House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairmen Darrell Issa's (R-Calif.) crass willingness to exploit his committee chair for partisan politics is widely known on both sides of the aisle, however, what may be less well known is the extent to which he has been hypocritically squandering tax payer money pursuing his mono-maniacal obsession with Hillary Clinton and the Benghazi incident that has been extensive investigated and settled. As is documented in Darrell Issa, Charged With Reining In Wasteful Spending, May Be Biggest Offender, Darryl Issa continues to spend millions of dollars of taxpayers money, and is tieing up thousands of hours of military and intelligence officer's time pursuing redundant investigations of issues, that have been exhaustively settled long ago.
His demands for information and interviews from the Defense Department have cost the agency millions of dollars and thousands of hours, according to Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee. Smith, who reached out to the Defense secretary to gauge those costs, raised concerns with Issa's "numerous and often repetitive congressional requests" in a recent letter to his committee chairman, Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.).
The author of this article tells us an independent review of top milatary officers found some "systemic problems" but no fault with any individuals. My understanding is that all 29 of their recommendations have been approved for implementation.
Democrat believe Issa's obsession is driven by a desire to "smear Clinton ahead of a potential 2016 presidential run. All 17 Democrats on the committee have written a letter urging Issa urging him to stop politicizing he committee. But, how does this theory explain Darryl Issa spending $14 million, and more than 97,000 hours of IRS time, pursuing allegations that the IRS was pursuing Tea Party groups, even after the evidence shows the IRS was pursuing progressive groups that were pursing the same tax exempt status. And, I don't know of any polls showing that his Benghazi efforts have made any headway at all outside of the "fringe right-wing groups" who already do not like Hillary Clinton. The marginal return on investment does not objectively justify the political damage the Republicans are taking here. If anything the Benghazi allegations have become a counter-productive joke that seems to be blowing up in the rights face like the dynamite of the hapless Wile E. Coyote who keeps blowing himself up, while trying to get the Roadrunner. Everyone seems to get his except for Darrell Issa. Beep, beep, GOP!
The costs of Issa's IRS investigation are even more staggering. His probe of that agency has cost at least $14 million and more than 97,000 hours, according to IRS
Commissioner John Koskinen.
Issa's latest plan is to hold the IRS Commissioner in contempt for failing to produce certain documents. That charge comes as another top Republican, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman David Camp (Mich.), recently praised the IRS for its cooperation with document requests. It also comes at a time when, as reported by Politico, more than half a dozen Republicans on those two committees are venting frustrations with Issa's handling of the IRS probe and have signaled it's time to move on.
"There is a perception that if your case is rock-solid, it doesn't need months to sort it out," Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), a member of the Oversight committee and someone interested in replacing Issa as chairman, told Politico.
Given how much he is persisting in his obsessions to exploit the committee to get to Hillary Clinton, despite the facts it keeps blowing up in his face, and is even generating skepticism and resistance among Republicans, one has to wonder if Rep Darryl Issa is not suffering from some sort of psychological disorder.
While I'm not a psychiatrist, I have seen cases with similar symptoms, where the diagnosis turned out to be a combination of narcissistic personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and impotent rage. Whatever the explanation is, Darryl Issa's unseemly, embarrassing, and dysfunctional behavior is costing taxpayers way too much and is distracting Congress from doing far more important work. So let's hope his Republican colleagues are successful in replacing him soon.
And, let's hope for Darryl Issa's sake, and the sake of his family, he seeks the professional help he so clearly needs. Voters from his district in California should provide him with an opportunity to spend more time with his family healing whatever damage he is suffering from. And, I really do mean this in the nicest possible way. Anyone who looks at his face can see that this man is miserable and is suffering a great deal.
Beep, Beep! Woof, Woof!
Note: Originally posted April 2 11:30 pm - Revised, new, improved, with 10% more snark!
10:06 AM PT: Kossacks, my only request of you today is that those of you with contacts with Congressmen and congressional aides forward this to them with the suggestion that aides print this out, and put it on the chairs of each member of a committee room Issa is coming into.
And, as soon as he enters the room, all the Democrats burst into laughter and the ranking member lean over pretending he doesn't know the microphone is still on, and ask, "what's wrong Darrell, has your honorable "member" gone wonky." Then everyone laugh again as we are all "surprised"that mic is on. I would give the GOP one week before Issa is replaced.
I know it is unkind, but it is for the good of the country.