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Fast and Furious: Barack Obama's Bloodiest Scandal and Its Shameless Cover-Up
A bloody scandal and its shameless
No scandal is more threatening to the Obama administration than Operation Fast and Furious. While other scandals involve money, Fast and Furious involves lives, including that of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, gunned down with a weapon that the federal government put in the hands of Mexico’s narco-terrorists.
As shocking as Operation Fast and Furious was—and this book explains, in chilling detail, just what this operation conducted by the ATF, under the supervision of the Justice Department, entailed—equally appalling is the blatant cover-up of wrongdoing by the Obama administration. No reporter has been more dogged in tracking down the facts about Fast and Furious than Katie Pavlich. In her stunning new book she
The documents that undermine the White House’s claims of ignorance about Fast and Furious
How Eric Holder, President Obama’s attorney general, has, under oath, repeatedly changed his testimony
The still mounting death toll from Fast and Furious
The retaliation against Fast and Furious whistleblowers
Why Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano might be charged with perjury
The Obama administration’s continuing assault on Second Amendment rights
Why Fast and Furious could be a bigger scandal than Watergate
Unraveling the mystery of what Fast and Furious was all about, Katie Pavlich delivers a stunning indictment of a radical administration willing to trample the Constitution and risk lives to achieve its ideological goals.
No scandal is more threatening to the Obama administration than Operation Fast and Furious. While other scandals involve money, Fast and Furious involves lives, including that of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, gunned down with a weapon that the federal government put in the hands of Mexico’s narco-terrorists.
As shocking as Operation Fast and Furious was—and this book explains, in chilling detail, just what this operation conducted by the ATF, under the supervision of the Justice Department, entailed—equally appalling is the blatant cover-up of wrongdoing by the Obama administration. No reporter has been more dogged in tracking down the facts about Fast and Furious than Katie Pavlich. In her stunning new book she
The documents that undermine the White House’s claims of ignorance about Fast and Furious
How Eric Holder, President Obama’s attorney general, has, under oath, repeatedly changed his testimony
The still mounting death toll from Fast and Furious
The retaliation against Fast and Furious whistleblowers
Why Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano might be charged with perjury
The Obama administration’s continuing assault on Second Amendment rights
Why Fast and Furious could be a bigger scandal than Watergate
Unraveling the mystery of what Fast and Furious was all about, Katie Pavlich delivers a stunning indictment of a radical administration willing to trample the Constitution and risk lives to achieve its ideological goals.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published April 16, 2012
About the author
Katie Pavlich
8 books33 followersKatie Pavlich is the news editor for Townhall.com and a contributing editor to Townhall Magazine. She is the award winning author of the New York Times Best Seller Fast and Furious: Barack Obama's Bloodiest Scandal and Its Shameless Cover-Up. As a reporter, she has covered topics ranging from White House scandals and the 2012 presidential election to the Second Amendment and border issues. As a Fox News contributor, Katie regularly co-hosts the daytime show Outnumbered, has filled in as a guest co-host on the The Five and as a guest host on Hannity. Katie is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a degree in Journalism and is a former National Review Washington Fellow. Katie has shared her perspective on multiple media venues including, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and Fox Business, in addition to a host of national and local radio shows. She is a regular speaker on college campuses across the country.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
May 10, 2012
Let me first start out by saying that I am registered as an Independent voter and have been all of my life except for 5 years during my twenties when I was the 2nd one of 2 registered Republicans in a Coal Mining town in PA. Bottom line, I am mostly conservative in that I want the Federal Government out of my pockets. There are laws they must enforce, preserve and protect as mostly governed by our U.S. Constitution. Give me a fair playing field. Cut back on regulation, stay out of my home business and give me help starting a business with tax advantages. Give me protection with a strong military and protect our economy. That's about it. Let the state's run them selves. We'll all move if they don't offer a good deal. The vote of our dollar will mean more than the voting booth in the states.
With that said, I swore to "Protect and Defend the Constitution of the United States" back in 1974 when I signed up with the U.S. Coast Guard. I am no whacko. I am absolutely not a conspiracy theorist. However, I do check my facts. My opinions are based upon my own research and not the editorials we call the evening news or most of the big city News Rags or Magazine Rags. They're all left leaning liberals with an agenda. The agenda. Where is it really coming from is the question people need to ask.
That being said, this book is very important, specifically at this time in our history making moments. The author has clearly cited her sources. I've heard a lot about this book and was very concerned about how little I was seeing and hearing about the ATF's operation, "Fast & Furious". The Administration's Attorney General Eric Holder was hauled up before congress after refusing to comply with several Senate subpoenas, which no one can ignore. He and his henchman, the suits he replaced in the leadership roles of the ATF where real street cops had risen in the ranks and ran a world class, considered the top cops, law enforcement operation within the federal government. ATF is for "Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms". Those stamps on liquor bottles and cigarettes are theirs. They have add Explosives to their official name.
