Darrell Issa Bars Democratic Statement at Hearing on TARP

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.casavaria.com/cafesentido/2011/01/26/7293/darrell-issa-bars-democratic-statement-at-hearing-on-tarp/

26 January 2011 :: The Editors

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) today chaired his first committee hearing on oversight of the administration. Issa has promised literally hundreds of hearings to “investigate” the Obama administration for what he says is an ideological and/or methodological “corruption” of the process of government. But the first hearing, to examine the management of the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), was rough going, as he unilaterally decided to deny the ranking Democratic committee member an opening statement.

Issa has openly suggested his hearings are part of a concerted strategy by the new Republican majority to use their subpoena power to create a political climate of popular displeasure with the policies of the current administration and to lay the groundwork for the party’s campaign in 2012. Some observers have suggested that Issa himself should be investigated, along with the new Republican leadership, for this deliberate and declared misuse of the subpoena power.

Today’s incident, in which Issa departed from precedent and barred the Democratic view from the hearing, only served to exacerbate the tension, and to suggest Issa is planning a kind of partisan “witch-hunt”. Rep. Issa has been very vocal about his desire to uncover and reverse any “corruption” of the process of government, be it actual corruption or just the kind that accidentally happens to computer hard drives (a metaphor he has used to soften his prior wording), but unilaterally ruling out the other side’s arguments is itself a corruption of the process.

[LynneSin]

1. Dems need to do what they did during the Bush years - hold their own meetings

Clearly Issa is going to do his best to shut out any logic and reasoning but instead present the history of TARP as he has revised it.

We need to fight back against this asshole

[eleny]

4. And hope they give us a room to hold our own

Remember when they stuck the Dems hearing down in a basement room along with parents of veterans, I believe, who were testifying? And then the Republican chairman even turned off the lights to end the meeting early while Rep. Nadler was speaking. Or maybe I'm blending two different hearings we held.

They have no decency.

[theoldman]

2. Maybe a witch hund on TARP is a good idea.

It goes way back to the Bush administration which should be held responsible. Pehhaps Issa should be told to be careful of what you wish for.

[eleny]

5. He won't permit witnesses who will even whisper that fact, imo

[emulatorloo]

7. I expect Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh will be on ISSA's witness list.

Who better for a fact-free "investigation"

[SpiralHawk]

3. More Republicon Occult Witchcraft - projected witch huntery...

The Republicons need to remove the LOAD from their own diapers.

[Octafish]

6. Betcha the DEM leadership wishes they had investigated Bushco now.

Nah.

[KansDem]

9. It was "off the table"

...and now there's no table!

[Octafish]

10. Not even a TV tray.

Still, my Friend, NGU.

[formercia]

14. The Dems are the 'Loyal Opposition' now.

...but I don't think that will save them either. The Junkyard Dog has spoken.

[Octafish]

17. It's like the prisoners AND guards got screwed by the warden on Devil's Island at the same time.

A never old P-38 driver pegged them.

[Old and In the Way]

15. Democrats always want to look forward....and avoid confrontation with the crooks.

Republicans always want to look back and make up shit about Democrats. Been that way for decades. We are a worse country for it.

[Octafish]

18. 'Nothing to see here' doesn't cut it in the court of public opinion or law.

The republicons lie for several reasons:

1. A lie serves their purpose better than the truth, which, if known by the public, will get them all in jail.
2. Once in the public's head, a one-ounce lie is near-impossible to drive out, even with 100 pounds of truth. Think Saddam behind 9-11.
2. The media, thanks to the rollback of the equal-time fairness doctrine thing, won't. And if they don't, We the People certainly won't.
3. Because they can.

And now for something completely similar:

Lee Hamilton, the Un-Wise Man

[BanzaiBonnie]

8. So... claiming corruption of the process

he corrupts the process.

Makes perfect sense to me. The Republicans are always doing exactly what they complain others are doing.

[formercia]

16. Masters of Projection

It's what they do best.

[hootinholler]

11. Back to the broom-closeet hearings.

SIGH

-Hoot

[spanone]

12. does he know that tarp was a bu$h* program??? doubt it

[Old and In the Way]

13. This guy is not very bright.

The more he uses his chair for cheap partisan attacks, the less credible anyone will take his 'findings'. If I were the Democrats, I'd boycott the hearings and not give Issa the covering of bi-partisanship. Refuse to participate until this clown is removed.