Darrell Issa

The Impact Of The California House Delegation–53 out of 435 House Of Representatives Members, And 16 Major Figures

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California, the largest state with one out of every eight people in the nation–39.25 million out of 323 million in 2016—has 53 members in the House of Representatives–one out of every eight in the House.

Due to that reality, California House members tend to stand out as more significant than many in other state delegations, with 39 Democrats and 14 Republicans representing the state in the House of Representatives.

A large number of these Congressmen and Congresswomen are leaders in the House, and are often seen on cable television and on news websites.

Among the Republicans, we have:

Kevin McCarthy of the 23rd District is the House Majority Leader, second highest leader of the Republicans in the chamber.

Devin Nunes of the 22nd District is the House Intelligence Committee Chair, although he stepped aside on the investigation of Donald Trump, due to accusations that he had disclosed classified information to the public, and consulted with President Trump on committee actions.

Ed Royce of the 39th District is the House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair.

Dana Rohrabacher of the 48th District has been controversial for his overly pro Russian, pro Vladimir Putin, advocacy.

Darrell Issa of the 49th District was the Chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee from 2011-2015, and is also known to be the wealthiest member of Congress.

Among the Democrats, we have:

Nancy Pelosi of the 12th District is former Speaker of the House from 2007-2011, and has been Minority Leader since 2011, and is, therefore, the highest ranking Democrat in Congress, and is always highly controversial as a result of her leadership position.

Barbara Lee is a very outspoken African American Congresswoman, representing the 13th District, and was the only person not to support the resolution authorizing the use of force after September 11, 2001. She has been in the past the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Jackie Speier of the 14th District has been a leader in the movement to expose sexual harassment, and to demand action on misbehavior of members of Congress.

Eric Swalwell of the 15th District has only been in Congress for five years, but has played a role on the House Intelligence Committee and House Judiciary Committee on the ongoing investigation into Donald Trump and Russian collusion, and is often seen on cable news programs.

Zoe Lofgren of the 19th District serves on the Oversight and Judiciary Committees and is an important figure with her 22 years in the House of Representatives.

Adam Schiff of the 28th District has become the major figure on the Democratic side of the House Intelligence Committee investigation into Donald Trump and Russian collusion, and earlier served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and has also served on the Appropriations Committee. He is considered an expert on foreign policy and national security issues. He is often seen on cable news programs.

Brad Sherman of the 30th District is a ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and has been in the House of Representatives for 21 years. He has also served on the Financial Services Committee.

Ted Lieu of the 33rd District has been in Congress for only three years, but is already an outspoken member, including a call for the impeachment of Donald Trump, and he has been made an Assistant Whip by Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. He serves on the Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees in the House of Representatives.

Karen Bass, African American from the 37th District, serves on the Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees, and is quite outspoken, despite only seven years in the House of Representatives.

Linda Sanchez of the 38th District serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and is ranking member of the Ethics Committee, and is Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. She is also the Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, 5th ranking position in the House Democratic leadership, and first woman of color ever to be elected to a leadership position in the history of the US Congress.

Maxine Waters of the 43rd District, and African American, is the most outspoken critic of Donald Trump in Congress, and has called for his impeachment and removal from the Presidency. She has long been a firebrand on many issues, and is the most senior of twelve black women serving in Congress. She is a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and has been in Congress since 1991. She was also a strong critic of President George W. Bush, as well as of President Barack Obama. She also is the ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, and previously served on the House Judiciary Committee. She has come under fire for her confrontational manner, and has been accused of and investigated for ethics violations.

So 5 Republicans and 11 Democrats, almost one third of the 53 House members from California, are major figures in what goes on in the House of Representatives on a daily basis.

Republican Skeptics On Ryan Health Care Plan: John Kasich, Rand Paul, Tom Cotton, Darrell Issa, And Many Others

Ronald 8 Comments

The Republican Party has an increasing number of skeptics about the Paul Ryan alternative bill to ObamaCare, which has now been scored on its effect on the budget by the Congressional Budget Office, and it is a total disaster.

All of the following are unhappy with the Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare, as it is, but warn against the House sponsored plan:

Governor John Kasich of Ohio
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky
Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas
Congressman Darrell Issa of California
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Senator Rob Portman of Ohio
Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado
Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia
Senator Susan Collins of Maine
Senator Dean Heller

But also there are the right wing extremists, the Freedom Caucus House Republicans who oppose the Ryan bill, as do the following groups:

Freedom Works
Club For Growth
Heritage Action

And the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, and the American Association Of Retired Persons, and many other groups are also totally against the legislation.

