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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:11 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Black caucus wants Issa stripped of committee chairmanship
By Wesley Lowery
March 6 at 11:35 am
House Democrats on Thursday slammed Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), calling his decision to abruptly end a hearing he was leading “disrespectful” and “outrageous” and calling on Republican leadership to strip him on his committee chairmanship. But, the House's top Republican said he will continue to stand by Issa.
In a strongly worded letter to House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), the Congressional Black Caucus lashed out at Issa, who on Wednesday halted a hearing of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee without allowing any Democrats to speak.
"Mr. Issa is a disgrace and should not be allowed to continue in a leadership role," wrote Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), who leads the Congressional Black Caucus, in the letter to Boehner.
The Wednesday hearing on the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting controversy quickly turned tense. When former IRS official Lois Lerner invoked her Fifth Amendment right and declined to testify, Issa adjourned the meeting of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
The panel’s ranking member, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), asked that the hearing be continued so he could speak, but Issa refused and had Cummings's microphone cut off. Republicans on the panel, led by Issa, then walked out of the room while the Maryland congressman continued to speak.
Cummings told reporters on Thursday that several Republican members of the committee have since apologized to him for Issa’s conduct.
But Boehner defended Issa’s actions during his weekly news briefing, saying that the California congressman was not out of line to cut off Cummings’ microphone and walk out.
"He was within his rights to do what he did," Boehner said, later adding: “Darrell Issa is the chairman, he’s done an effective job as chairman and I support him.”
House Democrats also attempted Thursday to introduce a resolution condemning Issa's behavior at the hearing and have called on him to issue a public apology to Cummings. However, in a party-line vote, the House tabled the resolution. As of early this afternoon, spokespeople for Issa had not responded to requests for comment.
That CBC’s outrage was echoed by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) who told reporters at her weekly press briefing that Issa’s behavior toward Cummings was disrespectful.
“I can’t see how Republicans wouldn’t be running…to disassociate themselves from such behavior,” she said. “You would think they would be heading to the hills.”
Wesley Lowery
Wesley Lowery covers Capitol Hill for The Fix and Post Politics. Prior to joining the Washington Post in February 2014, he worked as a breaking news and local politics reporter for the Boston Globe, and has also reported for the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal. Follow him on Twitter @WesleyLowery. |
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Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:14 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Rep. Elijah Cummings (D) Md is a ranking member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The rules would have allowed him to speak for 5 minutes.
Issa demonstrated he only wanted Lerner to use her 5th amendment right so he could attempt to bring her under contempt. Think of the ramifications of this action on everyone. |
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Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:21 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:29 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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POLITICS
Issa, Cummings clash at hearing after ex-IRS official Lerner takes 5th
Published March 05, 2014
• FoxNews.com
A House hearing on the IRS targeting scandal rapidly broke down into a heated and deeply personal argument between a top Democrat and Republican, moments after former IRS official Lois Lerner once again invoked her Fifth Amendment right not to testify.
Lerner, who last year refused to answer questions about her role in singling out Tea Party and other conservative groups for extra scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt status, was called back before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday. Though Republicans argue she waived her Fifth Amendment right by giving a statement during the last hearing, Lerner continued to invoke that right on Wednesday.
"On the advice of my counsel, I respectfully exercise my Fifth Amendment right and decline to answer that question," she said in response to several questions.
But ranking Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., got into a heated argument with Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., after Issa tried to adjourn the hearing.
Issa at first stood up and prepared to leave as Cummings said he wanted to ask a "procedural question." In seconds, tensions flared.
"Mr. Chairman, you cannot run a committee like this," Cummings appealed.
Cummings' microphone was then turned off, and then flipped back on again. Issa sat down momentarily, but then abruptly told Lerner she was "released" and said: "We're adjourned, close it down."
Cummings, his microphone again turned off, continued to shout, complaining about the Republicans' "one-sided investigation."
"I am a member of the Congress of the United States. I am tired of this," he shouted.
The clash bared long-running tensions between the Democratic and GOP members of the committee over the IRS probe.