After the Obama Administration replaced these top cop, highly regarded leaders with "appointed" suits (with no law enforcement experience) it began an operation they called "Fast & Furious", named after the movie. They forced the ATF agents on the ground, against their will and ignoring their advice, to go into all of the privately owned gun selling, mom & pop, stores somewhat close to the border and ordered the owners to sell multiple weapons, especially AK47's, .50 caliber sniper rifles, and all kinds of "long" guns to "straw purchaser", even though they knew it was wrong and illegal. These store owner complained. Many refused. They were told that the ATF decided who got licenses to sell arms and who lost them. They would lose theirs if they did not comply. Remember, these officers did not want to do this. Several wrote letters and jumped the chain of command. They were admonished. Some quit. Some were assigned desk jobs (a real slap in the face to real cops) and some were relocated to crap jobs.
Then, (Management, linked all the way up to President Obama, though the link to him is not a tight as it could be because of how they protect the President's knowledge of certain things) these officers obeyed orders, put in wire taps and camera's into those shops and watched these straw purchasers buy large quantities of weapons. Nobody does that. Those weapons were then taken over the boarder. That is highly illegal for one thing. During the Bush administration an operation was begun to try to get a link to the guys buying these guns through the straw purchasers. As soon as guns got over the border the operation was shut down.
In Fast & Furious, they know fully, for several months, that thousands of hard core weapons were going over the boarder. Until an American Border Patrol Agent was murdered with three of those guns, one very likely fired by an FBI informant (that one was taken out of the files and hidden) this operation literally provided the worst killers in this hemisphere with a huge supply of weapons that have already killed hundreds of Mexicans and several Americans, thus far. More to come.
In this book you will see the story unfold. Again, this is a very important story.
Not only is this worse than Watergate (quoted by several people as such), it is highly illegal. Eric Holder and all of the managers beneath him must go to jail. President Obama is ducking this. I believe it will take more of the spotlight soon. It's just come out.
This is a long review, which I tried to qualify by explaining my political views. I'll voted for the best person, with the most experience, to be an elected official. Just like hiring a President or a CEO of a company. Background checks, verified accomplishments and references. I don't care what party they're in. Well until lately.
The bottom line of this horrible crime is that the real agenda is to show the world that the problem is our "right to bear arms". They have already tried to use the evidence of straw purchasers to suggest that the gun shop owners were selling them all those guns for the money, which was never true with any of them. They all complained and reported every large purchase. This is an attempt to change our rights.
The question is usually the answer if the right question is asked. Why does this government, who is clearly and well funded as a socialist/progressive government, trying to take arms from it's citizens?
Unless the American people stand study up, then stand up, this process of dismantling the Constitution will continue. Show me one Socialist country that is or has ever thrived. It hasn't happened. America has always been the most powerful country in the world because of our freedoms. They're taking them away. They have been caught, this time in a big way. Read this book.
With that said, I swore to "Protect and Defend the Constitution of the United States" back in 1974 when I signed up with the U.S. Coast Guard. I am no whacko. I am absolutely not a conspiracy theorist. However, I do check my facts. My opinions are based upon my own research and not the editorials we call the evening news or most of the big city News Rags or Magazine Rags. They're all left leaning liberals with an agenda. The agenda. Where is it really coming from is the question people need to ask.
That being said, this book is very important, specifically at this time in our history making moments. The author has clearly cited her sources. I've heard a lot about this book and was very concerned about how little I was seeing and hearing about the ATF's operation, "Fast & Furious". The Administration's Attorney General Eric Holder was hauled up before congress after refusing to comply with several Senate subpoenas, which no one can ignore. He and his henchman, the suits he replaced in the leadership roles of the ATF where real street cops had risen in the ranks and ran a world class, considered the top cops, law enforcement operation within the federal government. ATF is for "Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms". Those stamps on liquor bottles and cigarettes are theirs. They have add Explosives to their official name.
After the Obama Administration replaced these top cop, highly regarded leaders with "appointed" suits (with no law enforcement experience) it began an operation they called "Fast & Furious", named after the movie. They forced the ATF agents on the ground, against their will and ignoring their advice, to go into all of the privately owned gun selling, mom & pop, stores somewhat close to the border and ordered the owners to sell multiple weapons, especially AK47's, .50 caliber sniper rifles, and all kinds of "long" guns to "straw purchaser", even though they knew it was wrong and illegal. These store owner complained. Many refused. They were told that the ATF decided who got licenses to sell arms and who lost them. They would lose theirs if they did not comply. Remember, these officers did not want to do this. Several wrote letters and jumped the chain of command. They were admonished. Some quit. Some were assigned desk jobs (a real slap in the face to real cops) and some were relocated to crap jobs.
Then, (Management, linked all the way up to President Obama, though the link to him is not a tight as it could be because of how they protect the President's knowledge of certain things) these officers obeyed orders, put in wire taps and camera's into those shops and watched these straw purchasers buy large quantities of weapons. Nobody does that. Those weapons were then taken over the boarder. That is highly illegal for one thing. During the Bush administration an operation was begun to try to get a link to the guys buying these guns through the straw purchasers. As soon as guns got over the border the operation was shut down.
