Snort: Now the Dems are worried about wasteful “witch hunts”
After decades of indulgent public floggings and ideological fishing expeditions led by chief congressional inquisitor Henry Waxman (see here here here here for starters), Democrats are suddenly worried about abuse of investigative powers.
Let’s all let out a hearty New Year’s snort:
The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee is warning GOP leaders against partisan “witch hunts” when they take over the panel this year.
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) said Sunday that such investigations might play well politically, but they ultimately undermine the bipartisanship required to tackle the many problems facing the country.
“We can’t have witch hunts. We can’t have these fishing expeditions,” Cummings said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
…Cummings, a 14-year veteran of the Oversight panel, cited the GOP investigations of the Clinton administration, where witnesses, he said, “were dragged in to depositions — people making $50,000 a year had to pay $25,000, $30,000 to hire a lawyer.”
“We’re just going to have to be careful with this power,” he said.
Call the concern troll patrol.
Meanwhile, incoming GOP House Oversight and Reform Committee chairman Darrell Issa is garnering lots of attention — and provoking much left-wing media angst — over his extensive probe plans. Here’s his priority list via Politico.
Issa and his staff have done stellar work exposing corruption and malfeasance while in the minority. Will they be able to live up to the Drudge-headlined hype now that they’ve got subpoena powers? Rule #1 in politics: Manage expectations. It’s a smart rule not only for politicians in the limelight, but also for voters.
Already, Issa has flip-flopped on his promise to probe the Joe Sestak/White House bribe scandal and softened his criticism of corruption in the Obama administration. And Doug Powers called attention to his strange comments quoted in a post-midterm conference call in November: “I want to prove the pundits wrong. My job is not to bring down the president. My job is to make the president a success.”
Just a humble reminder: Issa’s job — and this goes for every GOP House leader — is not to mollify Beltway pundits.
Their job is not to manage White House p.r. and “reach across the aisle” and “get things done” for the sake of bipartisanship.
Their job is to protect taxpayers’ best interests, rein in a bloated, out-of-control federal government, and abide by their oaths of office.
***
Gabriel Malor at Ace of Spades reviews the Issa list and asks, “Is this what you had in mind?”:
The to-do list is: “1. Impact of regulation on job creation … 2. Fannie/Freddie & the Foreclosure Crisis … 3. Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission and the failure to identify origins of the financial crisis … 4. Combating corruption in Afghanistan … 5. WikiLeaks … 6. FDA/Food & Drug Safety.”
Notable omissions: Sestak bribery probe. AG Holder and the voter intimidation case. The stimulus spending and mismanagement. Pigford II. The GM dealerships kerfuffle.
Kevin at Hillbuzz is not happy:
It’s time to say no to Sharpton, Jackson, Henry Gates, and the rest of the Race Industry.
It’s time to bring investigations into Sestak, the Black Panthers, and Pigford. It’s time to expose the truth about Obama to Americans.
Maybe Republicans are stymied because they know the media won’t report on anything negative related to Obama, so they believe that even if they bring the investigations, that Obama will not fall in the eyes of voters since the media won’t cover the story.
The Republican Party earns the name “the Party of Stupid” in moments like this…because the media can be forced to cover these stories if enough people on the grassroots level gin the country up to demand their coverage. The media is walking a precariously fine line with shilling for Obama: already the media has a historically high distrust recorded from the public. The bias towards Democrats has never been clearer. If the media continues to protect Obama indefinitely, it does so at its own direct peril.
Republican leaders need to be aware of this, and grow a spine and do what the people want them to do. No more go-along-to-get-along/letting Democrats do whatever they damn well please because Republicans are afraid of calling them out for it.
“No more being afraid to speak up” should be the motto of the Republican Party.
The trick is, speaking up makes you a target of the Democrats’ Alinsky machine, which Republicans really and truly are terrified of.
How do we change that?
We have a new year, a new start…how do we use both to change business as usual for the meek Republican Party?
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We’ll just have to keep a close eye on Rep. Issa. Personally, I do not have much faith that these career republicans are up to the task.
I hope to goodness Issa will keep his promise to hold hearings on numerous issues that need to have those under oath! There has been so many things bho and his entire team have done that needs to have sunlight put on those issues for the public to hear. I won’t hold my breath!
L
We won!
