Archive for darrell issa

“Blame Congress” for IRS procedures. “But don’t look to Congress to fix anything. Its members benefit.”

blame stick figures

Today’s L.A. Times letters to the editor, because our voices matter:

Re “Anger widens as IRS details emerge,” May 14

While members of Congress want to know more about the IRS targeting of conservative 501(c)(4) groups, they should look no further than themselves for the blame.

I tried to read the tax code regarding just what a “social welfare” group is, and my head almost exploded. The IRS didn’t write these rules, Congress did. If there isn’t clarity in the IRS procedures, blame Congress. But don’t look to Congress to fix anything. Its members benefit from the spending these tax-exempt organizations do. If anything, this loophole should be closed.

Shirley Conley

Gardena

***

Yes, the IRS and Associated Press scandals smell bad. But I wonder if one reason the members of one political party spend so much time spewing out self-righteous rants about the other party’s possible screw-up of the day — rather than working on vital legislation — has something to do with being in perpetual campaign mode brought on by their refusal to compromise on meaningful campaign finance reform.

Jack Cooper

North Hollywood

***

Re “Journalists’ records secretly collected,” May 14

It would be helpful for the AP if Republicans had not filibustered the proposed reporter shield law in 2008. This legislation would have specifically prohibited the kinds of abuses being visited upon the AP.

When the bill was in the House, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), now in high dudgeon over the matter, was one of only 21 representatives to vote against protecting reporters’ sources.

Kevin P. Smith

Newbury Park

VIDEO: Holder to Issa (who voted against media shield Law): Your conduct “is unacceptable. It is shameful.”

please,just shut up

So many stories to report, so little time. Here’s something that’s been eating at me for awhile now, and someone whose work I respect and admire feels the same way. Richard (RJ) Eskow:

Apparently it never occurred to Attorney General Eric Holder that the Associated Press might be “too big to fail.” If it had,then his Justice Department probably never would have investigated it. [...]

That policy has led to extraordinary prosecutorial passivity in the face of overwhelming evidence. There’s certainly no sign that the Justice Department has ever sought the phone records or emails of America’s top bankers.

Bam.

Then as I was poking around, I came across this from TPM:

Attorney General Holder at a House Judiciary Committee hearing:

“I am not going to stop talking now… It is inappropriate and too consistent with the way in which you conduct yourself as a member of Congress. It is unacceptable. It is shameful.”

He said that to the very same Darrell Issa who voted against a media shield law only a few years ago. BuzzFeed:

Republicans In Congress Killed A Media Shield Law That Would Have Protected The Associated Press

The defeated bill would have required approval from a federal court before reporters’ phone records were subpoenaed. Darrell Issa, who condemned the AP subpoena Monday voted against it. [...]

Issa didn’t mention that he voted against a measure that would have protected the AP from the DOJ’s subpoena in 2007. Issa was one of 21 House members who opposed the Free Flow of Information Act of 2007, a measure that would have forbidden federal investigators from compelling journalists to give evidence without first obtaining a court order. The bill included a section that specifically forbid subpoenaing journalists’ phone records from “communication service providers” to the same extent that the law protected the journalists themselves.

Timing is everything:

The White House asked Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., to reintroduce reporter shield legislation, White House officials told CNN on Wednesday.

Another day, more Republican hypocrisy to share. Hence my earlier post, More candidates for jail in IRS “scandal?” In 2011 GOP Congressmen demanded the IRS audit AARP.

Cartoons of the Day- Benghazi Hearing

BENGHAZI

Deb Milbrath

benhear1

Chuck Asey

benhear2

Daryl Cagle

Bonus Cartoon of the Day- Benghazi Tiger

benghazitiger

Christopher Weyant

Bipartisan deal to help U.S. Postal Service is “very close”

USPS post office facts

This L.A. Times letter to the editor is worth a re-post (I managed to lose the link, sorry):

Re “Saturday mail delivery slated to end in August,” Feb. 7

It’s called the U.S. Postal Service because it is a service, not a corporation. Who decided the Postal Service must be profitable? Do other government agencies, like the Defense Department and the Department of Education, have to turn a profit?

Benjamin Franklin was the first postmaster general, and the Post Office has effectively served the American people for 237 years. But now it is under attack because, gasp, it’s losing money. No wonder: The Republicans in 2006 made postal workers pre-fund their retirement 75 years in advance, making it nearly impossible for the USPS to make a profit.

Let’s be honest: Conservatives want to privatize the Postal Service, home to two of the nation’s largest unions. If Congress insists that the USPS be profitable (and it shouldn’t), then the solution is simple: Raise the price of stamps a few cents.

