On Tuesday, National Gun Rights Examiner David Codrea noted Comedy Central's Jon Stewart's disappointing apparent acceptance of the "botched sting operation" explanation for "Project Gunwalker." The reason that this is disappointing is that just last week, Stewart made clear that he fully understood how absurd this program was, as an anti-gun trafficking "strategy." For example:
OK. So our plan to prevent American guns from being used in Mexican gang violence is to provide Mexican gangs with American guns. To use according to our plan for . . . violence.
And . . .
If this is the plan that they went with, what plan did we reject?
One might think, then, that if Stewart sees the utter absurdity of career law enforcement officials and criminal prosecutors adopting such a strategy for stopping gun trafficking, it would make some sense to at least explore the idea that just maybe, an entirely different goal was being pursued.
Alas, no. To "prove" that Fox News was deliberately misinforming viewers in pursuit of a political agenda, he showed Fox's William Lajeunesse explaining that there are some who suspect that "Project Gunwalker" was intended to pad Mexican "crime gun" statistics, in order to bolster support for more draconian gun regulation in the U.S. Basically, Lajeunesse reported that some are wondering about the same question that Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) asked in his capacity as Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Here's what Stewart said about that:
Ooh--did you see that? Did you see it? He just threw it right in there. President Obama is either incompetent--making an innocent mistake--or the architect of an evil conspiracy to wreak violent carnage in Mexico, as a way to take away Americans' guns [laughter from audience]. You know--both sides [more laughter]. [By the way, is there a third possibility? What would it be, Mr. Stewart?]
Who said that America was involved in the type of conspiracy that if true, could ultimately lead to the impeachment of a president? Who said it?
"Others" [another round of laughter].
To the letter:
Dear Mr. Stewart,
In your June 21 show, you presented a rather well done critique of the Bureau of Alchol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' (BATFE) "Operation Fast and Furious," whereby firearms were deliberately allowed to fall into the hands of brutally violent Mexican drug cartels, ostensibly in an effort . . . to prevent weapons trafficking to brutally violent Mexican drug cartels. You seemed quite well aware of the absurdity of this (and I quote) "let's call it a 'plan.'"
The ridiculousness of this "plan" is such that I have dubbed it "the underpants gnomes' business model of drug cartel-busting," because the idea that allowing guns to be trafficked to the cartels could somehow lead to the arrest and prosecution of the "kingpins" makes as little sense as the "underpants gnomes" of South Park believing that collecting underpants could (somehow) lead to profit, with Phase 2 of the gun "sting" operation left just as unexplained as the underpants gnomes' phase 2. I actually am hoping to popularize the "Gunwalker underpants gnomes" meme.
And Mr. Stewart, despite your obvious disapproval of the Operation Fast and Furious "strategy," you are apparently so willing to believe that it actually was a strategy for combating gun trafficking, developed by career law enforcement officials and prosecutors, that you ridicule those who suspect that the strategy instead had another, far more sinister, goal. You, in fact, ridicule those who report the news that such questions have been raised anywhere.
That, I think, qualifies you for "Gunwalker underpants gnome" status. You can bill me for the little green pointed hat, but the beard is your responsibility.
Sincerely,
Kurt Hofmann
See also:
- A journalist's guide to 'Project Gunwalker'-Part One
- A Journalist's Guide to 'Project Gunwalker-Part Two
- A Journalist's Guide to 'Project Gunwalker'-Part Three
- A Journalist's Guide to 'Project Gunwalker'-Part Four
- Official Correspondence on the Project Gunwalker Scandal.
- Sharyl Attkisson's stories on CBS
- Motive behind 'Project Gunwalker' needs closer look
- 'Project Gunwalker' makes Jon Stewart's 'Daily Show'
- Do 'Gunwalker' apologists REALLY think DoJ no smarter than 'Underpants Gnomes'?
- Calling out excuse-mongering Jon Stewart and Media Matters on Gunwalker intent
Comments