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Eric Holder expected to face heated questions from Senate Judiciary Committee about Fast and Furious, intelligence leaks
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A Fox News alert back to our top story today attorney general Eric Holder is facing off with senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
At a hearing that's going on right now that senator Patrick Leahy of course senator Charles Grassley -- spending much of his opening statement.
On the fast and furious operation.
Criticizing the attorney general for not fully releasing all the documents in that botched gun running stainless.
This constant stonewalling.
Is why the house committee is forced to move forward.
With contempt proceedings.
I think the American people deserve a better explanation than that they have received so far and especially the Terry's family -- -- For star -- is the digital politics editor for Fox News.
KT McFarland is a Fox News national security analyst.
And it's great to talk to both -- you -- -- focus on.
The hearings in the senate.
And as they relate to the -- and furious operation and also about these these intelligence leaks that are now being investigated by special prosecutors but Chris.
You first on the fast and furious stuff the contempt of congress.
Proceedings that that are beginning -- on the house side.
How does all this play out.
Well how it plays that you're you're seeing a perfect microcosm of it here.
Is that for Eric Holder the problem is and one thing it isn't just the fast and furious thing in the content you're gonna have a vote.
Coming up next week in the house oversight committee and then it goes out to the full house for about.
It might actually get through that would be a huge deal but as you're seeing today it's not gonna just be about that for Eric Holder it's also going to be.
About other things other controversies inside his agency.
That includes the national security leaks that also includes a lot of anger among Republicans that holders trying to stop the state of Florida.
From purging its voter rolls a swing state that's crucial to his boss president Obama's reelection house.
Chris politically speaking this is not what the White House wants people to be focusing their attention on.
Five months from now and Election Day does the White House make some kind of behind the scenes move to make all of this go away at least for now.
Well the problems with that for the president is that he still has me worried about his base and among the democratic base Eric -- very popular.
He is and he ideologues and he is somebody who is well respected on the left.
And if Barack Obama were seen to be sort of sawing the branch off underneath him he would pay a real political price KT let's shift to the national security -- aspect of all of this.
The Chris is sort of teed up for us here is information.
About an alleged cyber war on Iraq's nuclear program.
Other.
Al-Qaeda individuals.
Our enemies who now have this information because it was leaked to the New York Times it was leaked to the Associated Press what does this give them the enemies.
-- free things -- are important here one what it tells foreign intelligence agencies the guys to cooperate with us the Saudi intelligence agency the British intelligence agency.
Keeps secrets so you tell us stuff.
You may find -- you'll have to read about it in the front pages of the New York Times what this thing does -- is anybody who's considering.
Turning tail and be an informant for the CIA for the United States.
For our allied intelligence agencies has got to think -- you know if I do that you're not gonna protect me I'm going to be very vulnerable to getting killed by my own people.
And then the third thing that -- and a lot of ways is more important is it does telegraph to our adversaries what.
How we conduct intelligence what sources do we use what methods do we use to gather intelligence.
And in this war in the long war -- the Cold War where you worried about -- state and you knew what military having you know what tactics he had.
In this case it's small groups.
It's it's small groups tribal family members so that key -- finding out what's going on with them is intelligence and it's not satellite intelligence it's human intelligence you -- I had here's spy in the room with those guys and what this is done is made it.
Very difficult for us to have the spy in the room.
I would ask you KT about -- that the chill that this sort of puts over.
The agency and operatives who are doing very dangerous work now on the ground all over the world but let's take a listen real quickly to the attorney general who was reading from his prepared remarks at the beginning of this hearing.
And talking about exactly what we're discussing -- On Friday.
Side -- to experienced.
Independent United States attorneys to lead separate criminal investigations being conducted by the FBI.
Potential unauthorized disclosures.
These US attorneys are fully authorized to consult with members of the intelligence community.
To follow all appropriate leads wherever they do lead helps mentally to prosecute any criminal violations to the fullest extent of the law.
They will do an independent and thorough job.
But let me be clear unauthorized disclosures of classified information could jeopardize the security of our nation at risk the safety of the American people.
They will not be tolerated.
KT real quickly do you buy it.
Well we'll see if they don't come up with something with some real names of people who have done the leaking and it's a cover up and once it's a cover up.
And you get a special prosecutor remember what Democrats are joining.
And the cried to find out who's doing the leaking so this could be.
Best summer of 1972.
All over again this could be Watergate.
Right before -- presidential election an administration trying to cover about -- and over.
But I do think those -- or have come from the highest circles of -- -- asked Chris are we gonna see or reporters go to jail.
Because they who refuse to two to give the names of their sources for these articles.
Well just remember the Scooter Libby case and the Valerie Plame case for the bush administration was a very big deal.
The stakes were much lower -- that and yes -- -- people ending up going to prison.
You had a very big deal there stakes are much higher Pearson wouldn't be that surprised to see some some big stuff going down -- -- KT thank you both so much.