By the way, where is Waxman, anyway? Haven’t heard from him lately. For a while there, you couldn’t get rid of him. Did he drown in a rainstorm or something?
I would like Issa to investigate how a 2 thousand odd page Porkulous bill was drawn up, who did it and why it was done with hardly any input from elected officials and on top of it all, why it was voted on without being read.
We need to “keep in touch” with Issa and remind him who is running the show…We The People. There is so much to investigate, his only problem will be, where.to.start. It is so transparent and disguting how the dems are now seeking cooperation and bipartisanship. They gave the Republicans zero,zilch, nada. But now they expect the right to reach across the aisle. If we start to do that again, all is lost. The progressives WILL NOT compromise. We The People KNOW that. So why don’t the Republicans also KNOW that? Somehow, they get to DC and become blinded by the left wing lies. We have to keep them all on a short leash and remind them regularly about who they work for and what we want them to do.
The same applies to the Obamacare bill. There is such a long list of strange things that have passed in the last two years, Issa better get started immediately after being sworn in. Like, the same day!!
You had your chance, now how about a nice cup of STFU?!
What bipartisanship? BS. This is a threat, pure and simple. Obviously, it is also an admission of wrong-doing in an odd sort of way. It reminds me of the North Korean tactic when they are afraid…”You better watch out! You do this, and you’ll be sorry!”
The Democrat’s are afraid any investigations are going to disclose their malfeasance, misfeasance, favoritism, and criminal activity.
The notion that they are concerned about witnesses having to hire lawyers that they can’t afford, is laughable! Where was this “concern” for the common man’s pocket book when they were passing partisan bills that fleeced those same common men?
I hope Rep. Issa has his subpoenas all ready to issue, and has his staff at the ready to collect subpoenaed records before the shredders finish their jobs. Funny how stuff disappears, or gets lost under Democrat custody.
I couldn’t agree more. Now is not the time to play nice with those who have violated the public trust.
Billions of public tax dollars have been stolen or misappropriated. The public has a right to know who, what, when, where, why and how this was done. Most importantly, can we get the money the back?
Let the guilt fall where it must, but stop the bleeding and start the plasma ASAP.
***
HI STILLONTHEROAD–#7. Nice idea–but I think that Issa and crew should aim high for real prosecutable corruption. They shouldn’t waste time and ammo on feel good stuff.
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Simple, well documented, prosecutable offenses that they can refer to Comrade Obama and the Department of (Social) Justice for non-prosecution. Exposing these crooks–of either political party–will serve our country much better.
***
Go for the wins!
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John Bibb
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rocketman said:
Happy New Year Rocketman — been batting this around as well –maybe he can nail these Czars or at least expose them for what they are.
I don’t want to get along with progressives, they are wrong ideologically. I want nothing short of their defeat and the dismantling of all socialist programs. I want the fed relegated to only the powers enumerated in the Constitution. Nothing less will do. No sense in negotiating with jackels hoping they eat you last.
If you are getting your hopes up over Darrell Issa (a known Islamopanderer btw), please don’t. Yes, dial your expectations down, way down. A movie analogy: it’s like you settled into your theater seat eager to see the movie Kick Ass and just as the time shows it should begin, find that the film Kiss Ass has been substituted. It’s always that way with Republicans.
The Repubs are well practiced in the art of dissapointment. Mr. Issa best not disappoint “We the People” this time, or he’ll be gone quickly, replaced with someone that does the job. And strangely enough, almost every congressional district outside of CA, NY, and MA will participate in the expulsion.
rocketman: How about they go for the throat, the eyes, the gonads?!?!?!
Kick, claw, twist, bite, poke, stomp, and I’m just getting warmed up!
Get in there and fight just as dirty as the DemonRats (sic) will to slow such investigations.
Let the DemonRats (sic) show themselves by their trying to defend the indefensible!
This is some of the best comedy writing I’ve seen since a “conservative pundit” gave the benefit of the doubt to those hard-working, misunderstood, unionized snowplow drivers in NYC the other day….
Issa is, when all is said and done, a happy member of the D.C. crowd. He’ll investigate anything, so long as it doesn’t ruffle the feathers of his “friends across the aisle.”
Anyone who has ever seen a Congressional “hearing” knows the prime feature is members shooting off their mouths, making Grand Pronouncements, and preening while witnesses sit silently by.
