Holder's Words Matter

In 2008 Hillary Clinton argued candidate Obama's record consisted of "just words;" Obama shot back "don't tell me words don't matter."

In keeping with that sentiment Mr. Obama should review his Attorney General's May 3, 2011 statement to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Mr. Holder denied knowing about the ATF Fast and Furious operation. Here's a refresher.

I'm not sure of the exact date, but I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks.

This past week Department of Justice emails addressed to Holder himself have surfaced contradicting the attorney general's sworn testimony. And if a perjury accusation hanging over Holder's head isn't bad enough President Obama came out today with his own denial of any knowledge about the deadly affair.

I have complete confidence in the Attorney General Holder in how he handles his office. He has been very aggressive in going after gunrunning and cash transactions that are going to these transnational drug cartels in Mexico," Mr. Obama said in a press conference Thursday.

Speaking Thursday, Mr. Obama downplayed speculation that the controversial program's existence was known throughout his administration, adding that he himself was unaware of the program.

"Certainly I was not. And I think both he and I would have been very unhappy if somebody had suggested that guns were allowed to pass through that could have been prevented by the United States of America," President Obama noted at a news conference on Thursday.

Obfuscation is nothing new in the double-talk world of politics but when dead bodies start showing up as a result of a government directed program, someone has to be held responsible. Congressman Issa, Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform leading the investigation, might have been describing the Obama administration when he recently said Holder was "a man ... who, carefully, if he doesn't like the question, answers it the way he wants to."

If words really do matter to Mr. Obama he may want to remember Border Patrol Agent's Brian Terry's last desperate cry on the night of December 14, 2010. "I'm hit! I can't feel my legs," Terry said. "I think I'm paralyzed."

Terry bled to death before help could arrive. Two AK-47'S traced to the Fast and Furious program were found at the scene. The Terry family and other victims deserve justice.

Read more M. Catharine Evans at Potter Williams Report