In a letter to Obama to be released Tuesday morning, the California Republican and chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee charged: “Either you or your most senior advisors were involved in managing Operation Fast & Furious and the fallout from it…or, you are asserting a presidential power that you know to be unjustified solely for the purpose of further obstructing a congressional investigation. The surprising assertion of executive privilege raised the question of whether that is still the case.” 
 
 ( Also on POLITICO: Perry: Obama Fast and Furious executive privilege 'Nixonian') 
 
 While Issa’s letter is unlikely to force action by the president, it is sure to grab headlines and build drama before the House votes this week on whether to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over what they say is more than 100,000 documents. | John Shinkle/POLITICO Issa escalates 'Furious' war 
 
 Rep. Darrell Issa escalated the legal war over Fast and Furious, directly accusing President Barack Obama of either abusing his power by withholding information or having his aides conspire with Justice Department officials to manage the aftermath of the failed ATF gun-walking program. Sharpton wrote that Holder has been “stopped and frisked” by Republicans over the course of their investigation and has been “profiled” in his role as a prominent black federal official.
– Darrell Issa is upping his attack on President Obama following the president's use of executive privilege in an attempt to bail out Eric Holder. A letter to Obama released today minces no words: "Either you or your most senior advisors were involved in managing Operation Fast & Furious and the fallout from it," it reads, "or, you are asserting a presidential power that you know to be unjustified solely for the purpose of further obstructing a congressional investigation." The White House has continued to insist it has not been working with the DOJ during the congressional investigation into the failed ATF gun-walking operation, but Issa says Obama's use of executive privilege raises doubts about that assertion. Politico notes that the letter probably won't force Obama to do anything, but will definitely get attention. This week is a particularly tense one for the White House: It's very possible the House's decision on whether to hold Holder in contempt will come on the same day as the Supreme Court decision on ObamaCare. Meanwhile, Democrats are looking to spin the contempt motion—as an assault on minority rights that could possibly suppress voters, seeing as the DOJ is currently fighting against voter ID laws. Al Sharpton and a number of other civil rights leaders will hold a press conference on the issue today. "I’m not saying that this is because Holder is black, and I’m not calling [Republicans] racists," Sharpton tells The Hill. "I’m saying what they’re doing has a racial effect, and that’s what we’re going to talk about."