GOP Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney applauded House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa and Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley for their efforts to investigate the Obama Justice Department’s lethal Operation Fast and Furious scandal today during a speech at the NRA Annual Meeting Leadership Forum in St. Louis. This is the second time any GOP presidential candidate has mentioned the Fast and Furious scandal by name in a public event speech, officially bringing the scandal into the 2012 general election with President Barack Obama. Romney also embraced the NRA’s calls for Attorney General Eric Holder to resign or be fired for his role in Fast and Furious.
"I applaud Congressman Issa and Senator Grassley for their work in exposing the “Fast and Furious” scandal. And I applaud NRA leadership for being among the first and most vocal in calling upon Attorney General Holder to resign," Romney said.
To give readers some context, out of more than 21 debates during the 2012 GOP presidential primary, Fast and Furious was mentioned once.
Update: GOP Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich also mentioned Fast and Furious in his remarks, saying we must "get to the bottom of Operation Fast and Furious."