In Fast & Furious, they know fully, for several months, that thousands of hard core weapons were going over the boarder. Until an American Border Patrol Agent was murdered with three of those guns, one very likely fired by an FBI informant (that one was taken out of the files and hidden) this operation literally provided the worst killers in this hemisphere with a huge supply of weapons that have already killed hundreds of Mexicans and several Americans, thus far. More to come.
In this book you will see the story unfold. Again, this is a very important story.
Not only is this worse than Watergate (quoted by several people as such), it is highly illegal. Eric Holder and all of the managers beneath him must go to jail. President Obama is ducking this. I believe it will take more of the spotlight soon. It's just come out.
This is a long review, which I tried to qualify by explaining my political views. I'll voted for the best person, with the most experience, to be an elected official. Just like hiring a President or a CEO of a company. Background checks, verified accomplishments and references. I don't care what party they're in. Well until lately.
The bottom line of this horrible crime is that the real agenda is to show the world that the problem is our "right to bear arms". They have already tried to use the evidence of straw purchasers to suggest that the gun shop owners were selling them all those guns for the money, which was never true with any of them. They all complained and reported every large purchase. This is an attempt to change our rights.
The question is usually the answer if the right question is asked. Why does this government, who is clearly and well funded as a socialist/progressive government, trying to take arms from it's citizens?
Unless the American people stand study up, then stand up, this process of dismantling the Constitution will continue. Show me one Socialist country that is or has ever thrived. It hasn't happened. America has always been the most powerful country in the world because of our freedoms. They're taking them away. They have been caught, this time in a big way. Read this book.
July 7, 2012
Katie Pavlich somehow neglects to mention that this operation started under George Bush. It's really a silly book written for the gun nut hate Obama crowd. Yes the ATF is incompetent but acting as if Obama directly supervised this is a paranoid wingnuts dream with no basis in reality. Ask what role Bush's idiot Attorney General Gonzalez played in this. Katie won't tell you that because she writes for the Faux news bubble.
[...]
Pavlich Dubiously Played Up Importance Of Holder's "Brief[ings]" On Fast And Furious
CLAIM: Attorney General Eric Holder "Was Briefed At Least Five Times On" Fast And Furious.
REALITY: As Holder Noted, "None Of These [Memos] Say Anything About The Unacceptable Tactics Employed By ATF." In the letter to the House Oversight Committee quoted by Pavlich, Holder makes clear that the documents in question are "weekly reports [that] contain short summaries of matters that the agencies deem of interest that week," that "over a hundred pages" of such documents arrive each week addressed to him and are reviewed by his staff, and that "none of these summaries say anything about the unacceptable tactics employed by ATF":
CLAIM: Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer "Admitted... He Knew Gunwalking Tactics Were Being Used During Fast And Furious As Early As April 2010.
REALITY: Breuer's Statement Makes Clear That He Only Knew About Gunwalking During The Bush-Era Operation, Not During Fast And Furious.
CLAIM: Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary Grindler Knew "The Details" Of Fast And Furious.
REALITY: Obama Administration Says Grindler Wasn't Briefed On Flawed Tactics Used In Operation.
CLAIM: AAG Breuer "Carefully Review[ed] Every Word" Of Letter To Sen. Grassley Which Incorrectly Said ATF Never Sanctioned Gunwalking.
REALITY: Grassley Press Release Pavlich Cited Says It Is "Unclear" If Breuer Read The Letter.
CLAIM: Melson "Said There Was A 'Smoking Gun' Report Detailing" DOJ Officials Who Approved The Tactics Used During Fast And Furious.
REALITY: Melson's "Smoking Gun" Showed The Strategy Was Flawed, Not Who Approved It.
CLAIM: ATF's Newell And Voth Received "Promotion[s]."
REALITY: ATF Says They Were Lateral Moves Without Increased Responsibility Or Salary.
CLAIM: "The Explicitly Liberal Media Treated The Fast And Furious Story As... 'One Of The Right's Latest Conspiracy Theories.
REALITY: In Some Cases Media Were Referring To The Conspiracy Theory That The Obama Administration Had The Operation Deliberately Fail To Bolster Gun Control Efforts, Not The Scandal Itself.
REALITY: In Other Cases Media Were Actually Referring To Comments From The NRA, Not Fast And Furious.
CLAIM: Holder "Insisted" VA Tech, Columbine Massacres "Evidence Enough" Second Amendment Is Not An Individual Right.
REALITY: Brief Actually Cited Court Precedent, Text Of Second Amendment And Its Drafting History And Historical Context.
Pavlich Falsely Claimed Part Of Wildlife Refuge Was Closed By Obama Administration
CLAIM: Due To Mexican Cartel Threat, Part Of Wildlife Refuge Was Closed In June 2010.
REALITY: That Portion Of Refuge Was Closed In 2006.
REALITY: Fish And Wildlife Service Says "Significant Decline In Violent Activity In The Area" Since 2006.
REALITY: In June 2010 Fox News Pushed False Story That The Refuge Had Recently Been Closed And That Obama Gave Area "Back To Mexico."
[...]