Arlen Grossman

Monterey

The rest of that post is well worth a look, too, including this Ed Schultz quote:

You see, the post office is required by law to provide universal delivery, regardless of geography and regardless of whether or not they’re going to make a profit. It’s a big service for America. This is a rights issue. This is more not so much about convenience, this is about what you in Real America voted for: Tea Party America.

So now, after the USPS has announced the demise of Saturday mail delivery, Congress seems ready to act. The question is, what will they do? I trust Darrell Issa the way I trust Anthem Blue Cross to provide the opportunity for “high quality care at a low cost.”

Via The Hill:

Bipartisan legislation to help the struggling U.S. Postal Service could be enacted and sent to President Obama’s desk within months, top lawmakers said Wednesday. 

Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), testifying before a Senate panel, said that last-minute efforts at postal reform in the previous Congress came very close to a bipartisan agreement.

Cummings, the ranking Democrat at the House Oversight Committee, even went so far as to say the legislation could make it through both chambers before the end of March.

Top Democrats rip Darrell Issa after his document dump endangered Libyans working with U.S., damaged U.S. efforts

Jay Mallin/Bloomberg via Getty Images

This post is dedicated to Romnesiac Rupert Murdoch who tweeted:

 No, Rupie, it is you who is hated, despised, and a joke. Stop projecting.

I tweeted back, “That’s a lie. Nobody “apologized”, but GOP should… starting with Issa.”

If you’re not up on what Issa did, here’s my post: Darrell Issa’s Benghazi document dump damages U.S. efforts, put Libyans working with U.S. in danger. While hyperventilating investigating the attacks on the consulate, he disclosed the identities of Libyans who were helping United States officials, and he has yet to apologize.

The same Overzealous Oversight Guy who has been blasting the administration over security failures after the attacks in Libya and has done everything he can to nail the president on anything he can dig up or make up out of thin air has stepped in it big time.

It’s good to see some Dems getting out in front of this one. David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel both mentioned this embarrassing and dangerous fiasco on Meet the Press and This Week respectively. Now Politico is reporting this:

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the release of that information – which is sensitive, but not classified – “a moment of real incompetence and irresponsibility… This is irresponsible and inexcusable, and perhaps worst of all it was entirely avoidable. It is profoundly against America’s interests in a difficult region.”

Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee piled on:

“If these reports are accurate, Rep. Issa’s actions are astonishingly reckless, a blatant violation of the rules of the House of Representatives, and another dangerous example of the way Republicans are placing partisan politics above the interests of our nation. It would be an extremely grave consequence of Rep. Issa’s actions if individuals helping our country are harmed and suspects in this attack are able to escape justice.”

Mitt Romney started politicizing the tragedy prematurely, even as events were still unfolding, and his party hasn’t stopped since then. And of course, there was this epic moment of fail:

By the way, CBS reported that the evidence undermined right-wing charges of an administration “cover-up”.

Plus, Romney’s version of meeting Navy SEAL killed in Benghazi was disputed by best friend, mother: “Pathetic & comical”, not to mention Christopher Stevens’ dad said that the Libyan ambassador’s death should not be politicized.

Paints quite a picture, doesn’t it? And now the Issa blunder. Kudos to all who called him out today.

Darrell Issa’s Benghazi document dump damages U.S. efforts, put Libyans working with U.S. in danger

This is a must-read by Josh Rogin. Holier-than-thou Darrell Issa, who has gone after the Obama administration for the most ridiculous, concocted reasons, is the one who is in hot water now. The words “idiot,” “inept,” and “hypocritical” come to mind.

He’s been trumpeting his investigation of security failures after the attacks in Libya and has done everything he can to nail the president on something, ANYthing, for years. Turn about is fair play, Mr. Oversight.

Will Mitt Romney remember to bring this little boo-boo up at Monday’s foreign policy debate? Or will he get another case of Romnesia?

House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) compromised the identities of several Libyans working with the U.S. government and placed their lives in danger when he released reams of State Department communications Friday, according to Obama administration officials. [...]

But Issa didn’t bother to retract the names of Libyan civilians and local leaders mentioned in the cables, and just as with the WikiLeaks dump of State Department cables last year, the administration says that Issa has done damage to U.S. efforts to work with those Libyans and exposed them to physical danger from the very groups that had an interest in attacking the U.S. consulate. [...]

One of the cables released by Issa names a woman human rights activist who was leading a campaign against violence and was detained in Benghazi. She expressed fear for her safety to U.S. officials and criticized the Libyan government.[...]

One administration official accused Issa of doing harm to the investigation for the sake of creating negative news stories days before the final presidential debate, which will focus on foreign policy. In previous investigations, Issa has acknowledged and respected the need to protect information that could be important to completing the administration’s own investigations, the official noted.

Here’s the link.