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Attorney General Eric Holder testified today in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform regarding Operation “Fast and Furious.” Once again, Holder repeatedly dodged questions about the Justice Department’s role in the ill-fated operation and instead argued that he should be given “credit” for how he has run the department.

Holder Runs In Circles, Gives Dizzying Response On When He Learned Of “Fast And Furious:” 

Holder Has Had Only Passing Conversations With President Obama Regarding “Fast And Furious:” 

Holder Thinks His Accountability Should Be Limited By Fairness:

Holder Wants Credit For Running The Department Of Justice: 

Rep. Lynch (D-MA) Is Troubled That Holder Did Not Know About “Fast And Furious:”

At today’s press briefing, the White House was repeatedly asked about Obama’s three-year record of failure to address the housing crisis. Check out the questions below:

ABC News’ Jake Tapper: “Mr. Secretary, wasn’t it two years ago the administration first proposed a bank fee? Am I right about that? January 2010?” (White House Press Briefing, 2/1/12)

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan: “Um, I believe that’s correct.” (White House Press Briefing, 2/1/12)

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Tapper: “I just wonder, if you couldn’t get it through a Democratic House and Senate, why do you think now would be a better chance of making it through Congress? “(White House Press Briefing, 2/1/12)

CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell: “Why shouldn’t this proposal today, in an election year, not just look like an effort, a politically motivated effort, to reach out to homeowners in key battleground states that just also happen to have big mortgage foreclosure issues, like Nevada, Arizona, Florida, etc?” (White House Press Briefing, 2/1/12)

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Today in Falls Church, VA, Obama will announce another housing program which he already unveiled at the State of the Union. The program joins the “alphabet soup” of housing proposals enacted by Obama, which have failed to keep millions of Americans in their homes.

Obama’s Housing Proposal Is Just “The Latest Addition To A Mosaic”

Obama’s Proposal “Is The Latest Addition To A Mosaic Of Obama Administration Programs” That Have Failed To Boost The Housing Market. “The proposal, to be released in the coming weeks, is the latest addition to a mosaic of Obama administration programs aimed at boosting the housing market, which is entering its fourth year of weak sales and high foreclosures.” (Lorraine Woellert, “Obama Pushes Proposal To Streamline Refinancing For Homeowners,” Bloomberg, 1/25/12)

The Last Two Incarnations Of Obama’s Refinancing Program Only Helped About 1,000 Homeowners. “Haven’t similar programs been tried before? Yes. But those programs put in place a series of rules ... more

“The Pace Of Recovery In Output And Employment Has Been Slow Since The Recession Ended In June 2009, And The Economy Remains In A Severe Slump.” (“The Budget And Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2012-2022,” Congressional Budget Office, 1/31/12)

The Congressional Budget Office Downgrades Obamanomics In Its 2012 Budget And Economic Outlook

CBO: “The Economy Will Continue To Grow At A Sluggish Pace Over The Next Two Years.” “The pace of the economic recovery has been slow since the recession ended in June 2009, and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) expects that, under current laws governing taxes and spending, the economy will continue to grow at a sluggish pace over the next two years. That pace of growth partly reflects the dampening effect on economic activity from the higher tax rates and curbs on spending scheduled to occur this year and especially next.” (“The Budget And Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2012-2022,” Congressional Budget Office, 1/31/12)

• CBO: “Considerable Slack ... more
  
  

Speaking At The National Press Club, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano Said “Mistakes, Serious Mistakes, Were Made” In “Fast And Furious” Operation. NAPOLITANO: “‘Obviously I think if the question is referring to things like Fast and Furious, I think everyone has acknowledged that mistakes, serious mistakes, were made there. The key question is making sure those kinds of mistakes, from my standpoint are never again repeated.’” (Department Of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Remarks At The National Press Club, Washington, D.C., 1/30/12)

The Department Of Justice Makes “Serious Mistakes” And American Citizens Suffer The Consequences

“The Attorney General, In Testimony To The House And Senate Last Year, Said He Feared The Justice Department Could Be Living With The Consequences Of More Than 1,000 Guns Connected To Fast And Furious That Remain Unaccounted For Years To Come.” (Carrie Johnson, “Emails Show How ‘Fast And Furious’ Ambush News Unfolded At Justice ... more

Freddie Mac Has Placed Bets Which Put Them “Squarely Against The Homeowner”

Freddie Mac Has Placed Bets Against American Homeowners. “Freddie Mac, the taxpayer-owned mortgage giant, has placed multibillion-dollar bets that pay off if homeowners stay trapped in expensive mortgages with interest rates well above current rates. Freddie began increasing these bets dramatically in late 2010, the same time that the company was making it harder for homeowners to get out of such high-interest mortgages.”  (Jesse Eisinger and Chris Arnold, “Freddie Mac Bets Against American Homeowners,” ProPublica, 1/30/12)

