Quick, everybody look right! Watch the Supreme Court dance!

Nothing to see over here…

While America watched the circus performed/perpetrated by the Supreme Court this morning, people hardly remembered that something else rather monumental was scheduled to happen today. The House of Representatives, led by Congressman Darrell Issa, voted to hold Attorney General Eric Holder Jr in contempt of Congress. Holder now has the dubious honor of being the first sitting cabinet member ever to be held in contempt.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has been investigating Operation Fast and Furious, the gun-running sting operation that failed to the tune of thousands of weapons in the hands of cartels, over 300 dead Mexicans, and a dead American Border Patrol Agent, Brian Terry, for almost two years. During that time, committee chair Representative Issa has repeatedly asked for documents clarifying who knew what about the operation and when they knew it. The Justice Department, under Holder’s direction, has turned over what is believed to be a fraction of what is available – most of it so extensively redacted as to be useless.

Holding the Attorney General in contempt was a last resort, but some Democrats suggested that other motives were likely. Just last week, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called it a political game to distract Holder from the important work he has been doing to prevent “voter suppression,” otherwise known as “racist voter identification laws.”

But in today’s vote, seventeen Democrats sided with the Republican majority.

This is not about race. It is, however, about confrontation over cooperation.

– House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D (MD)

Some have said the charges against Attorney General Eric Holder are racially motivated and I couldn’t disagree more. The violent cartels armed by our government have no regard for party ID or race.

– Congressman Paul Gosar, R (AZ)

The final vote was 255-67. In a move reminiscent of the Wisconsin collective bargaining vote, 65 Democrats left the floor when the vote was called. The group were led by John Lewis, D(GA) and Nancy Pelosi, D(CA), who walked hand-in-hand. As they left, they chanted “shame on you” to the legislators who remained in the room to do their jobs. Well over 100 Democrats boycotted the criminal contempt vote that followed.

On the walkout:

The message is solidarity…We want people to know that we just cannot be a part of an effort to bring this kind of embarrassment and insult upon this body.

-Congressman James Clyburn, D (S.C.)

Someone apparently forgot to tell the Attorney General that.