If Congress and the President were subject to the laws that govern us, there wouldn’t be enough Senators and Reps out of jail to muster up a quorum. They might see Osama Obama more often, too, at least if they scored adjoining cells.
Note to Republicans — don’t concern yourself with “old media”. You can’t appease dinosaurs. You better make sure that you are true and completely transparent to the “new media”, because if you aren’t, the blogosphere will chew you up and spit you out in seconds. The new watchdogs have sharper teeth and move much, much faster.
Witch hunts are not a waste of time in a target-rich environment.
How about we get to the root of the problem? Find out how an ineligible man got sworn in as President.
Find out why Nancy Pelosi signed documents falsly claiming Obama’s eligiblity. Why did she use 49 forms for every other state but Hawaii? Why did Hawaii not used the form they used in previous elections stating that the nominee met Constitutionla requirements?
Removing the usurper should be the ffirst step. In a sane world. Oh, never mind….
As most of the posts show, ISSA had better remember how he became the CHAIRMAN… It wasn’t because of his warm fuzzy feeling, nor his boyish good looks… It was because the PEOPLE became incensed at the direction that DC was taking OUR GREAT NATION… I predict that if MR. ISSA does not remember, we THE PEOPLE will gladly give him a “KICK” in the right direction come 2012!!!
If there is a witch hunt, wouldn’t it start with Nancy Pelosi?
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HI NAIL49–#18. I guess it’s no more Mr. Nice Guy at your casa! Maybe we could provide 535 lead weighted canes for our House and Senate and get back to the pre Civil war “civility” that existed then.
***
No more boring quorum calls while elevator music plays and staffers shuffle around. Just lots of hitting, screaming, and bleeding sounds as they “thrash out” their disagreements!
***
Sounds like a plan to me. Let’s get some entertainment for our wasted bucks.
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John Bibb
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It’s not a witch hunt. It is a target rich environment.
GET SOME!
Issa is a career pol. I have no hope he’ll do anything other than waste taxpayer money.
Sorry Hangfire, missed your post….. great minds…..
Republican Party or Tea Party, the Washington Party is over. You have run out of our money. You can be part of fixing it, or run out of town in disgrace, Mr Issa.
Or perhaps you believe unemployment will drop to Clinton-Bush levels, and the Chinese will forgive all that debt you’ve been piling up.
Yep, grate mines thimk alike.
Look at Issa’s list and think beyond the general title. His priorities are just fine.
For Example: “Impact of regulation on job creation …”
He is going right after the EPA. That is well up on my list of targets. Ken Salazar and Carol Browner better wear Kevalr underwear.
Underpinning this story is the story from the politico.
I do not trust stories that originate at the politico. They have produced many stories that are simply not real. It would not be a total surprise to me to find a Democrat staffer behind this ‘politico report’.
Democrats offering bipartisanship is like Lucy offering to hold the football for Charlie Brown.
Rep. Issa said that Eric Holder is hurting the Obama administration. Who’s side is he on? It should not be hard to find something to investigate in this, the most corrupt administration in modern day history. But it looks like business as usual is on the way. We Conservatives can not let up for one damned second, or the liberals, progressives, and the RINO’s will screw everything up worst then it already is.
And just like Carlie Brown, the GOP dupes in leadership fall for it every time.
hawkeye54
Bingo!
Glad someone else was trying to read between the lines. I hope this is so, and in the mean time I plan keep up the pressure.
Ahh, yes, Issa. One of those “no labels” Californians the rest of us are supposed to emulate.
The problem with investigations is prosecuting the results. Most of the Justice Department is radical left lawyers.
Instead of jail time for offenders, we’re talking, at most, censure.
The real problem is the Republican Party. They are too compromised already to adequately represent conservatives, there are some questions they will not ask, because they were complicit.
There will be a dog and pony show for C-span, but government will not shrink, the Constitution will be ignored and business as usual will continue.
The borders will remain open. Illegal aliens will not be deported and will kill Americans.
The GOP nominee will be an amnesty supporter again.
The GOP nominee will once again be an amnesty supporter.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again: Issa strikes me as someone who desperately wants to be liked by whatever audience is in front of him, and will say what he thinks will ingratiate himself the most.
I think, once the WH starts paying him any attention, he will roll over quicker than a puppy wanting his belly scratched.
Snort!