• Freddie Could Lose “Substantial Amounts Of Money” If Homeowners Refinance. “In addition to being an instrument of government policy dedicated to making home loans more accessible, Freddie also has giant investment portfolios and could lose substantial amounts of money if too many borrowers refinance.” (Jesse Eisinger and Chris Arnold, “Freddie Mac Bets Against American Homeowners,” ... more
  
  

What Obama Sees And Hears About The Economy…

Obama: “Jennifer, can I ask you what kind of engineer your husband is?”

Jennifer: “He’s a semiconductor engineer.”

Obama: “It is interesting to me – and I meant what I said, if you send me your husband’s resume, I’d be interested in finding out exactly what’s happening right there, because the word we’re getting is that somebody in that kind of high-tech field, that kind of engineer, should be able to find something right away. And the H1B should be reserved only for those companies who say they cannot find somebody in that particular field so that wouldn’t necessarily apply, if in fact, there were a lot of highly skilled American engineers in that position, so I – I –I’d be interested to know – I-I-I will follow up on this.”

(President Barack Obama, “Google+ Town Hall,” 1/30/12)

What America Sees And Hears About The Economy…

Since President Obama Took Office, The Semiconductors And Electronic Components Manufacturing Sector Has Lost ... more

Attorney General Holder Repeatedly Claimed That The Justice Department Had No Knowledge Of “Gun Walking” In “Fast And Furious”

On May 3, 2011, Attorney General Eric Holder Testified To Congress That He Only Became Aware Of “Fast And Furious” “Over The Last Few Weeks” In Spring 2011. (Sharyl Attkisson, “ATF Fast And Furious: New Documents Show Attorney General Eric Holder Was Briefed In July 2010,” CBS News, 10/03/11)

Attorney General Holder Testified That Justice Officials Didn’t Know About “Gun Walking” During Correspondence With Congressional Investigators. “Mr. Grassley and other Republicans also demanded to know more about who had drafted and reviewed a February letter the department sent him saying that ‘A.T.F. makes every effort to interdict weapons that have been purchased illegally and prevent their transport into Mexico.’ Mr. Holder said that the drafters of the letter did not know at the time about the tactics used in Wide Receiver and Fast and Furious.” (Charlie Savage, ... more

More bad news for those who lost their money in MF Global’s bankruptcy just days before the House Financial Services Committee conducts another hearing.

It Is Unlikely The $1.2 Billion Missing From MF Global Customers Will Ever Be Recovered. “Nearly three months after MF Global Holdings Ltd. collapsed, officials hunting for an estimated $1.2 billion in missing customer money increasingly believe that much of it might never be recovered, according to people familiar with the investigation.” (Scott Patterson And Aaron Lucchetti, “Money From MF Global Feared Gone,” The Wall Street Journal, 1/30/12)

• “The Findings So Far Suggest That A ‘Significant Amount’ Of The Money Could Have ‘Vaporized.’” “As the sprawling probe that includes regulators, criminal and congressional investigators, and court-appointed trustees grinds on, the findings so far suggest that a ‘significant amount’ of the money could have ‘vaporized’ as a result of chaotic trading at MF Global during the week before the ... more
  
  

A Tour Of Obama’s Latest Trouble States

Michigan

43 Percent Of Michigan Voters Give The Job Obama Has Done As President A “Positive” Rating While 56 Percent Give Him A “Negative” Rating. (Chuck Stokes, “POLL: Obama Leading In Michigan, Gingrich Gaining On Romney,” WXYZ, 1/26/12)

Florida

52 Percent Of Florida Voter Give Obama A Negative Job Approval Rating, While Just 46 Percent Give Him A Positive Rating. (Quinnipiac University Poll, 1,518 RV, MoE 2.5%, 1/19 -23/12)

• Among Independents, Just 43 Percent Give Obama A Positive Job Approval Rating, While 53 Percent Give Him A Negative Rating. (Quinnipiac University Poll, 1,518 RV, MoE 2.5%, 1/19 -23/12)  

49 Percent Of Florida Voters Say Obama Doesn’t Deserve A Second Term, While 47 Percent Say He Does. (Quinnipiac University Poll, 1,518 RV, MoE 2.5%, 1/19 -23/12)

• Among Independent Voters, 49 Percent Say Obama Doesn’t Deserve A Second Term, While 44 Percent Say He Does. (Quinnipiac University Poll, 1,518 RV, MoE 2.5%, 1/19 -23/12)

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