Darrell Issa Plans to Boost Subpoena Team if GOP Wins in November

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Republicans ,; Congress ,; Obama Administration

(Credit: CBS)

Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of California has hounded President Obama all year about the apparent job offers the White House made to certain Democratic Senate candidates this election season -- and if Republicans win control of the House this November, Issa intends to significantly ratchet up his inquiries into what he sees as potential administration wrongdoing.

As the top Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Issa would become chairman of the committee if Republicans managed to win the majority this fall. If he became chairman, Issa has said he would double his staff from 40 to between 70 and 80, Politico reports. As chairman, he would also have the power to subpoena White House officials to appear before the committee under oath.

"That will make all the difference in the world," Issa said in a recent speech with respect to taking over the chairmanship, according to Politico. "I won't use it to have corporate America live in fear that we're going to subpoena everything. I will use it to get the very information that today the White House is either shredding or not producing."

Issa this year drove GOP inquiries into whether the White House broke any laws when former President Bill Clinton spoke with Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Penn.) about dropping out of the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary and possibly taking an advisory job in the executive branch.

Issa has also raised similar questions about whether the White House made any improper offers to Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff to drop out of the Democratic Senate primary in Colorado.

Just last night, House Judiciary Committee Republicans filed a Resolution of Inquiry demanding documents from the Justice Department on the Sestak and Romanoff matters. The resolution asks whether Justice Department attorneys were consulted before White House and affiliated officials had discussions with the two candidates. The Judiciary Committee now has 14 days to bring up the resolution, and Democrats have indicated they may take it up next week.

"House Democrats now face an important choice, they can either condone the secrecy of the White House or join with us in forcing the kind of disclosure the American people deserve," Issa, a member of the committee, said with respect to the resolution.

Politico reports that "Democrats -- and, truth be told, even a few Republicans in the House -- regard Issa as something of a clownish figure, full of bluster and a perfect representative of an age of polarized, cable TV-driven politics... But some Democratic operatives think colleagues are underestimating the threat: A clown with subpoena power is no laughing matter."

David Weigel of the Washington Post contends that Issa's interest in pursuing investigations into the White House may not serve the Republican Party well.

"It's hard to imagine a scenario where an electorate, angry about the economy, hands Republicans the reins of power, and endorses a series of fishing expeditions about scandals that ('jobgate' aside) never got much traction outside of the Washington Times," he writes.

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by earlysaid June 21, 2010 2:11 AM EDT: Issa is a pompous republican hypocrite who can make a fool of himself all he wants with his hateful attempts to imply that our President Obama is not the most honest, decent, hardworking and a very kind person to people he meets. He is not an arrogant piece of work like the republican politicians who grit their teeth and sneer when President Obama does accomplish great things to help America. President Obama will do his best to get a lot done for the good of America. Unless there is a miracle and I don't think there is any chance of one, republicans will continue to be against good policies, against good ideas, and against our President who would be glad to work with them if they made any honest attempt to do so. They do a great disservice to the nation.; Reply to this comment

by earlysaid June 21, 2010 12:47 AM EDT

The Obama administration has done no wrongdoing. Issa is someone I have started to despise for the hypocrisy and despicable evil he displays. What a sorry excuse for a human being. Republicans sure did not care about wrongdoing or corruption or torture or war lies, but now that we have a Democrat as our President and black besides these republican vermine are such pious assinan haters. Nothing buy republican hypocrites who should be ashamed for their evil and hatefulness. Republican politcians equal hate like no other.

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by gboyd41 June 21, 2010 2:22 AM EDT: early-I think you are right. Just like I have faith that there are no pediophiles in the Catholic church and there is an Easter Bunny!


by nolieshere June 19, 2010 9:16 PM EDT: by Aroleflin June 18, 2010 10:31 PM EDT
You libtards are still whining about Bush, while your incompetant purple lipped Kenyan hero

YOU REPUBLICANS ARE NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF REDNECK, TRAILER-TRASH RACISTS.; Reply to this comment


by FULLofOIL June 19, 2010 9:14 PM EDT: Issa is a party / ploitical Opportunist...perhaps you can go help he and Joe Barton wipe TONY's ass (wipe the oil off it) after you get done kissing his ass, tell him how "bad" it was the white house made them pony up a few bucks for escrow --- gee whiz, how unfair...but, what is the worst about your comments, is the trasparent idealogy --- you are racist, reamrking about a person's lips, the color of them, you are a bigot. An American of the worst breed -- perhaps a white supremist going down fighting and screaming like a spoiled child when special privilages were taken away. I'd be willing to bet you are white person, giving all of us a bad name, and the thought of a black person, or anybody not "your" color in charge on anything other than a "McDonald's" scares the living daylights out of you --- so sad for you and your children's children -- live in a world of hate, all set up by "Rovian" politics, which include all of the above, spewing hatred, fear, etc.
You are the very type of person that spawned the term "Ungly American" --- you should be ashamed of yourself; but, of course, your not. What a waste of time you are, my fellow American.; Reply to this comment

by peggy97478 June 19, 2010 3:25 PM EDT

This "president" has over-reached, over-stepped his bounds and has used strong arm tactics unfitting of a President of the United States. He has usurped the Constitution which he swore to uphold. Bring on the Investigation!!

