The Issa approach to governance
-Headline of the Day-
"A Businessman in Congress Helps His District and Himself."
While other stories are getting a lot of attention, one NYT story that deserves more is getting little. And that story is that fabulously well-to-do Republican Rep. Darrell Issa is using his chairmanship of the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to make himself fabulously well-to-doer. The committee is in a position to hand out pork and Issa's more than happy to hand it out to himself. And I don't mean his district, I mean himself.
"He has secured millions of dollars in Congressional earmarks for road work and public works projects that promise improved traffic and other benefits to the many commercial properties he owns here north of San Diego," the report tells us. "In one case, more than $800,000 in earmarks he arranged will help widen a busy thoroughfare in front of a medical plaza he bought for $10.3 million." From Wall Street oversight to automobile regulations, Issa has always taken positions that -- completely coincidentally, mind you -- seem to funnel money into his pocket.
Here's the first fun part; Issa's office says the report is "riddled with factual errors and careless assertions" -- except they don't bother to point out what those errors or careless assertions are. Here's Wisco's First Rule of Spotting Bullshit: look for declarations without facts. If Issa's office really had facts contrary to the article, they'd put them out there. Instead, they declare the whole thing BS without bothering to even try to prove anything.
Now here's the second fun part; Darrell Issa now gets to STFU about how federal spending is bad for the private sector. (New York Times)
-This is how you do it-
Looting in the UK?
Click to embiggen
Pfft! Go big or go home. (TruthDig)
-Bonus HotD-
"Bill Clinton: Rick Perry is a 'Good-Looking Rascal,' But His Platform 'Is Crazy.'"
Geez Bill, you make him sound like Bugs Bunny. (PolitickerNY)
