In American criminal law, "pleading the Fifth", also known as "taking the Fifth" or "demanding the fifth", is the act of refusing to testify under oath in a court of law or any other tribunal (such as a Congressional committee) on the ground that the answers that would be given could be used as evidence against the witness to convict him or her of a criminal offense. -- Wikipedia.
The alleged "honest piano player in the whorehouse" is about to get up on stage to dance or sing.
A friend in DC sends this announcement with the question, "What do you suppose Melson is going to get asked?"
A Shared Responsibility: Counternarcotics and Citizen Security in the Americas
U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Global Narcotics Affairs
Presiding:
Senator Bob Menendez
Date:
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Time:
02:00 PM
Location:
419 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Agenda
If written testimony is available, it will be posted immediately after the hearing adjourns.
Panel One
William R. Brownfield, of Texas
to be an Assistant Secretary of State (International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs)
The Honorable R. Gil Kerlikowske
Director
National Drug Control Policy
Washington, DC
Mr. Kenneth E. Melson
Acting Director
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Department of Justice,
The Honorable Douglas Fraser
General, USAF
United States Southern Command
Doral, FL
Panel Two
Dr. Vanda Feldab-Brown
Fellow, Foreign Policy
Brookings Institution
Washington, DC
Dr. Cynthia J. Arnson
Director
Latin America Program
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington
Mr. Stephen Johnson
Director, Americas Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Washington, DC
What is the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs?
Wikipedia tells us that the committee
"is responsible for United States relations with the nations of the Western Hemisphere, including Canada and the nations of the Caribbean. The subcommittee also deals with boundary matters, and U.S. policy with regard to the Organization of American States. Specific matters within the region that fall within the subcommittees purview are terrorism and non-proliferation; U.S. foreign assistance programs; and the promotion of U.S. trade and exports. The subcommittee also exercises general oversight over the activities and programs of the Peace Corps and all U.S. foreign policy, programs and international cooperative efforts to combat the flow of illegal drugs or substances."
And who sits on this committee?
Members, 112th Congress
The Committee is chaired by Democrat Bob Menendez of New Jersey, and the Ranking Minority Member is Republican Marco Rubio of Florida.
Majority
* Bob Menendez, New Jersey, Chairman
* Barbara Boxer, California
* Jim Webb, Virginia
* Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire
* Tom Udall, New Mexico
Minority
* Marco Rubio, Florida, Ranking Member
* Mike Lee, Utah
* Jim DeMint, South Carolina
* Johnny Isakson, Georgia
* John Barrasso, Wyoming
Now, what do you suppose are the chances of getting one of these ostensibly Second Amendment-supporting Senators to ask a series of questions designed to get at the truth of Melson's knowledge of Gunwalker, or, force him to take the Fifth Amendment? Sounds like a Senatorial job opportunity for someone who wishes to establish his Second Amendment bona fides and make a headline or two, or three.
Folks, we have until next Thursday to make this happen.
And Melson, you bumbling, willing tool of a very deadly criminal enterprise, you might want to study this. Heck, Ollie North is still around. Call him up and ask how he did it.
LATER: I note that great minds think alike. John Richardson:
You would think at least one of these six senators would use this opportunity to force Melson to spill on what he knew, when he knew it, and who else was involved. If they don't take advantage of this, they should be ashamed of themselves. If you live in a state represented by one of these six, call their office and ask (or demand) that they ask the hard questions that need to be asked of Kenneth Melson and the ATF.
7 comments:
Contacted Senator Rubio with the link and a request that he ask AD Melson whether his agency bothered to let Mexico know about the guns that BATFE "walked" into Mexico in spite of the gun dealers' attempts to stop the sales. That SHOULD be sufficiently on-topic for that hearing. Of course, if he is not sworn in, then NOTHING counts...
Who "jams" Jim? :^)
If Jim Webb (D-Virginia) does not seize the opportunity to demonstrate his Second Amendment bona fides, Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) is likely to grab center stage.
MALTHUS
All of the Republicans, especially, De Mint, could be pushed to the right questions, about Gunwalker. On the Democrats side, Webb, because is is ex-Navy and has announced he is not going to run for re-election. Maybe Tom Udall, except he may be anti-gun. I get the Udall cousins mixed up. One is Stewart Udall's son and the other is Morris Udall's son.
I just sent an e-mail to my Senator, Marco Rubio about the upcoming subcommittee meeting.
I hope it helps.
I sent an email to Sen Barasso last week and have yet to hear anything. I'm thinking about called the good Senator to see what his actual position on this is. I got a response from our lone Congresswoman, but nothing at all from either Senator.
What do _I_ suppose "are the chances of getting one of these ostensibly Second Amendment-supporting Senators to ask a series of questions designed to get at the truth of Melson's knowledge of Gunwalker"
Either lethally anorexic or morbidly obese. But I do consider them somewhat better than the likelihood of Osama Bin Laden walking into a Baptist Church and asking to be baptised so he can become a born-again Christian. Not a WHOLE heck of a lot better, mind you, but at least somewhat better. But I always was a cockeyed optimist.
(Of course I would dearly love to be pleasantly surprised.)
Bad Cyborg X
For Bad Cyborg:
This is the "U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Global Narcotics Affairs" that we are talking about, chaired by Senator Menendez and backed by "Call Me Senator" Boxer. Just how much latitude do you think that honorable Senators will be allowed in eliciting testimony not directly related to the Committee's responsibility?
Of course, before the hearing, it IS possible that one or more honorable Senators and their staff MIGHT try to develop a line of questioning WITHIN the Committee's authority that could drive testimony applicable to the criminal activities of BATFE, DOJ, and others. But then again, if AD Melson is NOT sworn in, you KNOW what that testimony will be. And even if he IS sworn in, if he thinks all he has to fear is a DOJ investigation, then...
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