Pavlich Dubiously Played Up Importance Of Holder's "Brief[ings]" On Fast And Furious
CLAIM: Attorney General Eric Holder "Was Briefed At Least Five Times On" Fast And Furious.
REALITY: As Holder Noted, "None Of These [Memos] Say Anything About The Unacceptable Tactics Employed By ATF." In the letter to the House Oversight Committee quoted by Pavlich, Holder makes clear that the documents in question are "weekly reports [that] contain short summaries of matters that the agencies deem of interest that week," that "over a hundred pages" of such documents arrive each week addressed to him and are reviewed by his staff, and that "none of these summaries say anything about the unacceptable tactics employed by ATF":
CLAIM: Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer "Admitted... He Knew Gunwalking Tactics Were Being Used During Fast And Furious As Early As April 2010.
REALITY: Breuer's Statement Makes Clear That He Only Knew About Gunwalking During The Bush-Era Operation, Not During Fast And Furious.
CLAIM: Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary Grindler Knew "The Details" Of Fast And Furious.
REALITY: Obama Administration Says Grindler Wasn't Briefed On Flawed Tactics Used In Operation.
CLAIM: AAG Breuer "Carefully Review[ed] Every Word" Of Letter To Sen. Grassley Which Incorrectly Said ATF Never Sanctioned Gunwalking.
REALITY: Grassley Press Release Pavlich Cited Says It Is "Unclear" If Breuer Read The Letter.
CLAIM: Melson "Said There Was A 'Smoking Gun' Report Detailing" DOJ Officials Who Approved The Tactics Used During Fast And Furious.
REALITY: Melson's "Smoking Gun" Showed The Strategy Was Flawed, Not Who Approved It.
CLAIM: ATF's Newell And Voth Received "Promotion[s]."
REALITY: ATF Says They Were Lateral Moves Without Increased Responsibility Or Salary.
CLAIM: "The Explicitly Liberal Media Treated The Fast And Furious Story As... 'One Of The Right's Latest Conspiracy Theories.
REALITY: In Some Cases Media Were Referring To The Conspiracy Theory That The Obama Administration Had The Operation Deliberately Fail To Bolster Gun Control Efforts, Not The Scandal Itself.
REALITY: In Other Cases Media Were Actually Referring To Comments From The NRA, Not Fast And Furious.
CLAIM: Holder "Insisted" VA Tech, Columbine Massacres "Evidence Enough" Second Amendment Is Not An Individual Right.
REALITY: Brief Actually Cited Court Precedent, Text Of Second Amendment And Its Drafting History And Historical Context.
Pavlich Falsely Claimed Part Of Wildlife Refuge Was Closed By Obama Administration
CLAIM: Due To Mexican Cartel Threat, Part Of Wildlife Refuge Was Closed In June 2010.
REALITY: That Portion Of Refuge Was Closed In 2006.
REALITY: Fish And Wildlife Service Says "Significant Decline In Violent Activity In The Area" Since 2006.
REALITY: In June 2010 Fox News Pushed False Story That The Refuge Had Recently Been Closed And That Obama Gave Area "Back To Mexico."
September 2, 2016
Probably more like 3 stars, since the story is still unfolding. But Pavlich is a good writer, and I give her credit for compiling and presenting an important story. I have avoided, for the most part, the Fast & Furious scandal. For a long while I just didn't want to deal with the accompanying political bullshit. And then the IRS scandal broke -- which I consider a very big Nixonian deal. A lot of what is currently going on with the IRS scandal (stonewalling over document requests) occurred earlier in the Fast & Furious scandal (and it is a scandal). Patterns and such. Basically we were pumping guns into Mexico via straw purchasers (bad guys) buying guns from ATF monitored gun shops. The gun shop owners were less than thrilled to be a part of this operation, knowing that the gun sales were not going to be used for anything good. But, according to Pavlich, many were pressured to take part. By allowing to gun sales to go forth, and the guns to travel south without interdiction (the normal practice), it guaranteed massive (and easily predictable) carnage in Mexico -- and beyond. The "beyond" here is the death of Border Patrol Agent Bryan Terry. Oh, and we didn't tell Mexico we were doing this. They were not happy when they found out.
One big question (still unresolved) is what did the administration hope to accomplish with F&F? That's still hazy, though Pavlich strongly suggests that F&F is wrapped up in this administration's attempts at gun control. In particular, getting a new ban on assault weapons. I would actually like to see that ban, but not as a result of some coldly engineered (and yet incompetent) operation that creates a bloodbath in order to influence public opinion. Pavlich includes various excerpts from Holder's testimony on the Hill. Clearly he's lying, and lying a lot. And he has company at ATF, Homeland Security, and, I have no doubt, further up the food chain. There is a lot more to be written on this subject. Pavlich's entry is an important start to one of the great scandal's of my lifetime. Certainly one of the bloodiest.
