Politics Over Public Safety': Holder Blames Bush and Attacks Issa in Reaction to Contempt Charges

Eric Holder has not had a good day, and judging by his public reaction to Congress' vote to hold him in criminal contempt, it shows. In a brusque 2 minute statement, Holder goes for every charge he can think of, accusing Congress of putting "politics over public safety" out of a cynical desire to create a scandal during an election year, all while talking up his own record of leadership in trying to decipher the problems behind Operation Fast and Furious.

"Instead of trying to correct the problems that led to a series of law enforcement operations, and instead of helping us find ways to better protect the brave law enforcement agents, like agent Brian Terry, who keep us safe, they have led us to this unnecessary and unwarranted outcome," Holder snaps. "When concerns about operation Fast and Furious first came to light, I took action and ordered an independent investigation into what happened. We learned that the flawed tactics used in this operation began in a previous administration, but I made sure that they ended in this one."

That's right, it's still Bush's fault. Watch Holder's statement below: