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Back in October 2010, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) told Rush Limbaugh he considers President Obama "one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times." Ruth Marcus noted soon after, "If Issa believes this, he is deranged. If he doesn't and is saying it anyway, he is dangerous."
The jury's still out on which of these is true, but Issa is still pushing the same bizarre line.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) told Bloomberg TV that the Obama government is "proving to be" the "most corrupt in history."
Said Issa: "We are busy in Washington with a corrupt government, with a government that I said perhaps because of the money, the amount of TARP and stimulus funds, was going to be the most corrupt government history and it is proving to be just exactly that."
Marcus' deranged-or-dangerous frame continues to ring true.
Part of the problem here is that Issa desperately wants Americans to believe the Obama administration is corrupt, but can't point to any legitimate examples of corruption. In his Bloomberg interview, the conservative Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee pointed to Solyndra, which proved to be meaningless, and the GSA conferences, which isn't an example of corruption (and which the administration uncovered in the first place).
Indeed, the great irony of Issa's strange attack is that the Obama administration, after more than three years in office, has been remarkably scandal-free. After the corruption, investigations, grand juries, and criminal probes that dominated the Bush/Cheney era, it's a pleasant change of pace.
The other part of this that strikes me as interesting is the messenger himself: given Darrell Issa's background, it's tempting to think he'd be a little more circumspect about slinging mud at anyone.
Every time I see Issa throw around wild accusations about Obama's imaginary wrongdoing, I'm reminded of Issa's own real-world scandals. Last year, the New Yorker's Ryan Lizza had a fascinating piece reviewing Issa's rise in wealth and power, despite the "troubles" the right-wing congressman has had along the way.
Many politicians have committed indiscretions in earlier years: maybe they had an affair or hired an illegal immigrant as a nanny. Issa, it turned out, had, among other things, been indicted for stealing a car, arrested for carrying a concealed weapon, and accused by former associates of burning down a building.
Lizza wasn't being hyperbolic. The man falsely accusing Obama of corruption, and tasked with investigating potential White House wrongdoing, has spent a fair amount of his adult life as a suspected criminal.
Lizza's report highlighted Issa having one run-in with the law after another, including arrests and indictments. There are also many suspected crimes -- he's accused of deliberately burning down a building and threatening a former employee with a gun -- which did not lead to formal charges, but which nevertheless cast the congressman in a less-than-flattering light.
The New Yorker report also noted an incident in which Issa crashed into a woman who needed to be hospitalized, driving away before the police could arrive because, as he told the person he hit, he didn't have time to wait. Issa didn't face charges, but he was sued over the matter, and agreed to an out-of-court settlement.
And in case that weren't quite enough, the same article also notes instances in which Issa appears to have lied about his background. The congressman, for example, claimed to receive the "highest possible" ratings during his Army career, despite the fact that at one point he "received unsatisfactory conduct and efficiency ratings and was transferred to a supply depot." Issa also claimed to have provided security for President Nixon in 1971, which wasn't true, and said he won a national Entrepreneur of the Year award, but didn't.
This is the guy preoccupied with bogus allegations about administration wrongdoing?
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Oh please someone put this wanabe Mafioso under the microscope.
This rubber/glue tactic seems to have permeated every level of the Republican party .
Not one of those useless multimillionaire talking head pundits is willing to risk their employment by being at least as rude to Issa as O'Reilly and the other Faux clowns were to Obama.
Just a simple excuse me Mr. Issa you accuse the President of bieng corrupt what about.....
That's all , and I would be satisfied
If Darrel Issa wants to see corrupt all he has to do is look in a mirror.
It's the whole republican/rove strategy: "I'm rubber you're glue." They project their failings onto their opponent. They've been doing it for years and the media lets them get by with it. The underlying belief is that if you tell a lie often enough a lot of people will believe it's true.
The correct term is "Projection". This is when the speaker "projects" on to the person the very trait that he/she has himself/herself. It's common among liars and those trying to change the opinions of others to their opinions or beliefs. I wish that Rachel would use the term "Projection" and maybe have a psychologist talk about the way the Repubs/Tea Partiers use it for their own benefit. People who use Projection are usually not very trustworthy, but you can learn about them by what they say.
What Rachel says is irrelevant- she is preaching to the choir.