One big question (still unresolved) is what did the administration hope to accomplish with F&F? That's still hazy, though Pavlich strongly suggests that F&F is wrapped up in this administration's attempts at gun control. In particular, getting a new ban on assault weapons. I would actually like to see that ban, but not as a result of some coldly engineered (and yet incompetent) operation that creates a bloodbath in order to influence public opinion. Pavlich includes various excerpts from Holder's testimony on the Hill. Clearly he's lying, and lying a lot. And he has company at ATF, Homeland Security, and, I have no doubt, further up the food chain. There is a lot more to be written on this subject. Pavlich's entry is an important start to one of the great scandal's of my lifetime. Certainly one of the bloodiest.
April 26, 2012
Very informative read. Also very quick. I think I finished it in about 3 days.
This is some very basic information Americans need to understand just some of how their government works (or doesn't).
President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder are both on record as believing that Americans do not have a constitutional right to personal weapons. Read this book and watch how it unfolds that they used the gunwalking as a means to an end. An end you don't want.
This is some very basic information Americans need to understand just some of how their government works (or doesn't).
President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder are both on record as believing that Americans do not have a constitutional right to personal weapons. Read this book and watch how it unfolds that they used the gunwalking as a means to an end. An end you don't want.
June 28, 2017
Whole lotta people need to be in jail.
February 6, 2013
Katie gives you just the facts.
October 31, 2012
It is interesting that I read this blatant anti-Obama book, because I support President Obama. Sometimes I just wonder why some of my relatives think Obama is nearly supernatural evil like the devil, what's so bad about him? And this book tells one reason some haters hate him. He pretty much supports gun control. He is not in the NRA, and this author, proudly professing her credentials as working for Fox News on occasion (this alone shows she is not fair, to me. Yes! Republican readers, I am not onboard with Fox News, "Rich people paying other rich people to convince the middle class to blame the poor".) Here is where I disagree with the author: I have read a lot about the United States border with Mexico. The ATF operation called Fast & Furious does indeed sound as though it was ill-conceived and executed with a fatal flaw in that it allowed buyers of firearms in Arizona to take those weapons across the border where they are used in crimes. I agree that this is a bad thing. Everyone agrees it is a bad thing. President Obama believes it is a bad thing. There was a congressional hearing where many people were subpoenaed to testify before congress because basically all the high ranking officials at ATF and their bosses at Department of Justice were all like "operation...what operation?" after a border agent was killed with one of the guns from Fast and Furious. But the author takes it too far when she says it's a giant conspiracy by Barack Obama and anti-gun people like Rahm Emanuel (now he's mayor of Chicago, but he worked in some appointed position for Pres. Obama after Obama was elected in 2008). She is saying that Obama wanted guns sold in Arizona to be used by Mexican drug cartels to kill American border officers so that he could then reinstate the assault weapons ban. The other big elephant is that "this administration" (the author uses "this administration" interchangeably with Obama, and any person basically who is not a member of the NRA) would have the gall to try to force gun shop owners to file a report whenever someone buys more than a given number of long guns (that's what they call assault rifles, AK-47s, .50 caliber guns--all the big guns preferred by criminals like those in Mexican drug cartels), like if a person buys 5 rifles in one month, you'd have to file a report. This is OUTRAGEOUS to the NRA, to this author, to most people who work for Fox News, and a percentage of Republicans. So, there was an operation by ATF in Arizona. They put people under surveillance who were buying guns for cartels in Arizona and carrying them across the border for drug cartels. These people are called "straw-buyers" straw purchasers of guns. Instead of arresting them before they crossed, they allowed "gunwalking", they allowed the guns to walk. This--no argument--all agree, this is antithetical to all law enforcement. Usually, they never let any gun go. They will fire a good man or woman for losing her service weapon, and they take this shit most seriously. So for that reason, Fast and Furious was a disaster! ATF spokespeople argue that the idea was to lead them to the leaders of the cartels so they could bring them to justice. They had big charts with arrows pointing to all the locations where guns ended up involved in a crime in Mexico, so for example, individual straw buyers could be tracked to one or another drug cartel. But ATF blew it, they never pulled the trigger on this operation until one of our own U.S. agents was killed in a gun battle just this side of the border.
This is one more awful story about the border. People in Arizona must really feel like they are in a war with all this stuff going on. (Well, a boat washed up on a beach we go to near Torrance Beach, yesterday, filled with bales of some drug--third time in the two years we've lived in the area, so I guess it's not JUST Arizona.) I sympathize with Arizonans on this issue, and offer my condolences to the officer who died in the line of duty. All the rest is craziness. I really doubt Obama wanted this to happen to further his political aims. Do you really thing that? It's far-fetched.
I despair of us citizens agreeing about: guns, abortion, what else? Guns and abortion for sure, religion maybe, and the relationship between all of the different races and social classes. We are very far apart on these several things, and this author illustrates that some people on one side of the gun issue (more versus less guns are a good thing issue) believe that the other side will go to high levels of evil in pursuit of their diabolical machinations in order to undermine the NRA.
I find this review somewhat rambling and imprecise. That is my response to this sad story.