So in the midst of control of both Houses and the White House, the Republican Party is in a crisis as to how to appeal to their base, as they work to deny them health care–elderly, sick, disabled, and poor.

Speaker John Boehner Finally Shows “Cojones” Against Tea Party!

Ronald 5 Comments

Speaker of the House John Boehner FINALLY has shown “cojones” against the extremist Tea Party movement and other right wing whackos in his caucus, who are anarchistic and reckless.

He overcame the “Hastert Rule”, started by previous GOP Speaker Dennis Hastert, that no bill would come up for a vote unless there was a majority of Republicans behind it.

Having already abandoned this rule a few times, Boehner took a major step yesterday when he allowed a “clean” vote on the debt limit being taken off the table as a decisive issue until March 15, 2015, insuring economic stability and growth over the next year by that action!

By a vote of 221-201, with 193 Democrats and 28 Republicans, the debt limit increase passed, but many committee chairs and Paul Ryan, Budget Committee Chair, voted NO, and it made it on the record that 199 Republicans were willing to have the government go into default, something that should harm them in the midterm elections coming up in November. Interestingly, other members of the House leadership, including Eric Cantor, the heir apparent, and Kevin McCarthy, and Darrell Issa, voted with Boehner and the 28 Republicans who voted for the debt limit extension.

Boehner may end up leaving Congress, or at least, losing the Speakership if he stays and his party keeps control, but yesterday was a profile in courage FINALLY!

And if, by some chance, Texas Senator Ted Cruz tries to block the debt limit extension by calling for a 60 vote majority to consider it, and if five Republicans cannot be found, then Harry Reid, the Majority Leader, has threatened to use the “nuclear option”, allowing for all votes in the Senate to be based on a 51 vote majority, destroying the filibuster, and then a flow of legislation has a chance to get through the Senate!

The time of the Tea Party Movement dominance over Congress MAY have come to an end, and not too soon!

IRS “Scandal” Not A Scandal: Progressive Groups Targeted As Much As Conservative Groups!

Ronald 3 Comments

The purpose of the Internal Revenue Service is to make sure that Americans pay their proper level of taxes to support the needs of the federal government, and to insure that political groups do not get tax exempt status and avoid taxation through deceit and false claims as to their activities.

California Congressman Darrell Issa and others have tried to dramatize what they see as IRS corruption, due to accusations that only conservative groups have been targeted tor investigation by the IRS.

But now it turns out that progressive groups have also been investigated, and been denied tax exempt status, as required by a fair enforcement of the laws.

So therefore, there is no scandal, and the IRS is doing what it is supposed to do—insure fair collection of taxes! This is the law under 501 c 3 and c 4 of the tax laws—no political activity if organizations want tax exemptions!

So all the attention to “corruption” ordered by the Obama Administration turns out to be just typical conservative and Republican propaganda, but what else is new?

California Congressman Darrell Issa And Texas Senator Ted Cruz: In Appearance And Actions, Just Like The Infamous Wisconsin Senator, Joseph McCarthy!

Ronald 10 Comments

Sixty three years ago, Joseph McCarthy, Republican Senator from Wisconsin, became infamous, as he began his nearly five year tirade with false accusations, accusing great numbers of people of being Communists. He became an “ism”, and was ultimately repudiated by the US Senate, but only after most Republicans remained silent for years, even though they knew he was a demagogue!

Well, now we have California Congressman Darrell Issa and Texas Senator Ted Cruz, both of whom are engaged in demagoguery on a massive scale, just like McCarthy six decades ago!

And, interestingly, it is not just their tactics that are similar to McCarthy, but if one examines their faces and appearances, it is amazing how similar both are to their infamous predecessor! It is eery and weird to the extreme!

Issa is himself a person with a criminal background in his youth, and very easy at issuing accusations without substance!

Cruz is alienating and terrifying his Senate Republican colleagues, just as McCarthy did, with his wild, reckless statements and high level of arrogance and egotism!

It is likely that both will, at some point, “crash” in ruins, as McCarthy did in December, 1954!

Meanwhile, however, they will be destructive forces, with absolutely no ethics or sense of morality in their outrageous attacks on Barack Obama, Democrats, and moderate Republicans, the few which are left in the party!

House Republicans And Attorney General Eric Holder: A Travesty of Justice And A “Lynching” Of Our First African American Attorney General!

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It is shocking beyond belief that our first African American Attorney General Eric Holder, under our first African American President of the United States, Barack Obama, is facing a contempt of Congress vote on Thursday, the same day the Supreme Court issues its judgment of Obama Health Care legislation!

