The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
    Richard Day's picture

    DARRELL ISSA ISSA CROOK!

                               
     

                                  A VERY ACCOMPLISHED REPUB

     

    President Obama is one of the most corrupt Presidents in modern times.

     

    "I think people misunderstand the meaning of the word corrupt, and obviously, CNN does. 'Corrupt', or 'corrupted' or 'failure', it's no different than a disc drive that's given you some bits that are wrong…. I have never said it's illegal. I've never made any of the statements that are often said on CNN that implied wrong-doing of the president at a criminal level.

                                                                                                                   

    Darrell Issa is working hard for truth, justice and the American Way. Reform is the rule of this man’s term in the House and he is the number one reformer in Congress today!!

    In a conference call with reporters following GOP Leader John Boehner’s, R-Ohio, remarks at the National Republican Campaign Committee victory celebration , Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., laid out his agenda for when he assumes the chairmanship of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, including reforming earmarks and investigating President Obama’s reliance on unconfirmed “czars” to run important functions of government.

    Issa noted that while his job of a congressman involved serving his constituents, he was focused on providing oversight and would not be seeking any earmarks for his district. “Earmarks are frequently things we shouldn’t even be spending money on,” he said. “What we need is a complete reform of the earmark process as we know it.”

    Asked whether Elizabeth Warren would be investigated for her role in setting up the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau established in the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill (despite not having been confirmed by the Senate), Issa said that he would be using the committee to investigate all instance of unconfirmed “czars” who run important government functions.

    “We’re going to try to fight the arrogance of government,” he said. http://washingtonexaminer.

    You betchya! This man is going to single-handedly stop earmarking for all time.

    What a man. What a Republican. What a Congressman.

    What a country!!!

    As Roll Call reported earlier this month, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) has a history of blending his personal business interests with his work as a member of Congress. Companies owned by the Issa family, including a firm called DEI (an acronym for Issa’s initials), set up websites to channel users to Issa’s official congressional campaign website. After Roll Call made an ethical inquiry to Issa, he changed the website.

    ThinkProgress has discovered more troubling evidence that Issa may have blended his work as a lawmaker with his own business empire. After founding a successful car alarm company, Issa invested his fortune in a sprawling network of real estate companies with holdings throughout his district. One of Issa’s most valuable properties, a medical office building at 2067 West Vista Way in Vista, California, is called the Vista Medical Center, and was purchased in 2008 for $16.6 million. Described as “a long-term investment,” the property was bought by a company called Viper LLC, a business entity operated by Issa’s family that Issa has up to a $25 million dollar stake in.

    Around the same time Issa made the Vista Medical Center purchase, the congressman began requesting millions of dollars worth of earmarks to widen and improve the highway adjacent to the building. In 2008, he requested $2 million to expand West Vista Way, the road in front of his “long-term investment,” but only received $245,000 from the government. The next year, Issa made another earmark request for improving the West Vista Way highway next to his building. He earmarked another $570,000, bringing his total to $815,000, to add parking lots, widen the road, add bus stops, improve the sewer system, and other utility work. A map showing the location of Issa’s property, and the road, is…

    http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/30/issa-earmark-property/

    And this is Issa’s favorite song:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHacDYj8KZM

    This all reminded me of somethings that occurred in days of yore:

    Rostenkowski's political career ended in 1994 after a two year investigation by the Justice Department. In a case led by future U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Rostenkowski was indicted on corruption charges for his role in the House post office scandal. He was forced to step down from all Congressional leadership positions. In elections later that year, Rostenkowski lost his seat and retired from political life. Charges against Rostenkowski included keeping "ghost" employees on his payroll, using Congressional funds to buy gifts such as chairs and ashtrays for friends, and trading in officially purchased stamps for cash at the House post office.[7] While the stamps-for-cash allegation received the most media coverage, those charges were dismissed on the recommendation of the prosecutor.[8] In 1996, he pleaded guilty to reduced charges of mail fraud. He was fined and was sentenced to 17 months in prison, of which he served 15 at the federal prison in Oxford, Wisconsin, and the remaining 2 months at a half way house in Chicago. Rostenkowski was pardoned in December 2000 by President Clinton, who said "Rostenkowski had done a lot for his country and had more than paid for his mistake. Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Rostenkowski

    Rostenkowski abused his franking privileges for chrissakes!

    How does this compare to what Issa is doing?

    We already know that most repubs are liars and hypocrites for chrissakes, but Issa appears to be stealing more than just stamps!

    And this guy is in charge of investigating graft in Congress.

    I swear, if the repubs get into the White House, Madoff is going to be nominated to head the SEC!!