This is one more awful story about the border. People in Arizona must really feel like they are in a war with all this stuff going on. (Well, a boat washed up on a beach we go to near Torrance Beach, yesterday, filled with bales of some drug--third time in the two years we've lived in the area, so I guess it's not JUST Arizona.) I sympathize with Arizonans on this issue, and offer my condolences to the officer who died in the line of duty. All the rest is craziness. I really doubt Obama wanted this to happen to further his political aims. Do you really thing that? It's far-fetched.
I despair of us citizens agreeing about: guns, abortion, what else? Guns and abortion for sure, religion maybe, and the relationship between all of the different races and social classes. We are very far apart on these several things, and this author illustrates that some people on one side of the gun issue (more versus less guns are a good thing issue) believe that the other side will go to high levels of evil in pursuit of their diabolical machinations in order to undermine the NRA.
I find this review somewhat rambling and imprecise. That is my response to this sad story.
January 1, 2013
This is a political story. Very insightful and a bit frightening how our government can be run. Katie Pavlich did a great job in her research for this book. She kept much of it based on facts in the case, but she does insert her own thoughts when it comes to the personal tragedy the family of Agent Terry has suffered. She writes that portion from her perspective having met and talked with family members. I think this is a must read for anyone from any political party of not. We should know who we appoint to work for us in government. I generally do not enjoy political novels, as it is hard to find bi-partisan writings, but this one caught my attention and I am glad I picked it up.
August 19, 2012
Katie Pavlich writes a very good book providing critical details of the "Fast and Furious" scandal. Don't take my "3 star" rating wrong: it's not the details, the research, or the topic generally that brings it down a bit, it's just the polemical approach. This is her first book, though, and the attention to detail and passion point to a great future for this author. In fact, rating notwithstanding, this book is one of the most important pieces of non-fiction in recent years. If you have an opinion on the "Fast and Furious" scandal but haven't read it, you are poorly informed. Get informed.
July 28, 2012
Katie's book leaves no doubt that the Oblunder Administration, as far up at the levels of AG Holder and Janet Napolitano knew and participated in the scandal, and also the cover-up. She lists numerous sources and it is a very interesting read. I came away thinking that the Oblunder Administration purposefully orchestrated and manipulated the 'Fast and Furious' scandal to try and use it to raise issue on the Second Amendment. One of my most favorite books of 2012. An eye opener.
March 2, 2016
While this book was very informative, I get bummed out when things turn into slander of a current administration. I understand many presidents do things wrong and some are absolutely atrocious, like this operation, but I can feel in myself an anger and disdain toward my president. I'm not a democrat or an "Obama supporter" rather I walk with Jesus and refuse to allow bitterness in my heart. Yeah, I guess you could say books effect me haha
April 23, 2012
more typical left wing radical crap. obama govt coerced/threatened american gun salesman to sell to criminals. gov then blamed crime in mexico on those same gun salesman. all to advance their agenda of disarming the civilian population.
very quick read. probably better to get from the library than spend the $15.
very quick read. probably better to get from the library than spend the $15.
May 3, 2012
A thorough synopsis of an absolutely outrageous scandal. I strongly recommend the book as well as giving the source materials a long look. This tragic and stunning mess requires explanations from people at the highest levels of our government. Instead, we are getting obfuscations and stonewalling.
May 5, 2012
The facts in this scandal speak for themselves. I think I would have liked this book a whole lot more if the author would have refrained from making the conclusions from those facts in the same sentences she stated those facts. She should have left that for a chapter or two at the end.
April 3, 2018
Definitely a page turner! I knew basically the issues surrounding the Obama administration program known as Fast & Furious, but this is unbelievable! The results, so far, are hundreds, maybe thousands, killed by drug cartels using weapons intentionally sold and walked across the border by gun shops under orders from the ATF. The stated plan was to track these weapons, at least 2500, to find out where they go with the idea to make arrests at some point. When the deaths included an American ATF agent and other government officials, all of the top administration officials, including Attorney General Eric Holder, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and President Obama claimed to not be aware of the program until they heard it in the news! The more information came out, the more they were exposed as liars. The administration has resisted and stonewalled every step of the way. At the end of the book, the investigation is on-going and none of the top officials involved have been charged. This exposes how close America can be to being used for political purposes. In this case the author suggests the ultimate goal was to use findings to push more gun control legislation. A great read for all Americans!
Read
June 12, 2012If you think the White House security leaks are troubling, read this trail of blood that leads to the White house. If for no other reason this shameless coverup should be enough to get the foxes out of the hen house in November.
March 17, 2014
Very well researched account of a scarcely covered topic. I look forward to the day when those involved are actually held accountable and prosecuted for these crimes. A quick read jam packed with factual data. Well done.
February 6, 2013
It was an eye opening look into what is going on at the ATF & the DOJ.
June 23, 2012
This book was both informative and disturbing. I thought it was well researched and well documented and I hope that the country is able to get to the bottom of it.
February 18, 2019
Eye opener to the lengths people will go to maintain their power and position. A must read for the election year!!!
July 22, 2014
Great chronicle of Obama's bloody failed attempt to manipulate gun control laws.
November 22, 2020
Great investigative reporting by Katie Pavlich who exposes Cash & Carry and that is started under George W. Bush and was expanded and continued under Obama's Administration.