Lerner headed the IRS division that improperly targeted Tea Party and other conservative groups. After publicly disclosing the targeting, Lerner refused to answer questions about it at a congressional hearing last year. Lerner then resigned from her post as the agency’s director of tax-exempt organizations.
Issa and Lerner’s attorneys have argued about whether she is now still protected from having to testify under the Fifth Amendment. Emails obtained by Fox News revealed an attorney for Lerner negotiated over whether she would testify.
Issa claimed Wednesday that Lerner's testimony remains critical.
"Ms. Lerner is uniquely positioned to provide testimony that will help the committee better understand how and why the IRS targeted conservative groups," he said.
Issa warned that the committee may consider whether to hold her in contempt if she continues to stay silent. House Speaker John Boehner later made the same threat.
Last week, Lerner lawyer William Taylor made public a letter in which he told the committee that Lerner would testify on Capitol Hill only if compelled by a federal court or if given immunity for the testimony.
He was responding to a letter from Issa saying, in part, that Lerner’s testimony remains "critical to the committee’s investigation."
The Associated Press contributed to this report. |
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Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:32 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Roll Call: Latest News on Capitol Hill, Congress, Politics and Elections
March 6, 2014
pic A
Congressional Black Caucus Brings Resolution Condemning Issa, Asks Boehner to Take His Gavel (Video) (Updated)
By Emma Dumain
Posted at 11:39 a.m. March 6
Comments in post: Congressional Black Caucus Brings Resolution Condemning Issa, Asks Boehner to Take His Gavel (Video) (Updated) 32
fudge 134 062513 445x296 Congressional Black Caucus Brings Resolution Condemning Issa, Asks Boehner to Take His Gavel (Video) (Updated)
(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Updated 2:23 p.m. | The chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus brought a resolution to the floor Thursday condemning Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa and asked Speaker John A. Boehner to take his gavel, after Issa cut off Rep. Elijah E. Cummings’ microphone at a hearing Wednesday.
Flanked by CBC colleagues and other Democrats, Chairwoman Marcia L. Fudge, D-Ohio, stood on the House floor to introduce a privileged resolution condemning the California Republican for the “offensive and disrespectful manner in which [he] conducted the hearing” and for “turn[ing] off the microphones of the Ranking Member while he was speaking and adjourn[ing] the hearing without a vote or a unanimous consent agreement.
Within hours, the House voted on party lines to shelve the resolution, with Republicans lining up to back Issa.
Cummings, a CBC member and the top Democrat on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, was attempting to ask a procedural question and deliver general remarks at a resumption of a May 2013 hearing to question IRS official Lois Lerner, who again declined to answer questions by citing her Fifth Amendment rights.
Issa’s refusal to allow the Maryland Democrat to engage has set off a new chapter in a running feud between the two senior lawmakers on the panel.
This time, however, Democrats are taking it personally. In addition to the CBC privileged resolution, Fudge sent a letter to Boehner asking that Issa be removed from his chairmanship.
But the Ohio Republican issued a strong defense of Issa Thursday morning at his weekly press conference.
“Darrell Issa is the chairman, he’s done an effective job as chairman and I support him,” Boehner said. “The issue here is our effort to try to get the truth of the abuse by the IRS ofgroups around the country that some in the administration don’t agree with. From what I understand, I think Mr. Issa was within his rights to adjourn the hearing when he did.”
Ranking members of various House committees gathered for a news conference of their own complaining of a pattern of abuse of power by GOP chairmen.
Rep. Sander M. Levin of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, was taken aback by Boehner’s comments when asked by a reporter.
“He said that the chairman was in his rights or something like that? That can’t be the protocol of this institution,” Levin said. “When I saw Darrell Issa in action yesterday I thought back on all my years here and I think he has brought to an unbearable crescendo. It has to stop. The privileged resolution was filed today. I hope it can be brought up and I hope the Republicans will decide that there is some waters’ edge to politics.”
Rules Committee Ranking Member Louise M. Slaughter, D-N.Y., called the incident “so outrageous, so demeaning, so unjudicial, so awful that we absolutely have reached a boiling point.”