Now if they could cut the EPAs budget by 2/3 I would be happy, maybe gut the Department of Mis-Education and Bums at Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms while they are at it. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) worries? Good.
===
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
should be a convenience store,
NOT a government agency.
Affirmative. Lock and load.
Libro-Loony-Land semantics. Soooo, a Waxman/Leahy whitch hunt is an ethics probe – but a GOP investigation is a witch hunt. Got it. What. Ever.
Waxie et al never could figure out that sword swings both ways – like the perenial “Let’s get rid of the filabuster” song.
Hey, they used some really harsh words in Rangeler’s Censure. Made him cry! I’m thinking maybe 240V electrodes applied to…
rocketman: As Rogue Cheddar often says, “More cheese Grommit!
Witch hunts – no; corruption investigations – yes!
The gov created the mess that we are facing and they jolly well need to be held accountable for everything that created the mess. No one forced these corrupto-crats to lie, cheat and steal their way to the top. Send them to jail.
When will Republicans figure out their 9 lives are used up and they are living on borrowed time? Either they follow their oaths and start fighting for the Constitution or they will follow the Whig Party onto the ash heap of history.
Such investigations will have to come from outside CONgress. All that’s likely to come of CONgressional investigations is sound, fury, and a few sternly written letters of reprimand.
The GOP will be cowed by the Dems and their minnions in the leftist lame stream media.
We’re all facing death by gluttony, fully engineered by power hungry criminal politicians.
The over sight committee needs to be doubled in size with federal marshals waiting to frog march the perpetrators to prison.
No more privilege, the demand is for justice.
The next few months will tell….but I wouldn’t bet on the “follow their oaths” bit, alas.
I’d like to see financial statements from each member of congress and their immediate family members, starting from the year before they were elected to office. NO-ONE should get rich while serving as a Representative or Senator. Kick-backs and sweet-heart deals have to stop.
Watch for flying pigs, I agree with chap…..
Good luck investigating. Both parties are entrenched, and repubs have their fair share of corruptocrats. Neither party wants too much “investigation” into the wrong doings of the other, because the worm always turns. Put someone like Rand Paul in charge of investigating, and maybe Ill get a little excited. Until then, it’s nothing but a dog and pony show for the base.
I’m not holding my breath on these investigations. Issa et al will likely fold like a cheap suit. Sadly if they can’t jail these motherscratchers they can’t jail anybody. Nuff said.
What you said….
Debbie Schlussel hates his guts. She used to be interesting and has good insights but she has gone a little too harpy for my taste.
Two words for Rep. Cummings.
F*** Y**
I just wonder if Issa really meant what he said, or if this some kind of political ploy to get the dems guard down a bit.
Also, Cummings evidently doesn’t know the Miranda rights clause. Not surprising since most of the morons on the hill don’t understand the Constitution.
“If you cannot afford a lawyer one will be appointed to you by the court”
My guess is that they wanted a particular lawyer to help cover all the crap up.
Ummm, you know Miranda rights only attach when you are under custodial interrogation (i.e., police custody), right? It would not kick in for something like a deposition or having to appear in front of a Congressional oversight committee.
This is why the Dems are emboldened when they are in power. The know that marshmallow-spined republicans, like Issa, that chair committees won’t touch them. So they do “Liberals Gone Wild” any time they get the chance.
Party of Stupid indeed.
On January 3rd, 2011 at 12:23 pm, Mister P said:
It’s not exactly hunting if you already know where she is.
Notable omissions: Sestak bribery probe. Issa said, the same thing/practice, occurred under George W Bush, are we going for a tit for tat?
The rest of those omitted, look like fair game to me. Is Issa passing by the low hanging fruit to prioritize his list of probes and investigations?
Sometimes you pull a thread and everything unravels, sometimes you go for the soft underbelly. Sometimes you knock a domino over and low an behold the other dominoes fall…Then there is jenga, pull out the supporting piece and the progressive structure falls…look I can keep this up all day LOL! There is more than one way to skin a cat. It’s important to keep your powder dry. I think it would be wise for Issa to hold his cards close to his vest. We don’t want him telegraphing his moves in advance.
The 112th Congress doesn’t start till Wednesday. I am willing to hold my judgment till they get moved in, and up and running. Remember even Whoppi Goldberg said she would give Obama a year, before she commented on what kind of job he has been doing?