What has Eric Holder done wrong? He has refused to release internal documents regarding the failed, so called, “Fast and Furious” Mexican Drug Running setup begun by the Bush Administration, which sadly ended in the death of a border agent. Holder had held numerous meetings with the committee headed by California Republican Congressman Darrell Issa, and given documents, and Issa well knows that nothing corrupt has occurred, but is still on a rampage to destroy Holder’s reputation!

Holder, by withholding some sensitive documents, is doing nothing different than any Attorney General in the past, and many Attorneys General, including those under Warren G. Harding, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, have been involved in controversial activities, that never led to a move to cite for contempt of Congress.

Rather than deal with the jobs issue, the Republican House under Speaker John Boehner is running amuck, making for the most disgraceful Congress in many decades, and helping to cause the lowest public opinion rating for Congress in history, since polls began!

Even if Holder is cited for contempt of Congress, that will simply make him a victim of his race, and the prejudice against Barack Obama.

Holder has been an excellent Attorney General, fighting against the discriminatory immigration laws of Arizona and Alabama; battling against the attempt in Florida and elsewhere to cut people from the voting rolls; and taking other stands that conservatives and Republicans hate!

If Speaker John Boehner has any sense, he will work to prevent such a contempt citation, and push Darrell Issa to stop his bullying, but sadly it is unlikely to happen, but will reverberate on the Republicans in November!

The “Lynching” Of Attorney General Eric Holder: Racism And Political Revenge Against Principled Cabinet Member And Barack Obama!

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In American history, we have had Attorneys General in several Presidential administrations that have proved to be involved in criminal activities–Harry Daugherty in the Warren G. Harding Presidency and John Mitchell in the Richard Nixon Presidency, most notably.

But never have we had a Congressional committee do what was done today to Obama Attorney General Eric Holder, citing him for contempt of Congress, in a dispute over the withholding of internal Justice Department documents in an investigation of a botched gun trafficking investigation called “Fast and Furious”, begun by Attorney General Michael Mukasey under President George W. Bush, and ended under Attorney General Holder.

This action by the House Committee On Oversight And Government Reform, headed by publicity seeker Congressman Darrell Issa of California is an embarrassment to the Republican Party and the House of Representatives, and was accomplished by a straight party line vote.

This action, which may lead to a full House of Representatives vote next week, could in theory lead to Speaker John Boehner disgracing the House if he allows such a vote, and could lead to Holder, in theory, being put into a jail cell that exists in the chamber, something unprecedented in American history!

And why is this occurring? Is Eric Holder such a lawbreaker, such a criminal, that it is proper to disgrace him in this manner?

NO, it is simple RACISM and POLITICAL REVENGE against the principles and policies of the Obama Presidency!

Do not forget that Eric Holder is African American, and President Barack Obama is African American! This would NOT be happening if they were white, simple to say!

Eric Holder has angered many Republicans because he is having the Justice Department fight the racist immigration laws of Arizona and Alabama!

Eric Holder has angered many Republicans because he is fighting the voter suppression laws of Florida and other states, designed to stop the African American, Hispanic and Latino vote in many states that would vote for the Democrats this November!

Eric Holder is pursuing justice, fairness, equity in civil rights and civil liberties cases that give the average American a fair shake, rather than favoring the elite and the powerful!

Eric Holder has done an excellent job as Attorney General, and for that, and being black, he is being “lynched”!

What a disgrace the Republican Party has become, an embarrassment to Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and even Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush!

The Age Of Right Wing Republicans Begins! State, National, And Supreme Court Evidence Of The Changed Reality! :(

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A number of pieces of news today makes us aware of just how far right wing this country is to be taken by the Republican Party, once the new 112th Congress begins tomorrow! 🙁

News comes that the GOP Governors of many states are declaring “war” on public employee unions, making them the scapegoat of the economic crisis the nation faces! 🙁

The myth is that public service employees are overpaid, have too many benefits, and don’t work very hard. The facts are that people who work for state and local governments are NOT overpaid, and never have been, and while benefits might be better than average in a country where only 15 percent of private employers provide a traditional pension, the reason for their existence is exactly because pay in these jobs is below what many privately employed workers receive.

This is a case of turning the people of the states against their own teachers, police officers, firefighters, prison guards, nurses, social workers, librarians, and agency workers as a move of revenge, as if it is the fault of these workers that economic conditions are terrible.