Cummings said on Wednesday that he did not want to venture into a narrative of personal disrespect, and on Thursday he reiterated that position. His real frustration with Issa’s behavior, he said, had to do with what he referred to as Issa’s apparent disinterest in listening to the Democratic perspective because it ran counter to what Republicans’ wanted to hear, thus leading him to shut off the microphone.
Issa said yesterday that Cummings owes him an apology, to which Cummings offered a pointed reply.
“I can tell you this: A number of Republican members on our committee have come up to me and said, ‘Don’t tell him, but I apologize. You should not have been treated that way,’” Cummings told reporters. “A number of them.”
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., backed the resolution Thursday afternoon at her weekly press conference.
“I can’t see how Republicans wouldn’t be running forward to disassociate themselves from such behavior,” she said. “You would think they would be heading to the hills.”
As for how Boehner justified his defense of Issa at his own press conference earlier Thursday, Pelosi said, “He must be under a lot of pressure if he thinks what Darrell Issa did was okay, because it’s not.”
Asked whether Pelosi thought Issa’s attitude towards Cummings had anything to do with race, Pelosi demurred.
“I know in the Congressional Black Caucus there’s concern because on previous occasions such as this it was when Mr. [Charles B. Rangel] was ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee and you recall Bill Thomas crying on the House floor apologizing for what he did,” she said.
That infamous 2003 incident involved former Ways and Means Chairman Thomas, R-Calif., calling the Capitol Police to oust Rangel from an annex adjacent to the committee room where he was protesting legislative business.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney also called the incident “inappropriate” and said members of the minority should have the right to speak.
The full resolution is below:
PRIVILEGED RESOLUTION AGAINST THE OFFENSIVE ACTIONS
OF CHAIRMAN DARRELL E. ISSA
Whereas on March 5, 2014, during a hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Committee Chairman Darrell E. Issa gave a statement and then posed ten questions to former Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner, who stated that she was invoking her Fifth Amendment right not to testify;
Whereas the Committee’s Ranking Member, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, clearly sought recognition to take his turn for questions under Committee and House Rules;
Whereas, Chairman Issa then unilaterally adjourned the hearing and refused to allow him to make any statement or ask any questions;
Whereas Ranking Member Cummings protested immediately, stating: “Mr. Chairman, you cannot run a Committee like this. You just cannot do this. This is, we are better than that as a country, we are better than that as a Committee.”
Whereas, Chairman Issa then returned and allowed Ranking Member Cummings to begin his statement, but when it became clear that Chairman Issa did not want to hear what Ranking Member Cummings was saying, turned off Ranking Member Cummings’ microphone, ordered Republican staff to “close it down,” and repeatedly signaled to end the hearing with his hand across his neck;
Whereas Ranking Member Cummings objected again, stating: “You cannot have a one-sided investigation. There is absolutely something wrong with that.”;
Whereas Chairman Issa made a statement of his own and posed questions during the hearing, but refused to allow other members of the Committee, and in particular the Ranking Member who had sought recognition, to make statements under the five-minute rule in violation of House Rule XI;
Whereas Chairman Issa instructed the microphones be turned off and adjourned the hearing without a vote or a unanimous consent agreement in violation of Rule XVI because he did not want to permit Ranking Member Cummings to speak;
Whereas Chairman Issa’s abusive behavior on March 5 is part of a continuing pattern in which he has routinely excluded members of the Committee from investigative meetings, and has routinely provided information to the press before sharing it with Committee members;
Whereas Chairman Issa has violated Clause 1 of Rule XXIII of the Code of Official Conduct which states that “A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer or employee of the House shall behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House”: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives strongly condemns the offensive and disrespectful manner in which Chairman Darrell E. Issa conducted the hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on March 5, 2014, during which he turned off the microphones of the Ranking Member while he was speaking and adjourned the hearing without a vote or a unanimous consent agreement.
