AG Holder and CNN.com, Imperfect Together

Two quick points on an incredible piece on CNN.com summarizing Attorney General Eric Holder's testimony in front of Congress regarding the "Fast and Furious" scandal. 

Our first point relates to Mr. Holder's attempt to deflect any criticism about his role in the "Fast and Furious" scandal by trying to "turn the tables on his GOP critics, accusing them of engaging in 'inflammatory and inappropriate rhetoric ... in an effort to score political points.'"  Mr. Holder goes on to say it's time to end "politically motivated 'gotcha' games."

Reporting on a $16 muffin to prove wasteful spending, or bringing up settled sexual harassment claims from 10 years ago to discredit a potential presidential candidate are "politically motivated 'gotcha' games."  Vigorously questioning the Attorney General over a program conducted under his watch that intentionally provided violent Mexican criminals with weapons, lost track of those weapons, then found them at a crime scene where a US agent was murdered, is not a "politically motivated 'gotcha' game." 



For Mr. Holder to suggest the questioning is politically motivated only proves that he's trying to deflect his shortcomings, and that he is unfit to hold the position of Attorney General.

Our second issue is how CNN.com reported on the story.  The headline of the article - "GOP critic threatens impeachment over 'Fast and Furious'" is only slightly less infuriating that the shorter headline on the CNN.com front page "Attorney General Holder Rips GOP Critics."

We would have thought that this article should focus on the important testimony provided by Mr. Holder on the inaccurate information provided to Congress by his Department of Justice regarding the "Fast and Furious" debacle.  Instead, CNN focuses on the source of the questioning, a Republican Congressman, rather than the substance of the questioning and the responses. 

Wouldn't Democratic members of Congress be just as infuriated about the "Fast and Furious" scandal, and have the same tough questions?  We'd hope so.  Would CNN.com have made the hypothetical Democratic member of Congress the centerpiece of that article?  We doubt it. 

Why is the key point of the article that this questioning came from a member of the GOP?  Unfortunately the answer to that question is all too clear...