I'm getting a little tired of the suggestion that Darrell Issa did something wrong the other day when he cut off the microphone of Elijah Cummings - his colleague and the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
This occurred, of course, during the "hearing" that became no hearing at all because the only witness, Lois Lerner, took the Fifth and refused to answer questions concerning the wrongdoing at the IRS. Once Mr. Lerner took the Fifth, Chairman Issa adjourned the hearing because asking her questions was the only reason the hearing had been called. There was no other business to conduct.
But that didn't satisfy Congressman Cummings, who went into a hissy fit claiming that he was being denied his right to ask a question. The truth is that he didn't have a question for Ms. Lerner. Cummings has a habit of launching into lengthy diatribes that technically qualify as a "question" because he will tack something like "Do you think this is fair?" to the end of it. Issa could see that this was where things were going and he wasn't about to allow it. Without Ms. Lerner's willingness to testify, there was really no point in anyone sitting there and pontificating.
In case you didn't see it when Rob posted it the other day, here is the video of what happened:
Now I want to address some of the more ridiculous criticisms being hurled at Congressman Issa concerning this incident.
The first is the easiest to knock out: That he's racist because he wouldn't let Cummings talk. Please. He's the chairman of the committee and he's enforcing the rules. In the days when Henry Waxman chaired this committee and Issa was a member (when Republicans were in the minority), Waxman regularly denied Issa the right to speak. Did anyone call Waxman a racist for silencing an Arab-American?
Be serious. This is complete bullfeathers.
Second, let's keep some perspective on the real issue here. The IRS is abusing its power and imposing a completely unjustified hardship on Americans to serve the political interests of Democrats, and it appears Lois Lerner is one of the most shameless perpetrators of this abuse. I suppose the justice system will decide her innocence or guilt, but as far as I know not many innocent people take the Fifth.
Finally, how can anyone get upset about what Darrell Issa did while ignoring Alvin Holmes?
The abuse committed by the IRS against the American people is the story here, not some congressman being denied the chance to bloviate. Last night I watched NBC News from start to finish and they didn't mention the IRS abuse once. This is exactly the reason government agencies feel free to abuse their power. The news media do not think it's a story worth covering. They're more interested in melodrama involving a couple of congressmen then the fact that the IRS is running roughshod over people's rights.
I put on a sweatshirt this morning with Cheers across the front. It was given to me during my days at the National Restaurant Association by the man who owned the real Cheers (no, not Sam Malone) in Boston. That was fortuitous, I think. Darrell Issa deserves three cheers today, because he kept the focus where it belongs - on the IRS's abuse of Americans' rights, not on a hissy fit throwing congressman who ought to be defending his constituents and not the government that is violating their rights and their trust.