What "we" need to do is advertise on American Idol and Dancing with the Stars , to reach the Great American-and registered to vote- Moron.
Oh come now. Issa is no saint, but neither is Obama. Just the latest is a scheme to circimvent a provision in Obamacare that would hurt his election chances. Then there's Rezko, shaking down GM bondholders, sending guns to drug cartels, helping foment racial strife in Florida, civil rights transgressions, and the ever popular stimulus subsidies for friends.
Issa might just be right.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/an_billion_trick_ImTBFfz7MeuZLJY7JzXEIJ
They banned you from TPM so now you're over here spewing your vitriolic false equivalences? Be gone, troll.
And welcome to you too.
Heh.
Go drop dead you piece of something one scrapes off their shoe. Getting rid of you in all your aliases was one of the reasons TPM changed their registration system.
TC,
Please - don't feed the trolls/sheeple.
Issa is the one who engineered the California governor recall election that put Schwarzenegger into office. Originally, he thought he would run for (and get) the office, but then he was advised that his own personal history would not withstand the scrutiny. He successfully ousted Grey Davis at least in part by pinning the blame on Davis for what turned out to be Enron's manufactured energy shortages.
Issa is dangerous, make no mistake about it. If he tells you the sky is blue, assume it must actually be orange. Know that if his lips are moving, then he must be (if not outright lying) at least bending the truth to what he thinks is his own advantage in some way or another.
Daniel Patrick Monihan once said, “You’re entitled to your own opinion but not your own facts”. Unfortunately this absolute truth is slipping away as a result of our spineless 24/7 sound-bite media not doing their jobs calling out Republican’s on their lies, false equivalences, and hypocrisy. Our next president could very well be elected as a result of ignorance and laziness with millions of dollars from unknown sources saturating the media with unchecked misinformation. This is a far bigger problem for the future of our country than the debt crisis, healthcare, or entitlement programs. When the truth is left dying, chaos is the survivor.
And why are you surprised? Issa is behaving in typical GOP fashion, sling enough mud at the "other guy" often and even if it doesn't stick; it will leave the faithful sheeple confused and not asking the right questions.
Does no one remember Monica Lewinsky & Bill Clinton, as Newt was slinging arrows he was carrying on with a woman that became Mrs. Gingrich #3? And while Clinton may have been in the wrong, Gingrich was hardly the person that should have been throwing stones.
This time we should certainly get justice over these Walmart crimes and not just a slap on the hand to Walmart with a peanut fine. Let’s finally start seeing some prison time for these crooks just like they do with the average person. What makes these rich people so special, when they are nothing but being criminals and betrayers to an American Democracy. Enough is enough with these rich crooks that think they can buy their way out of anything.
Since Walmart is a person, perhaps it can be tried as a person and not a corporation. Maybe in some other universe........ ....unfortunately. The GOP criticizing someone's ethics is like Jeffrey Dahmer criticizing someone's eating habits.
After being exposed to a high pitch sound for a while and then placed in silence, the human ear will "hear" the sound because the sudden absence of input is mistaken for the input. Likewise, after the excesses of Bush/Cheney, the body politic is hearing a false echo, mistaking "lack of scandal" for scandal.
Republicans trying to say someone else is corrupt, when it is the Republicans that rae the outright worst corrupt people around. Issa's comments is a big joke and scam, maybe we should be investigating Issa's little hidden activities. I bet there would be plenty of scandals and associations with questionable people.
In Issa's case, try "deranged and dangerous." He's a perfect example of the old saying "the only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies." How it is that San Diego County, which has the best weather in California, has the dumbest voters in the state (they make the idiots in Orangatang County look intelligent) is beyond me.
I don't know. Orange County keeps electing Rohrabacher. That man is a supreme idiot and does nothing to hide that fact and yet... That is some stiff competition for Republican craziness in a blue blue State
Issa will be the last to realize this, but he has a glass jaw, and insists on leading with his chin! -Kevo
Congressman Hit'n'Run Issa's tactics are nothing new. You're faced with the demonstrably least corrupt administration in modern times with no scandals? Make stuff up. Your ideology evinces signs of proto fascism? Harp endlessly about chimeric 'liberal fascism.' You're a presidential candidate whose policies would ratchet up the already entrenched plutocracy to eleventy hundred? Call the other's policies unfair to 'the little guy.'
