It wasn't a suggestion, fellows

"A spokesman for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has confirmed that Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Assistant Director Kenneth Melson did not produce documents and information related to the unfolding Project Gunrunner story that were requested 'as soon as possible, but no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 30, 2011' by Chairman Darrell Issa."

(Codrea)

We find it amazingly ironic that a thuggish government agency so historically eager to put average gun stores (most of which try their level best to comply with the Byzantine, arbitrary and ever-changing ATF rulebook) out of business over the most minor of paperwork errors has the unmitigated gall to completely stonewall a Congressional committee trying to answer the simple question of "Who in the ATF administration signed off on actively allowing thousands of known straw-purchased firearms to be smuggled into Mexico for the purpose of arming the drug cartels in that country, causing the deaths of untold Mexican citizens and at least two U.S. law-enforcement officers?"

The fact that the ATF brass, led by Acting Director Ken Melson, has blatantly ignored the lawful requests of both a House of Representatives committee chairman as well as the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee speaks volumes about the depth of their involvement in this ongoing scandal.

A personal question for Mr. Melson - is covering the rear ends of Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer, Attorney General Eric "Neutral, leaning towards favorable" Holder, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and possibly President Obama himself really worth losing your career (and now very possibly your freedom) over?