Checks and Balances?

           In the ongoing debate over evidence from the "Fast and Furious", Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. has withheld some evidence from Congress pertaining to the investigation. Congress was fulfilling their duty under checks and balances to check the acts of the executive branch by checking on the investigation. The "Fast and Furious" scandal took place when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives allowed some weapons to slip over the boarder in order for them to track the weapons up the drug cartels. When they lost track of the weapons, they turned up in some border conflicts where US citizens were injured and a border patrol officer was killed. Senator Charles Grassley received news in a letter from the internal justice department that denied A.T.F engagement in the gun running strategy.  In late 2011 the department retracted the letter, sparking the investigation. The executive branch was looking into what happened and Congress decided to look in on how Eric Holder was conducting the investigation. Holder did turn over some evidence to Congress but left out some documents in his attempt to save the investigation. After much debate over whether Holder had to give up the information or not, President Obama stepped in using executive privilege to allow Holder to keep the evidence from Congress.
          The author of this New York Times editorial supplies sufficient background on the scandal, but lacks detail in Holder's reasoning for withholding the evidence and Obama's reasoning for barring Holder from prosecution. There is little detail telling why decisions were made, making it hard for the reader to take a knowledgable stance on the issue. We are being told who did what but not why, and who to agree with but the evidence given does not support the agreement enough. With more knowledge on the decisions I would be able to make a more educated decision and agree with one side or the other, but from this article I feel there must be something left out that would make President Obama's decision, and Holder's decision, logical and agreeable. The author does however correctly critique the petty debates between the Executive Branch and Congress over the role of Congress under Checks and Balances. Congress and the Executive Branch spark debate over issues whether big or small and the author properly highlights this. I think this author just sees the entire debate as being a political confrontation.  He disagrees with the Republicans investigation of Holder but also thinks that by invoking Executive Privilege Obama is playing political game too. 
Link to this editorial