ONE OF THE LONGEST NAMES. ESSENTIALLY, IT IS AN AGENCY STARTED IN THE 1970'S FROM DIFFERENT FEDERAL AGENCIES INCLUDING ONE THAT DEALT WITH THE REGULATION...

THE EXPLOSIVES CAME ABOUT BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEEDED A SPECIALIZED AGENCY TO LOOK AT WHENEVER THERE WAS A BOMBING OR ANY KIND OF CRIME INVOLVING...

NO. IT WAS AFTER SUCH THINGS AS THE MORAL BUILDING -- MORROW BUILDING BOMBING EARLIER. HOST:

SOME SEVERE PROBLEMS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS BEING ABLE TO ADAPT AND ATF DIRECTOR CONFIRMED. IN 2006 -- IT HAS ALWAYS HAD A TIP ON ITS SHOULDER WITH RESPECT...

GOOD MORNING. THIS IS ABOUT CONTROL. I'VE UNDERSTAND THERE'S A PRODUCT CALLED SSAR-15 THAT ENABLES A SEMI-AUTOMATIC GUN TO CONVERTED TO AN AUTOMATIC...

TALK ABOUT THE REGULATORY ROLE OF ATF. HERE ARE SOME STATISTICS ON CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS IN 2011. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT 27TH THOUSAND CASES, WHAT IS ATF...

THE LINE. CALLER: I HAVE A QUESTION

GUEST: I DO NOT. THERE IS A SMALL PORTION OF THE REGULATORY POWER ON ALCOHOL BUT STILL REMAINS AT THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT. I BELIEVE THE MONEY GOES TO...

GUEST: RIGHT. HOST: MIKE IS ON OUR

CALLER: GOOD MORNING. I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF CARRYING A VERY WISE WOMAN, SO I AM THE LUCKIEST MAN IN THE WORLD. MY WIFE POINTED OUT THAT NO ONE WITH...

THEY'D JUST DID 10 INSPECTIONS BURMA, THEY COULD, STATISTICALLY, 5 TIMES THE INSPECTIONS OF THESE DEALERS. HOST: IS THAT SOMETHING

COMPLAINTS THEY HAVE IS THAT THEIR BUDGET HAS BEEN SORT OF STATIC. YOU HAVE -- THEY HAVE NOT GROWN VERY MUCH IN RECENT YEARS. HOST:

SINCE THE 9/11 ATTACKS. SINCE 2008 HAVE GONE 4200 EMPLOYEES TO JUST OVER 5000 AGENTS. SO THEY HAVE GOTTEN AN INCREASE. A $500 MILLION BUDGET AUTHORITY...

WERE THERE IN NEWTOWN AND THEY WERE IN OR AFTER THE MASS SHOOTING THERE. HOST: WHAT WERE THEY THERE

OHAURORA, THEY SENT A ROBOT WITH A CAMERA TO CHECK OUT THE APARTMENT OF THE ALLEGED SHOOTER TO MAKE SURE IT DID NOT BLOW UP THE ENTIRE BUILDING. SO...

THERE'S A LOT OF CONFLICT THAT HAPPENS ON THESE SCENES. MORE THAN FIVE YEARS AGO THERE WERE INSTANCES WHERE THE ATF AGENTS AND THE FBI AGENTS AND WOULD...

ESSENTIALLY. IT'S A LONG AND DIFFICULT HISTORY BETWEEN THE TWO. THEY SEEM TO BE WORKING A LOT BETTER TOGETHER IN RECENT YEARS. THE ISSUE WITH THE FBI...

MORNING. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ROLE OF ATF. ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS , IF THE NRA WAS NOT LOADING UP THE HOUSE AND OTHER CONGRESS MEMBERS WITH MONEY...

LEGISLATION SAYING THEY CANNOT DO THAT? GUEST:

THERE'S ALSO RESTRICTIONS ON GUN INQUIRIES, ON TRYING TO TRACE A PACIFIC GONE BACK TO A SPECIFIC OWNER, THAT THE ATF DOES NOT HAVE A SYSTEM THEMSELVES,...

ON THE TABLE IN TERMS OF POSSIBLE RESPONSE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE THAT WE WILL SEEK? GUEST: IT IS ONE OF

TALKING WITH THE WALL STREET JOURNAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REPORTER EVAN PRESS. NEXT GO TO RICHARD FROM LAKE PLACID, FLORIDA, ON OUR INDEPENDENT LINE....