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by earlysaid June 21, 2010 1:08 AM EDT: The only ones who have over-reached or even done all the things that will get them to HELL are the republican politicians who lie for a living and are paid by tax payers. Corruption ran wild with republicans during the Bush administration and it never bothered these republican hypocrites one tiny bit. They disgust me and I really am disgusted with lies that tea party idiots believe. How sad for this country when there are so many imbeciles who don't think for themselves.


by bradkt1 June 18, 2010 11:58 PM EDT: I'm sure he does want to boost his subpoena power. This partisan hack has nothing positive to offer...only partisan harrassment.

Only problem is that the GOP isn't going to take over the House. The tea baggers are going to take the GOP down the toilet after making a lot of noise...screaming and kicking all the way like spoiled little children because they didn't get their way.

Then the blame game will start and they will say that they were betrayed by those in the GOP who weren't "true conservatives."; Reply to this comment

by Aroleflin June 18, 2010 10:27 PM EDT

Obama has added $5 Billion per day to our debt. 3 times that of Bush [Washington Times 6-3-2010] ......and you Obdumbo bots think this is a healthy management style for our country? If you were a stockholder in a company and your CEO was spending more than what the company was taking in revenue, would you fire him or applaud him? Duh.

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by earlysaid June 21, 2010 1:27 AM EDT: War mongering brought the terrible deficit to where it is. Now republicans don't want the wars to end or for any justice for all those held, innocent or not. What amazing politicians republicans are who care more about war profiting than helping America recover from their corruption, their greed, their harm and their deceit. President Obama won't be able to repair in his term in office all the harm done during the years republicans did deregulate, ruin government agencies, weaken environmental laws, give out billions in subsidies to oil companies, while lying the country into the Iraq War. So the fiscal abilities of President Obama will far exceed any and all those never displayed or even attempted by republicans.

by toldyouso21 June 18, 2010 8:24 PM EDT

Hmmmm and yet why did the Dems not have Bush testify about war crimes, rendition, wire tapping and cherry picking--under oath? LOL

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by earlysaid June 21, 2010 1:34 AM EDT: For some reason President Obama had no desire to prosecute or investigate Bush/Cheney/Rove etc. He could have if he was the type person on the republican side of the isle or the republican party. Instead he allowed them to go their way continuing to be the hateful, spiteful, barfing liars they always were.

by Aroleflin June 18, 2010 5:19 PM EDT

I would take it even further and start impeachment proceedings against Obama. He has repeatedly violated his oath of office to protect and defend the borders of the United States and it's people. As for Bush, he also did not enforce our laws and stands to be criticized for this as well.

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by toldyouso21 June 18, 2010 8:25 PM EDT: There is a huge difference between criticism and impeachment--unfortunately Republicans can only see the difference if the guy they like is in power. (I am an independent)


by earlysaid June 21, 2010 1:44 AM EDT: If I could I would start pounding some sense into some of you peoples hard heads. Republicans can howl at the moon and hope for the unattainable all they want. Our President is decent, very hardworking and honest beyond question. He is so far removed from the corruption republicans right now display. They are bigots, hypocrites, liars and hateful people. President Obama should criticize them, he should expose them, he should call them out because instead of even attempting to govern honestly, republicans are acting the most ruthless evil partisans with no concern for anyone but the elite.


by bezvodka June 18, 2010 4:37 PM EDT: Mr. Issa like most Republican members of Congress, most lately Barton who apologized to BP and took 1.4 million dollars from oil companies, and all in the Senate, are not interested in legislation other than that which will benefit corporations and the rich and the NRA, but are primarily interested in thwarting anything that the Obama administration favors. Thus,you have a Barton kowtowing to BP and an Issa trying to invent a crime where there is none. It is a common tactic: throw mud and hope some will stick, or at least that people who think like you do," if it can be called "think," will applaud and raise their guns and call for Second Amendment solutions" and increase their hatred of the government ? not knowing in so many cases which side of their bread has the butter on it.

Issa has never been a legislator. He never called for investigations of any Republican in or out of the administration when it was Republican. He is an opportunist only.; Reply to this comment