19th century citations of the phrase invariably give the full version – trust in God and keep your powder dry.
Rome wasn’t built in a day….sorry it’s hard to stop when you get started
One more. Calling Darrell Edward Issa, the skeletons in Grandma’s closet want out LOL.
It must be hard living without a spine! Issa should shut up about any investigations…he’s giving the dems another opportunity to cover themselves. It sounds to me as though he is trying to ingratiate himself with the dems. Okay…action speaks louder than words. Let’s see what the Repubs deliver.
Investigate. Expose. Prosecute. Conviction. Incarcerate.
Predictions:
Issa will fight with Charmin gloves.
The Dems will stall and stall and stall to give the papershredders time to work. As well as getting the phrase “I don’t remember” memorized like Hillary did. The Dems will demonize the Rs and the media will help them.
Politicians never worry about losing in 2012 because they always have a parachute. Ever see a politician in the unemployment line?
The trend will continue…the Rs will not grow a pair nor a spine.
(Issa while handing Waxman lit stick of dynamite) “Are you going to talk or fish?”
To me, the top two investigations that need to begin immediately, and go on until all is known are:
1. Fannie/Freddie, corruption and cronyism there and what Congressional democrats had to do with it.
2. Holder, his refusal to prosecute the panthers and why one of his divisions is so hostile to protecting the rights of white Americans.
Get those two rolling, and the media will be forced to cover it since they have covered some of it over time, but without depth.
No but I know of a couple that went to prison…mainly because the left gives no quarter. Issa, et. al., should do the same.
The only “investigation” that matters is the 5-minute one it would take to prove Obama is not a natural born Citizen. If the cowards in Congress and they media don’t have the nads to touch this issue, then I am afraid we are done, the Constitution is dead, and the people have proven that too few of them care enough to do anything to save America.
Fox News, Beck, Hannity, O’Reilly, Coulter, even MM, are afraid to touch the only issue that matters.
I will not give up on this, but I am very disgusted at the total lack of courage I see from what, prior to Obama, were journalist who dug for the truth on the most trivial of issues, now they avoid discussing Obama’s eligibility because they know he isn’t eligible. When did we lose our Country?
BOB,
I’m not sure anyone can pinpoint an exact moment, but McCain’s sewing up the GOP nomination is when I realized we were done. The Democrat nomination wasn’t decided yet, but I knew the GOP had chosen a losing candidate.
I was thinking that. Maybe the democrats should just call it karma instead of a witch hunt.
Senators and Congressmen:
It is up to you and your colleagues to put a halt to the runaway executive branch of the Government. That is what you were elected for and that is your responsibility. This would include the rape of the American economy by regualtions passed by branches of the government other than the legeslative.
Thank you for your attention, we are watching closely.
Robert Wasson
Just wanted to pass along this noted from a close friend:
Dear The-Not-So-Honorable Congresscritter Elijah Cummings,
Just shut the hell up.
Sincerely,
Captain Obvious
Chap; that’s why our old crooks used to plead the 5th when pulled into Congress. Don’t want to run into that Martha Stewart/Scooter Libby go to jail for lying to the feds debacle. Because we all know that your truth is some judges lie, especially when some bastion of righteousness like Mr Fitzgerald says you lied. Of course, when the dust settles, and the facts are known, How can you possibly have lied about something you didn’t do, unless you claimed to do it. So Martha and Libby may have misspoke, or may have been mistaken about something, but a Lie is predicated upon you knowing a fact and deliberately misleading someone about that fact. So neither Martha or Libby mislead the gubmint about the facts they were investigating, because niether admitted to the false accusations, hence both were railroaded into jail. Clinton lied about the facts he was accused of, and under oath, but the lesson from Martha and Libby is is the feds ever start questioning you about anything, TAKE THE 5TH.
Heh
***
HI CHEAPSEAT–#64. Great advice–Scooter Libby should have repeated the fifth amendment endlessly. Failing to do so put him in jail when the perjury trap snapped shut. And no crime ever occurred–except for his jailing.
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John Bibb
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This type of rhetoric is what makes many Americans, myself included, suspicion that Dems and Repubs work together to keep a big charade going where all that really happens in Congress is musical chairs. This election provides the Repubs time to rob the taxpayer blind then in ’12 it will be the Dems opportunity to rob the taxpayer blind. I see a third party coming in the future.