Georgia Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson told The Daily Caller on Tuesday that he thinks Attorney General Eric Holder should resign over Operation Fast and Furious, making him the first U.S. senator to demand that Holder step down now.
Isakson’s call comes after Holder lost control and accused TheDC of being “behind” calls for his resignation — rather than address them — during an interview at the White House. Holder scolded a Daily Caller reporter when he asked the attorney general to address the surge in calls for his resignation.
“You guys need to — you need to stop this,” Holder said. “It’s not an organic thing that’s just happening. You guys are behind it.”
Isakson joins 52 congressmen, three presidential candidates and two sitting governors in demanding that Holder resign immediately. (RELATED: Members of Congress calling for Holder’s immediate resignation)
Several other senators have made conditional or veiled calls for Holder’s resignation. Wyoming Republican Sen. Mike Enzi’s spokesman told TheDC he wants to continue learning more about what happened first.
“Senator Enzi was opposed to Attorney General Holder’s nomination in large part due to Holder’s positions on the 2nd Amendment,” Enzi’s spokesman said. “He voted against Holder’s nomination. Senator Enzi is also concerned about Operation Fast and Furious. He is following the investigation and wants to find those responsible, remove them from duty, and prevent such a bad program from happening again.”
A spokeswoman for Arkansas Republican Sen. John Boozman told TheDC that he supports an independent investigation to determine if Holder lied to Congress during his testimony about Fast and Furious — if he’s found to have lied, Boozman thinks Holder should resign.
“Senator Boozman supports an appointment of a special counsel to investigate Holder’s statements before the Judiciary Committee regarding his knowledge of Operation Fast & Furious and that pending the outcome of that investigation, if he is found to be in the wrong, Senator Boozman believes he should resign,” Boozman’s spokeswoman said.
When TheDC asked Mississippi Republican Sen. Thad Cochran if he thinks Holder should resign, he replied that he thinks it’s a decision the president and his advisers should make. “I think this is a problem for the administration to resolve,” he said.