HOW FAST AND FURIOUS AND WACO AND RUBY RIDGE BEFORE THAT HAVE COLORED HOW PEOPLE VIEW THE ATF. GUEST: IT IS

UP THE LEADERSHIP ISSUE ARTT ATF,. THEY HAVE AN ACTING DIRECTOR WHO HAS TWO JOBS AND HE'S A U.S. ATTORNEY IN MINNESOTA. GUEST: JONES IS

OF FOLKS LOOKING AT THIS ISSUE OF AN ACTING DIRECTOR AND CALLING FOR CHANGES, THIS EDITORIAL FROM NEWSDAY -- PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS NOMINATED SOMEBODY...

IS ON THE DEMOCRATIC LINE FROM KENTUCKY.

ABOUT ISSUES WITH A FAST AND FURIOUS. EXPLAIN WHAT THAT SITUATION HAS BEEN FOR FOLKS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE INVESTIGATION. GUEST:

TWITTER -- GUEST: I DON'T

OF SUSPICION. GUEST: THERE'S

FLORIDA, CLAIRE IS ON THE REPUBLICAN LINE. CALLER:

IS ONLY A TINY PORTION OF WHAT IS FOCUSED ON THE WAR IN DRUGS. -- THE ATF .. IT ENCOMPASSES EVERYTHING FROM WHAT WE SPEND PROVIDING AID TO FOREIGN POLICE...

THERE ARE INVESTIGATIONS INVOLVING DRUG TRAFFICKERS AND DRUG DEALERS. A LOT OF THE GUN CRIMES IN BIG CITIES. I SPENT TIME LAST SUMMER IN PHILADELPHIA...

CONGRESS IS A LONG WAY FROM GETTING THERE. I THINK WHAT THE VOTERS OF WASHINGTON STATE AND COLORADO HAVE DONE IS BEGUN A BIG DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE STATES...

CALLER: GOOD MORNING. IT'S NICE TO BE ABLE TO TALK WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ATF. BEAR WITH ME, BECAUSE I HAVE THE FLU. HOST: JUST BE CLEAR, HE'S

THIS UP FOR ME. WHY DO THEY MAKE SUCH A BIG DEAL ABOUT THE AR-15 BEING USED IN CONNECTICUT WHEN IT WAS NOT A FACTOR? IT WAS LOCKED UP IN THE TRUNK OF...

THE ISSUE OF HAVING A PERMANENT DIRECTOR, AND TRACKING ISSUES THAT HAVE COME UP SINCE THE NEWTOWN SHOOTINGS. ANY OTHER ISSUES THAT HAVE COME UP OR CHANGES...

ISSUE OF INSPECTIONS INCREASING, WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDING, HAS THAT COME UP? GUEST: YES, IT

THE DEMOCRATIC LINE FROM MEDINA. CALLER: HOW ARE

AT THE QUESTION OF THE DAY. THE ORDER IS WHAT IT IS. YOU PROBABLY WILL NEVER SEE A FULL FENCE ALONG THE BORDER. YOU SEE CROSSINGS HAVE GONE DOWN, BUT...

THE EASIEST THING FOR PEOPLE -- THIS IS NOT PARTISAN. A LOT OF POWER THAT THE NRA AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS HAVE IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT AMONG...

PROBABLY NOT. THEY OPPOSED THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S NOMINEE FOR THE ATF, MIKE SULLIVAN .

GUEST: YES. SO IT'S NOT ABOUT TO IS IN THE WHITE HOUSE. THE NRA HAS AN ISSUE WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF ATF. THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE INSPECTION SYSTEM...

MORNING. I JUST WANTED HIM TO TELL THE PEOPLE WHEN FAST AND FURIOUS STARTED, WHAT PRESIDENT STARTED IT, AND WHEN IT STARTED, AND WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON...

BEGAN IN 2009. IT WAS AN INITIATIVE THAT BEGAN UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION. -- FAST AND FURIOUS BEGAN IN 20 09. THROUGH THAT WE LEARNED ABOUT PREVIOUS...

CALLER: GOOD MORNING. I WONDER WHY ATF DOES NOT GET INVOLVED UNTIL CRIME IS COMMITTED. WHY DON'T THEY DO SOMETHING AHEAD OF TIME? I WORKED IN THE GOVERNMENT....