They're simply using the old play book on the new media field. As always, sunlight is the best medicine. Give TRMS credit: for a long time, they were the only ones in major media talking about Governor Ultrasound's retrograde policies. Now he's almost certainly out of the running for veep. I hope the show and the blog take up the task of exposing this hit and run artist for what he is.
I have no doubts.
he's f-in crazy
Issa's practicing 'projection'. He is no doubt the 21st Century's most corrupt member of Congress still in office and he is attempting to throw off the posse with his false and libelous attacks on the President. His actions are probable cause for a full blown FBI investigation I say.
http://fromthetrenchesworldreport.com/more-senate-corruption-rep-darrel-issa-questionable-ethics-goldman-sachs-paying-for-protection/6041
I hate Issa!
Don't say "hate" - it isn't a strong enough word! Try loathe.
Goebbels is smiling up on the Republican party.
All I can say is. They have "used" the people of Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan. As a "petri" dish. Look for Flipp Romney to tell you anything, as usual, to get the white house. But don't expect him to actually DO what he "says". His "Tele prompter" made up speech, sounded like it came right out of Rove's playbook. Tell'em what they "want" to hear. Not what you actually mean. Look out United States. Bush V. Gore was a practice run, compared to whats ahead.
You'd also think the Catholic Bishops would stop preaching about morality, too.
I call him (& have done so for many years) "my favorite lying two-faced son-of-a-bitch congressman" (it rolls so easily off my tongue). This came about after he flat-out lied to me face to face. He really is quite the slime ball.
Once again, it seems to me that blatant lies and obfuscation are grounds for legal pushback. And, the POTUS can take to the airways without buying airtime with counter charges in response to Issa's lies and false allegations. But, he won't. Folks, the game of politics is a distraction from what is actually going on. Please go to www.thrivemovement.com and download the movie, THRIVE, FREE, and watch it. It will turn your head around. Of course, if you insist on playing in the political sandbox, expect to get sand in your shorts, with the accompanying irritation.
Issa PUSHED a highway bill that improved the main drag HIS newly bought Buildings happened to be on. Between 2006-2008?
Bringin home the bacon, Pork, self dealing, call it what you want! But it's true reason is for a CORRUPT Congressman to get RICH on the taxpayers dollar being used to HIS benefit!
That is CORRUPT, even for a Psychopath such as Issa!
Issa just got a big, fat wad of cash from one of the energy companies for his campaign chest. If there's a credible candidate ready to face him, I haven't heard about it. Issa has a well oiled machine ready to mow through any opposition that might appear. His intimidation factor is pretty high. I don't know how seriously you take him, but I'd be worried about burning buildings if I ran against him. Interesting thing about Issa is that the last and only time I have seen him in a town hall-like forum was in the summer of the Tea Party disruptors when nobody but the TPers could get a word in edgewise. Besides that, he only "appears" for buy-in fundraisers and telephone "town halls" which get announced as happening now, which is generally in the middle of dinner prep. I think getting rid of Issa is going to take a fair amount of outside help and committment.
People who are dishonest themselves assume this is normal behaviour and expect dishonesty in everybody else.
None of this is anything new to those of us here in San Diego.
See this story: http://obrag.org/?p=21756
And this one: http://www.sdcitybeat.com/sandiego/article-7885-issa-issues.html
And this one from the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/us/politics/07issa.html?_r=3&src=twt&twt=nytimes
The problem is that North San Diego County--the locales of Vista, San Marcos, Oceanside, Escondido, and southern Riverside County where Issa's district is located--is a right wing whack job hotbed. And his chances of being voted out of office this time around aren't exactly promising, despite a redistricting process here in California that removed politics from the process as much as possible in the modern era. His new 49th District now extends into the beach communities of the very southern portion of Orange County--San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.
All of his dirty laundry has become pretty common knowledge around these parts, but his constituents don't seem to care. After all, he's a really rich guy, and being a really rich guy, he MUST be smarter than the rest of us, right?
It's just really sad what passes for "leadership" these days, particularly in the wake of the Duke Cunningham scandal (Brian Bilbray was elected to that seat). The voters here just don't seem to care, no matter how much of his douchebaggery we expose.
See more here: http://issawatch.couragecampaign.org/