Liberal Group Joins Call for Abolition of BATFE

The Washington Post reports that the Center for American Progress is joining the chorus to abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE).

The lead federal agency responsible for tackling gun violence should be merged into the FBI to better protect public safety and reduce firearms crime, a liberal think tank with strong ties to the Obama administration said.

The Center for American Progress — after a two-year investigation and more than 50 interviews with people in both agencies — concluded that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is plagued by inadequate management, insufficient resources, burdensome restrictions and a lack of coordination. The center’s 182-page report, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, is scheduled to be released Tuesday.

Someone needs to tell the Washington Post that the purpose of the BATFE is not to "tackle gun violence," it is a regulatory agency.  Then again, if BATFE views itself as the lead agency to fight gun violence, that could explain why it has been scandal ridden the last six years - it has lost site of its actual mission.