Rather than blame corporations and the refusal of government to regulate their practices in the public interest, instead the goal is to destroy labor unions of all kinds, even though only NINE percent of all workers are union members! 🙁

Also, we learn that Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Antonin Scalia have no problem being partisan, when they are supposed to be objective and neutral on public matters.

Roberts has sworn in top aides of Speaker John Boehner, a highly unusual action, and Scalia, promoting his concept of “originalism”, now states that women are not protected constitutionally by the “equal protection” clause of the Constitution! 🙁

How outrageous such a statement is, and if that were to be utilized in the future by the Supreme Court majority, it could set us back to the 19th century, and include African Americans, Latinos, Jews, Catholics, and others as not being protected by the Constitution! Is this a move to repeal the 20th century by a reactionary Supreme Court, which would be overruling past Supreme Court cases upholding “equal protection”? 🙁

And finally, Darrell Issa is now asking corporations what laws they want considered for repeal as interfering with their economic activities, as he begins his term as head of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee in the House of Representatives! What could be more corrupt than that, and yet, Issa has the gall to say that the Obama Administration is the most corrupt in a long time! 🙁

It is hard to imagine that by 2012, there will not be “buyer’s remorse” about the Republican Party control of the House and growing influence in the Senate.

And realize that all that the Democrats need to regain control of the House of Representatives is a gain of 25 seats, certainly a manageable possibility!

Congressman Darrell Issa: Publicity Seeker And Witch Hunter! :(

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Congressman Darrell Issa of California is about to become Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and that means he will be in the news on a daily basis, as he seeks to promote an agenda.

And what is that agenda? It is to prove what he believes: that the Obama Administration is the most corrupt administration we have had in a long time!

On the Rush Limbaugh radio show in October, Issa went so far as to say that Barack Obama was the most corrupt President of modern times, but has now changed it to say it is not him, but his administration, without clarifying what the difference is, or to explain what he means!

But then, is it necessary to have facts, or is it not just enough to throw around charges and accusations, and make the front pages of the news, and prevent the administration from trying to deal with real problems, by having to deal with constant subpoenas for material, and appearances by officials at constant hearings? 🙁

Is Darrell Issa anything more than a publicity seeker and witch hunter, in many ways similar to Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, who claimed Communists in every bed and under every bed and everywhere else? 🙁

It might be interesting to investigate Darrell Issa himself, who never saw any problems during the Bush Administration, and happens to be the wealthiest member of Congress, and is only surpassed in personal wealth by one politician in America–Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City!

This is also the man who led the movement to “recall” Governor Gray Davis of California only months after he won a solid re-election victory in 2002, leading to the special “recall” election which made Arnold Schwarzenegger Governor, after Issa came to the conclusion that he was unable to compete in that race itself! 🙁

Is Darrell Issa the savior of America, when he fails to realize that the Nixon, Reagan, and second Bush Administrations had plenty of scandal, which he conveniently forgets, while he throws around wild accusations against Barack Obama and his administration? 🙁

What it comes down to is that Darrell Issa is a nightmare for the country, and will contribute nothing positive to deal with the many problems the nation faces in the next two years! 🙁

Darrell Issa: Is He The New “Witch Hunter”? :(

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California Congressman Darrell Issa, soon to be the head of the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, is likely to be one of the most controversial leaders of the Republican party in the next two years, as he has indicated plans to engage in extensive investigation of the Obama Administration.

The Southern California Republican, the wealthiest member of Congress, with assets of at least $300 million, has issued statements that he plans to investigate the executive branch on numerous issues.

Issa has said he wants to hold hundreds of hearings, form new subcommittees, and has asserted that he wants seven hearings a week for forty weeks a year! 🙁

Issa wants to investigate the stimulus legislation, health care reform, the bank bailout, and some think each cabinet member under Obama who has made controversial statements or authorized contentious actions!

There are conservatives who wish to question Obama’s background and birth, but Issa has declared that is off limits.

Despite that assertion, the feeling has developed that Issa is looking to become the center of attention, and put the Obama Administration’s “feet to the fire”, adding to the burdens of the administration, already under tremendous assault by the opposition party for the past two years, and now having to deal with the reality that with House of Representatives control by the GOP, the next two years might make one look back on the past two years as tame by comparison!

Issa first gained notice when he mounted the challenge for a recall against Democratic Governor Grey Davis of California, which led to the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Governor of the Golden State!

Issa is likely to be seen as a “witch hunter” and nightmare for the Obama Presidency! He will certainly be one of the most prominent Republicans over the next two years and will become a “household word” as a partisan attack machine! 🙁