? You got your guy Obama elected a second term. Instead of whining, you should be celebrating and demanding that more liberties and rights be taken away from the citizens. That’s what you really wanted, right? Or do you also just enjoy indulging in your Leftist hypocrisy for “effect”? Or maybe you just like whining?
You know what they do with honorable U.S. Attorney’s like Rick Convertino?
They fire them and even let out convicted terrorist to prosecute them.
That is America’s GREAT system of [IN]justice….
Everyone acts surprised to see corruption by a U.S. Attorney.
Chris Christie as US Attorney gave his former boss a $50 million – No Bid Contract – and there was no outrage there either.
Blogs like this just grand stand and move on;
never doing true investigative journalism.
There are NO Woodward/Bernstein’s efforts anymore.
History’s a bitch. Mr. O who had soaring oratory skills to get him elected in 2008 (when no Repo could overcome the anti Bush roar) will go down in history as an empty suite that would rather golf and give speeches than govern. Surprise, surprise.
randyjet 1, May 27, 2013 at 10:56 am
If Yoo is still a member of the Bar, his actions do NOT come close to the outright contempt for the law Yoo has shown.
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And Bybee who is a federal appeals court judge now.
“The Department of Just Us” comes to mind.
Not sure what Jesus has got to do with a member of the DOJ breaking the law but … Mr. Machen apparently was not appointed for legal abilities ranted for his fund raising abilities. Political appointees should not be running the Justice Department particularly ones who think the law only applies OTHER humans.
Holder needs to go and so does his second in command and Mr. Machen..
People that are menacing will be a menace. People are not being like the innocent Dennis the menace toward Obama. It seems to be a habit of the human fallen nature to act like religious people that were against the King of Glory against other people. Why can’t people allow the king of Glory in so people can behold him to be changed into his likeness not showing the behavior of the enemy of Jesus?
What exactly is the point here? Our system of justice (sic) is no better than the worst in the world and no worse than the best.
Go ahead. informed people who know how to THINK, and aren’t afraid to,
know it’s true – but if your best is just a TEA Party insult, I’ll understand.
Nothing will happen to him.
Mr. Machen is focused on the wrong issues. He should instead be seating grand juries to probe war crimes committed by this President and the previous criminal enterprise posing as a Presidency.
Instead, he brings yet more shame.
Ah transparency BS
randy two wrongs don’t make a right
If Yoo is still a member of the Bar, his actions do NOT come close to the outright contempt for the law Yoo has shown.
Is this guy fit to be in any bar….