Daniel Newhauser contributed to this report. |
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Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:45 pm |
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twotap
F L I N T O I D
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Suppose the congressional White caucus wants Issa to stay. Oh wait that would be a racist caucus.  Screw the black caucus and their racist members. |
_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
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Thu Mar 06, 2014 9:07 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Darrell Issa Holds Absurd IRS Hearing In Which He Is The Only One Allowed To Speak
Darrell Issa Apologizes To Elijah Cummings, But Says He Threw 'Quite A Hissy Fit'
The Huffington Post | by Ashley Alman
Email Posted: 03/06/2014 11:13 pm EST Updated: 03/07/2014 12:59 am
House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) attempted to make amends with Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) Thursday after ruffling feathers at a congressional hearing the day before.
The spat happened after Lois Lerner, the former Internal Revenue Service director of tax-exempt organizations, invoked the Fifth Amendment and refused to testify during a hearing on the IRS. When Issa gaveled the hearing to a close, Cummings grew enraged, prompting the chairman to cut off his microphone.
Cummings released a statement Thursday saying Issa had phoned and "apologized for his conduct."
"My sincere hope is that as we move forward, we will respect the opinions of all members of the committee, we will proceed in a deliberate and considered manner to obtain the facts, we will refrain from making accusations that have no basis in fact, and we will seek resolution rather than unnecessary conflict,” Cummings said in the statement.
Cummings added that he accepted the apology.
During a Fox News interview Thursday evening, Issa showed no remorse, ridiculing Cummings for his outburst.
"Do you apologize to Congressman Cummings?" asked Megyn Kelly.
"You know, I broke no rules and he broke the decorum of the House," Issa said. "I did things according to the rules. I followed a script, and then Mr. Cummings decides to have quite a hissy fit."
The Fox interview was prerecorded, so it wasn't clear whether the Issa's comments came before or after he phoned Cummings. |
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Fri Mar 07, 2014 4:05 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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quote:
twotap schreef:
Suppose the congressional White caucus wants Issa to stay. Oh wait that would be a racist caucus. Screw the black caucus and their racist members.
The racist act was when Issa broke the rules and disrespected a ranking member of the committee. Cumming has a past as a Civil Rights leader and Issa has a past as a car thief. |
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Fri Mar 07, 2014 4:09 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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POLITICO
Darrell Issa apologizes to Elijah Cummings
Issa admitted that he should have been “more sensitive” to Cummings’s request. | Getty
e
By JOHN BRESNAHAN | 3/6/14 11:29 PM EST
Controversial GOP Rep. Darrell Issa has apologized to the top Democrat on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee following an ugly incident during a Wednesday hearing on alleged IRS abuses.
Issa, a California Republican and chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, had the microphone for Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings cut off during the middle of a statement by the Maryland lawmaker. The move infuriated Cummings and other Democrats, who went to the House floor on Thursday with a motion condemning Issa’s actions.
While Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other Republicans backed him and easily defeated the Democratic motion, the partisan controversy threatened to derail Issa’s investigation into whether the IRS improperly targeted conservative nonprofit groups.
Issa called Cummings on Thursday evening to offer his apologies, Cummings said in a statement released by his office.
“This evening, Chairman Issa telephoned me and apologized for his conduct, and I accepted his apology,” Cummings said. “My sincere hope is that as we move forward, we will respect the opinions of all members of the committee, we will proceed in a deliberate and considered manner to obtain the facts, we will refrain from making accusations that have no basis in fact, and we will seek resolution rather than unnecessary conflict.”
For his part, Issa admitted that he should have been “more sensitive” to Cummings’s request to offer a statement during an appearance by Lois Lerner, an IRS official at the center of the scandal.
“I could have offered to reopen the hearing and allowed him to make a second statement,” Issa told the San Diego Union Tribune on Thursday night. “As chairman, I should have been much more sensitive to the mood of what was going on, and I take responsibility.”
But Issa and Cummings are likely to return to their partisan battling next week, when Issa is expected to move forward with a contempt resolution against Lois Lerner, a former IRS official at the center of the controversy.
Issa has been attempting to testify about her role in the targeting of conservative groups applying for a tax exemption. But Lerner asserted her Fifth Amendment right and declined to answer the committee’s questions.
Republicans claim that Lerner waived her right to invoke the Fifth Amendment privilege because she made an opening statement at a May 2013 hearing saying she was innocent. Democrats argue that Lerner does not have to answer any questions that could incriminate her. Issa’s panel is considering whether to move a contempt resolution against Lerner, a move that could occur next week and is bound to result in more partisan fireworks.