A must read.
A must read.
February 19, 2013
A blogger review of the book can be found here: http://bookfastandfurious.blogspot.com/
Point 1: I will succinctly point out that this book is poor reporting full of excessive confirmation bias, paranoia, and what must be outright misrepresentation. The book lacks journalistic integrity. It is worthless as a read because one would have to independently double check even the most clearly stated "facts."
One clear and humorous example, when one uses a footnote to lend false credibility to a point and the footnote actually disproves your point:
Chapter Two: pg 16, bottom:
"For instance, in 1999 Obama was quoted by the Chicago Defender newspaper at an "anti-gun rally" proposing a 500 percent increase in federal taxes "on the sale of firearm ammunition."6
In the Notes section at the end of the book,
"6. D'Angelo Gore, "500 Percent Ammot Tax?" FactCheck.org, June 22, 2009; available online at http://www.factcheck.org/2009/06/500-..."
This page actually says:
"Q: Is Obama planning to increase the federal tax on gun ammunition by 500 percent?
A: No such proposal has been made by the Obama administration. And nobody in Congress has introduced any bill to increase the 11 percent federal excise tax on ammo."
Point 2:
Agent Brian Terry was shot in Peck Canyon 18 miles north of the Mexican border in Arizona by a weapon that would spark investigation into Operation Fast and Furious and allegations of gunwalking.
1) The weapon was bought in Arizona by a straw purchaser.
2) Straw purchasing weapons in Arizona is not against the law.
3) To call the gun a "walked" gun requires the gun be taken into another country.
4) If the gun was purchased in Arizona, transferred to another person in Arizona, and never taken into Mexico, it represents an entirely legal gun purchase.
As there is no evidence to suspect the cartel smuggled the weapon to Mexico only to insensibly smuggle it back to America (where they could easily buy one), Brian Terry was killed with a weapon that appears to have been entirely legally acquired.
There may be reasons to have investigated Operation Fast and Furious; but the death of Brian Terry which led to investigation of walked guns was a death we have no reason to believe involved a walked gun. This is ironic. The reason for the investigation is not actually reason for investigating.
Point 1: I will succinctly point out that this book is poor reporting full of excessive confirmation bias, paranoia, and what must be outright misrepresentation. The book lacks journalistic integrity. It is worthless as a read because one would have to independently double check even the most clearly stated "facts."
One clear and humorous example, when one uses a footnote to lend false credibility to a point and the footnote actually disproves your point:
Chapter Two: pg 16, bottom:
"For instance, in 1999 Obama was quoted by the Chicago Defender newspaper at an "anti-gun rally" proposing a 500 percent increase in federal taxes "on the sale of firearm ammunition."6
In the Notes section at the end of the book,
"6. D'Angelo Gore, "500 Percent Ammot Tax?" FactCheck.org, June 22, 2009; available online at http://www.factcheck.org/2009/06/500-..."
This page actually says:
"Q: Is Obama planning to increase the federal tax on gun ammunition by 500 percent?
A: No such proposal has been made by the Obama administration. And nobody in Congress has introduced any bill to increase the 11 percent federal excise tax on ammo."
Point 2:
Agent Brian Terry was shot in Peck Canyon 18 miles north of the Mexican border in Arizona by a weapon that would spark investigation into Operation Fast and Furious and allegations of gunwalking.
1) The weapon was bought in Arizona by a straw purchaser.
2) Straw purchasing weapons in Arizona is not against the law.
3) To call the gun a "walked" gun requires the gun be taken into another country.
4) If the gun was purchased in Arizona, transferred to another person in Arizona, and never taken into Mexico, it represents an entirely legal gun purchase.
As there is no evidence to suspect the cartel smuggled the weapon to Mexico only to insensibly smuggle it back to America (where they could easily buy one), Brian Terry was killed with a weapon that appears to have been entirely legally acquired.
There may be reasons to have investigated Operation Fast and Furious; but the death of Brian Terry which led to investigation of walked guns was a death we have no reason to believe involved a walked gun. This is ironic. The reason for the investigation is not actually reason for investigating.
August 18, 2014
Katie Pavlich's scathing work on the Fast and Furious debacle will not do anything to sway positions regarding it. If you are a supporter of this administration and believe anger over F&F is part of a greater partisan witch hunt, then you'll see this as false, shameless drivel.
If you despise the arrogant flippancy of the administration, and are angered by the clusterfluff that is F&F, then this book is preaching to your choir.
I am usually in that choir. I wanted to give this book 5 stars, and I was prepared to do so.
However, towards the end, Pavlich relies too much on "anonymous sources" to connect her dots. Anon sources are fine for reinforcing smaller details, but not as the only evidence for a major point of your argument.
Example: Claiming that public outrage in Mexican government was silenced by a supposed strongarm threat to revoke $500 million in funding to the Merida Initiative if they kept talking about F&F. I'm not saying it's true or B.S., but it is too great an allegation to credit to a phantom source. It prompts people on the other side of the fence to say you are full of it.
