Codrea: "Origins of ‘Project Gunwalker’ important for media to understand." & Issa Deadline Looming. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Major media continue their default position on the Project Gunwalker Scandal. Is this a CNN, ABC or NBC reporter? I can't tell. (H/T to Randy Dye for the illustration.)

David writes, in part:

Friend and colleague Dan Gifford, an Emmy-winning investigative reporter and producer of the Academy Award-nominated documentary “Waco: The Rules of Engagement,” sent this bit of information to National Review Online’s David Rittgers in response to “Mexican Criminals, American Guns--Did the ATF help create its own crisis?”

However, the only reason CBS News, the L.A. Times, and the Center for Public Integrity are onto this ATF gun running story at all that I can see is because of the writings of David Codrea and Mike Vanderboegh in the National Gun Rights Examiner. Codrea and Vanderboegh have been "bigfooted." That's the newsroom term for a star taking credit for a mere reporter's story. They deserve the credit.

In this case, credit has not been so much taken as assumed by others. Admittedly, the involvement of mass media breaks this through to a level we would otherwise be unable to reach, and that’s something we are grateful for. CBS News has done an outstanding job and uncovered much original blockbuster information on its own, and Vanderboegh and I stand ready to promote their work, and the work of others revealing new pieces of the puzzle on their own—something we will also continue to do ourselves.

This is bigger than mere self-interest, although of course that plays a part. There is a story here about how the establishment media has, for the most part, ignored a scandal that works against their agenda. There’s a story here about how two mere “bloggers” with virtually no organizational resources or “official” credentials, beat the press at its own game in uncovering a major scoop—a potentially significant indicator for “new media’s” role in the shape of things to come. And there’s a need to ensure that others in the major media outlets at least are aware of who they can talk to if they want to understand the unfolding evolution of this story.

Finally, there’s the hindsight awareness that had Mike and I had been listened to back in 2009, the fact that “dissident” ATF agents were openly complaining about Bureau management corruption and abuse should have been enough to provoke media interest and congressional oversight—and “Project Gunwalker,” along with the ongoing criminal violence it has reportedly enabled—would not have happened.

PLUS:

Dave Workman writes: Rep. Issa’s March 30 deadline for ATF documents looming.

Acting ATF Director Kenneth E. Melson has until Wednesday to provide several key documents requested by Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, in the congressman’s probe of the Project Gunrunner and Operation Fast and Furious.

So far, according to a committee source, Melson has not responded to the letter, which was dated March 16. (Nor has there been a response on Melson's behalf from Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich, who sent the now-infamous letter to Sen. Charles Grassley back on Feb. 4, “respectfully” requesting the Iowa Republican to back off in his Gunrunner inquiry, which had been launched following the slaying of Customs and Border Protection Agent Brian Terry. Grassley had sent two letters to Melson, who did not respond; Weich replied instead.) Asked what happens if Melson does not respond, the source said, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."