Josh Gerstein contributed to this report.
Author: John Bresnahan (jbresnahan@politico.com)
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/darrell-issa-elijah-cummings-104398.html#ixzz2vGidpntr |
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Fri Mar 07, 2014 5:00 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Martin Bashir Reminds Viewers of Darrell Issa's Criminal Past ...
May 17, 2013 ... Bashir spent some time reminding us all of Darrell Issa's past criminal ... from a car alarm company was accused of auto theft at one point:.
crooksandliars.com/karoli/martin-bashir-reminds-viewers-darrell-issas |
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Sat Mar 08, 2014 8:42 am |
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twotap
F L I N T O I D
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A few Elijah moments to ponder. Typical lib moron.
http://angrywhitedude.com/2014/01/liar-day-elijah-cummings/
http://startthinkingright.wordpress.com/2014/03/06/elijah-cummings-incredibly-hypocritical-rant-and-what-it-means-post-obama-it-means-the-beast-is-coming/
http://www.teaparty.org/rep-cummings-d-md-irs-scandal-solved-25244/
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2012/10/30/voter_integrity_group_accuses_rep_elijah_cummings_of_defamation_demands_retraction_of_statements
A few Elijah votes on border security.
Immigration
The following chart is a summary of Elijah Cumming's voting record in the U.S. House of Representatives with regards to immigration.
Bill Number and Title
Date
Vote
Description
H.R. 3722 Amendment 1011: The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act May 20, 2004 Voted NO [3] To require hospitals to gather and report information on illegal aliens before hospitals are paid for treating them, and require hospitals to not treat undocumented aliens if they can be transported back home without worsening their condition. More info about H.R. 3722
H.R. 5441 Amendment 968: The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act June 6, 2006 Voted NO [4] To support the Minuteman Project, which is a group that patrols the Mexican border for illegal immigrants, and not allow United States' funds to provide information to the Mexican government about the location of Minuteman Project volunteers. More info about H.R. 5441
H.R. 6061: Secure Fence Act September 14, 2006 Voted NO [5] To build a wall along the Mexican border, increase border surveillance through more efficient use of personnel and technology, and increase physical barriers to prevent unlawful border entry. More info about H.R. 6061
H.R. 6095: Immigration Law Enforcement Act September 19, 2006 Voted NO [6] To affirm that state and local law enforcement personnel have the authority to enforce immigration laws, provide for effective prosecution of alien smugglers, and reform immigration litigation procedures. More info about H.R. 6095
H.R. 6094: Community Protection Act September 21, 2006 Voted NO [7] To restore the Secretary of Homeland Security's authority to detain dangerous aliens, to ensure the removal of deportable criminal aliens, and combat alien gang crime. More info about H.R. 6094 |
_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
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Sat Mar 08, 2014 8:43 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Martin Bashir Reminds Viewers of Darrell Issa's Criminal Past
By karoli May 17, 2013 9:00 am
Bashir spent some time reminding us all of Darrell Issa's past criminal transgressions just in case we had forgotten that the fox is in charge of the henhouse right now.
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Now that we're all being treated to the sight of Darrell Issa puffing up and bloviating about his work as chairman of the House Oversight Committee, this clip with Ari Melber and Martin Bashir is an excellent reminder of which fox currently chairs the henhouse. Ryan Lizza's 2011 profile of Issa served as the basis for today's discussion.
There is the car theft, for example. Oh, alleged car theft, I should say. After all, the man who made his fortune from a car alarm company was accused of auto theft at one point:
A member of Issa’s Army unit, Jay Bergey, told Williams that his most vivid recollection of the young Issa was that in December, 1971, Issa stole his car, a yellow Dodge Charger. “I confronted Issa,” Bergey said in 1998. “I got in his face and threatened to kill him, and magically my car reappeared the next day, abandoned on the turnpike.”
Ok, maybe that was a prank, but after that, there was this:
On March 15, 1972, three months after Issa allegedly stole Jay Bergey’s car and one month after he left the Army for the first time, Ohio police arrested Issa and his older brother, William, and charged them with stealing a red Maserati from a Cleveland showroom. The judge eventually dismissed the case.
