Election-Year Politics and the 'Fast and Furious' Affair

For the first time in history, the US House of Representatives has held a Cabinet member in contempt. Attorney General Eric Holder was sanctioned yesterday for failing to disclose internal documents subpoenaed as part of an investigation into "Fast and Furious," the ATF operation which involved the sale of guns that reached Mexican drug lords and were involved in the death of a US Border Patrol agent. While the sanction doesn't pose a significant legal threat to Holder, it does add more fuel to the fire of the politically and constitutionally charged debate. Many Democrats called the proceedings a witch hunt, while a handful of their colleagues voted yes. But what's really behind the story of the "gun walking" operation gone wrong? How much of the blame lies with personal politics and inter-agency disagreements? What's the role of gun laws and the gun lobby?