If you want to make a point, argue it from the opposing point of view. If it ironclad, then put it in your book. If not, find the facts to make it so or put a question mark at the end of it and leave it as opinion.
The facts speak loudly enough for themselves in this book. I really wish Pavlich had just stuck to facts. Credit is given for excellent appendices.
If you despise the arrogant flippancy of the administration, and are angered by the clusterfluff that is F&F, then this book is preaching to your choir.
I am usually in that choir. I wanted to give this book 5 stars, and I was prepared to do so.
However, towards the end, Pavlich relies too much on "anonymous sources" to connect her dots. Anon sources are fine for reinforcing smaller details, but not as the only evidence for a major point of your argument.
Example: Claiming that public outrage in Mexican government was silenced by a supposed strongarm threat to revoke $500 million in funding to the Merida Initiative if they kept talking about F&F. I'm not saying it's true or B.S., but it is too great an allegation to credit to a phantom source. It prompts people on the other side of the fence to say you are full of it.
If you want to make a point, argue it from the opposing point of view. If it ironclad, then put it in your book. If not, find the facts to make it so or put a question mark at the end of it and leave it as opinion.
The facts speak loudly enough for themselves in this book. I really wish Pavlich had just stuck to facts. Credit is given for excellent appendices.
December 2, 2014
Fast and Furious campaign was initiated in October 2009 in order to "track" straw purchases of guns going to Mexican cartels while undermining current US gun restriction laws. Private gun shops in Arizona were forced to participate because it was their "duty" to help the federal government. However the US government neither informed the Mexican government of this plan nor actually tracked the guns. Statements made by the State Department, the Justice Department and the Mexican President indicated that 90% of illegal guns in Mexico were purchased in the United States. This well documented book discredits this claim with the State Department's own records. The bottom line is Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed along with others with guns obtained from this program. There is so much more to this scandal that continues and is so well documented in Pavlich's book. Highly Recommend.
June 15, 2019
This is an eye-opening accounting of the events surrounding the ATF operation known as "Fast and Furious" which allowed guns purchased in the United States to be trafficked across the border into Mexico. This operation put guns into the hands of criminals who used them to kill both Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and an ATF agent working in Mexico. The details surrounding this ATF operation are still largely unknown and remain murky, in spite of the election of a supposedly "pro-gun" President. It would be refreshing to see an update of the information in the book, which is copyrighted in 2012, which is the only reason I gave this book only four stars. A good inside look into how crap happens and how officials at the highest level of federal law enforcement can play a part. I recommend this book.
July 17, 2012
While some main stream news stories have covered the Fast and Furious scandal superficially, this book delves fairly deep into the circumstances and personalities engaged in questionable actions by the ATF and Phoenix DOJ office. The thrust of the author's thesis is that there was a coordinated effort by members of the Obama administration to arm Mexican drug cartels in an attempt to strengthen US gun registration requirements due to the inevitable blowback when the guns were ultimately tracked down after their anticipated use in subsequent crimes became known. Still, the book raises more questions than it answers, as do the blacked out portions of documents provided in the appendices provided by the authorities to congressional investigators.
March 21, 2017
Pavlich seems to have written the only book I could locate on the “Fast and Furious” scandal. I certainly do not see eye to eye with her politics, she has clearly backed up her statements and cited her sources. While I cannot say I completely agree with her overall premise regarding the Obama’s administration’s underlying motives in the scandal, the claim that the operation was carried out in order to create a political backlash that would further gun control restrictions is not without some merit. That said, your views on this book are probably dependent on your personal opinion of gun control and the Obama administration.
August 6, 2018
Historia en la que se descubren las mentiras de Obama.
Obama se presentó como el bueno de la película y el políticamente correcto y por supuesto el representante de los progresistas.
Como no comparto sus ideas sobre al aborto, sobre la religión y sobre muchas otras cosas me gusta que se descubran operaciones como ésta de Fast and Furious que es muy de lamentar. Por una parte es muy poco inteligente y además muy naive por parte de toda su administración.
Me ha entretenido mucho aunque evidentemente no es un gran libro. Es simplemente un libro de investigación sobre un acontecimiento lamentable y dicho esto lo he encontrado muy agradable de leer.
Obama se presentó como el bueno de la película y el políticamente correcto y por supuesto el representante de los progresistas.
Como no comparto sus ideas sobre al aborto, sobre la religión y sobre muchas otras cosas me gusta que se descubran operaciones como ésta de Fast and Furious que es muy de lamentar. Por una parte es muy poco inteligente y además muy naive por parte de toda su administración.
Me ha entretenido mucho aunque evidentemente no es un gran libro. Es simplemente un libro de investigación sobre un acontecimiento lamentable y dicho esto lo he encontrado muy agradable de leer.
April 14, 2014
The author, a retired ATF agent, examines and condemns the anti-gun policies of President Obama and his administration. She concentrates on a gun sting operation run by the Justice Department (Fast and Furious) which channeled guns to Mexican drug cartels and resulted in the death of Border Patrol Agent Terry Brooks. A good read that reveals the disregard for the American Constitution by the president and his appointees.
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