While the Maserati case was pending, Issa went to college. Just before 11 p.m. on Friday, December 1, 1972, two police officers on patrol in the small town of Adrian noticed Issa driving a yellow Volkswagen the wrong way down a one-way street. The police pulled him over, and, as Issa retrieved the car registration, an officer saw something peculiar in the glove compartment. He searched it, and, according to the police report, found a .25-calibre Colt automatic inside a box of ammunition, along with a “military pouch” that contained “44 rounds of ammo and a tear gas gun and two rounds of ammo for it.” Issa was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon. The policeman asked why he was armed. “He stated in Ohio you could carry a gun as long as you had a justifiable reason,” the report said. “His justifiable reason was for his car’s protection and his.” Issa pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of possession of an unregistered gun. He paid a small fine and was sentenced to six months’ probation.
When Issa ran for the Senate in 1998, he rewrote his past:
"He had been a soldier, and he claimed that he was part of an elite bomb detecting unit that guarded President Nixon at the 1971 World Series," said Williams.
Williams called up the Nixon Presidential Library, and was told that Nixon hadn't gone to any World Series games that year. Then Williams looked into Issa's purportedly stellar career in the Army.
"The biography that he was providing the press in the context of his campaign was all wrong. He had a bad conduct rating. He was demoted, and a fellow soldier accused him of stealing his car," said Williams.
But probably the most suspicious and most uninvestigated event in Issa's checkered past is the mysterious 1982 fire at his factory at a time where he was buying out the owner of Steal Stopper, the predecessor to Issa's car alarm company. Issa quadrupled his insurance coverage and then boom! The place burned down. Lizza:
Joey Adkins, the former owner of Steal Stopper, provided the main evidence against Issa. On the afternoon of September 20, 1982, in a lengthy recorded interview with an insurance investigator, he described a series of suspicious actions by Issa before the fire. Adkins, who still worked for Steal Stopper, said that Issa removed the company’s Apple II computer from the building, including “all hardware, all software, all the instruction books,” and also “the discs for accounts payable, accounts receivable, customer list, everything.” According to Adkins, Issa also transferred a copy of every design used by Steal Stopper from a filing cabinet to a fireproof box. He also said that Issa put in the box some important silk screens used in the production of circuit boards. Insurance officials noted that, less than three weeks before the fire, Issa had increased his insurance from a hundred thousand dollars to four hundred and sixty-two thousand dollars. “Quite frankly,” Adkins told the investigator, “I feel the man set the fire.”
So did the insurance company. They finally settled out of court for about $20,000, which was a fraction of what Issa had sued them for.
Not mentioned in the Bashir discussion but equally interesting is this small nugget:
The insurance company, meanwhile, had found something peculiar about Issa, unrelated to the arson: there was no indication of where his initial capital came from. After interviewing a family member, an investigator reported, “She was unable to advise us as to his financial banking [sic] to become an officer in Quantum Inc.” A second report noted, “We were unable to find the source of his financing for the business ventures he is engaged in at the present time.”
This is the guy holding himself out as the crusader for What is Right and Just. Or as Bashir called him, a "paragon of virtue."
Tags: Ari Melber, Darrell Issa, House Oversight Committee, Martin Bashir, Quantum Inc., Ryan Lizza |
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Sat Mar 08, 2014 8:55 am |
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twotap
F L I N T O I D
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Its so laughable listening to libs progressives whatever your calling yourself nowadays whine about the possible transgressions of repubs while propping up and adoring the likes of Charlie Rangel, Robert KKK Byrd and of course my favorite the late skirt chasing vehicle homicide senator Teddy Kennedy.  Hey did you happen to see the JFK Marilyn video? 
The morons in Harlem keep reelecting this clown. And of course he's a major player in the racist outfit known as The Black Caucus.
The House Ethics Committee brought 13 charges against Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel of New York yesterday.
For each violation, the Investigative Subcommittee scrutinizing Rangel determined there is "substantial reason to believe that a violation of the Code of Official Conduct, or of a law, rule, regulation, or other standard of conduct applicable to the performance of official duties or the discharge of official responsibilities by a Member, officer, or employee of the House of Representatives has occurred."
Below is a summary, and excerpts, from the Statement of Alleged Violations.
1. Conduct in violation of the solicitation and gift ban
"Between 2005 and 2008 Respondent engaged in a pattern of soliciting for donations and other things of value on behalf of the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Policy at the City College of New York."
"The entities solicited were seeking official action from the House..."
"Respondent's conduct was not within the parameters established by the Standards Committee for solicitations on behalf of charitable organizations."
2. Conduct in violations of Code of Ethics for Government Service (clause 5)
A member is never supposed to give special favors or accept things that may make it look like it could sway the member in his official capacity.
"...Respondent made numerous requests for support for the Rangel Center. Those requests were directed at entities and individuals whose interests could be affected by the legislative and oversight activities of Respondent in his capacity as a member of congress."
"Contributions were made by persons with interests before the Ways and Means Committee..."
"Contributions to the Rangel Center provided a benefit to Respondent."
3. Conduct in violation of the House gift rule
"Respondent solicited contributions for the Rangel Center and the Rangel Center did receive contributions."
"Respondent has a personal interest in the Rangel Center... will provide him with an office, and allows him to perpetuate his legacy, including the storing and archiving of his papers."
"Contributions to the Rangel Center constituted indirect gifts attributable to Respondent."
4. Conduct in violation of postal service laws and franking commission regulations
A member is not allowed to use the frank for any association, committee or organization. Only for official congressional duties.
"Respondent used his frank for the benefit of a charitable organization and for solicitation of funds."
5. Conduct in violation of any franking statute
"Respondent used his frank on materials that were not official business."
6. Conduct in violation of House Office Building Commission's Regulations
Not allowed to use congressional staff to solicit contributions on House of Representatives property.
"Respondent and his staff drafted solicitation letters and performed other work related to solicitations on property of the U.S. Representatives."
7. Conduct in violation of the purpose law and the Member's Congressional Handbook
Members' allowances include official mail costs/staff salaries. It is against the law to misuse federal funds. The members' handbook says the allowance can only be used for official purposes.
"Respondent used House employees and other official House resources for work related to the Rangel center."
"Those resources included the use of staff time, use of telephones and House email accounts, other office supplies, and of the frank. Those expenses were paid using the MRA." MRA is the Member's Representational Allowance.
8. Conduct in violation of the Letterhead Rules
House rules do not allow anyone not under the direction and control of the House to use the words "Congress of the United States" or "House of Representatives" or "Official Business."
"...Respondent sent letters related to the Rangel Center on letterhead bearing the words 'Congress of the United States' and 'House of Representatives.'"
9. Conduct in violation of the Ethics in Government Act (EIGA) and House Rule 16
EIGA requires members to file full and complete Financial Disclosure statements on income, rent on property, gifts and other financial assets. If a statement has to be amended, the committee says it's in good faith if done by the end of the year and an explanation as to why. Fail on one of those, and the amendment is not considered in good faith.
"Respondent engaged in a pattern of submitting Financial Disclosure statements that were incomplete and inaccurate."
"Respondent failed to report numerous items required to be reported... from 1998 through 2008."
"Respondent erroneously reported numerous required to be reported under the EIGA during the period 1998 through 2007."
"Respondent's amendments...1998 through 2007 were not filed within the close of the year...Respondent's amendments were not timely."
"Respondent's amendments...1998 through 2007 were filed after the committee...had established an investigative subcommittee with respect to Respondent's conduct, including his reporting of the Punta Cana villa on his Financial Disclosure Statements..."
"Respondent has failed to establish that the amendments to his Financial Disclosure statements for the calendar years 1998 through 2007 were submitted in good faith."
"Respondent's conduct violated the EIGA."
10. Conduct in violation of Code of ethics for Government Service (clause 5)
Here's another case where a person in government is not supposed to give special privileges to anyone or accept favors or benefits that could look like it might influence his actions as a Representative.
"Respondent received a rent stabilized residential apartment at Lenox Terrace, which he used as office space for Rangel for Congress and National Leadership PAC."
"Terms of the lease for the rent stabilized apartment provided that the apartment was to be used 'for living purposes only.'"
"Respondent's acceptance of that rent-stabilized apartment for nonresidential purposes in contravention of the terms of the lease was a favor or benefit to him..."
"Respondent accepted the favor or benefit from Olnick under circumstances that might be construed by reasonable persons as influencing the performance of his governmental duties."
11. Conduct in violation of Code of Ethics for Government Service (clause 2)
Code of ethics for government service states that people in government must uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States.
"Respondent's failure to report rental income related to Punta Cana on his Federal income tax returns violated the Internal Revenue Code."
As already stated above, Rangel also violated Franking Regulations, House Office Building Commission's Regulations, Member's Congressional Handbook, Ethics in Government Act and the Internal Revenue Code and other violations.
12. Conduct in Violation of the Code of Conduct: Letter and Spirit of House Rules
House Rules state that a Member "shall adhere to the spirit and the letter of the Rules of the House..."
Respondent's conduct violated this rule.
13. Conduct in Violation of the Code of Conduct: Conduct Reflecting Discredibility on the House
House Rules state that a Member "shall behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House."
Subcommittee finds Rangel violated this with the following offenses:
1.-Improper solicitations of potential donors to the Rangel Center
-Acceptance of favors and benefits from donors to the Rangel Center in a way that some might see as influence the job he does in Congress
-Knowingly accepting indirect gifts from donors to the Rangel Center
-Improperly using franking privileges to raise money for the Rangel Center
-Writing solicitations for the Rangel Center on House property
-Misusing House resources- staff, phones, e-mail and franking for work related to the Rangel Center.
2.-Misuse of Congressional letterhead to solicit donations to the Rangel Center
-Failing to disclose, from 1998 to 2007, full and complete financial statements
3.-Rangel's pattern of submitting Financial Disclosure statements that were incomplete and inaccurate
-Failing to make sure his Financial Disclosure statements were complete and accurate
-Violating the Ethics in Government Act
-Failing to report rental income from his villa in the Dominican Republic on his Federal income tax returns from 1998 to 2006
4.-Violating the Internal Revenue Code
5.-Receiving rent stabilized apartment, using it for campaign activities when the lease stated it should be used only for living purposes
6.-Accepting the rent stabilized apartment in a way that could look like he was influence in his government activities by the deal
7.-By breaking the law, Rangel violated the Code of Ethics for Government Service
8.-By not adhering to the letter and spirit of House Rules
-"Respondent's pattern of indifference or disregard for the laws, rules and regulations of the United States and the House of Representatives is a serious violation"
9.-"Respondent's actions and accumulation of actions reflected poorly on the institution of the House and, thereby, brought discredit to the
Last edited by twotap on Mon Mar 10, 2014 9:36 am; edited 1 time in total |
_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
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Mon Mar 10, 2014 8:50 am |
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twotap
F L I N T O I D
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Robert Byrd[edit]
Senator Robert Byrd was a Kleagle, a Klan recruiter, in his 20s and 30s.
West Virginia's Democratic United States Senator Robert C. Byrd was a recruiter for the Klan while in his 20s and 30s, rising to the title of Kleagle and Exalted Cyclops of his local chapter. After leaving the group, Byrd spoke in favor of the Klan during his early political career. Though he claimed to have left the organization in 1943, Byrd wrote a letter in 1946 to the group's Imperial Wizard stating "The Klan is needed today as never before, and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia." Byrd defended the Klan in his 1958 U.S. Senate campaign when he was 41 years old.[9]
Despite being the only Senator to vote against both African American U.S. Supreme Court nominees (liberal Thurgood Marshall and conservative Clarence Thomas) and filibustering the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Byrd has since said joining the Klan was his "greatest mistake." The NAACP gave him a 100% rating on their issues during the 108th Congress.[10] However, in a 2001 incident Byrd repeatedly used the phrase "white niggers" on a national television broadcast.[11]
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_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
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Mon Mar 10, 2014 9:18 am |
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