Issa In Charge

Apparently posed to make good on months’ worth of campaign promises, Darrell Issa looks slated to hold hundreds of investigations and hearings. Talking with Politico, Issa, the chairman-in-waiting of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, claimed to want “seven hearings a week times 40 weeks.” But while the Chairman to-be seems eager to bring his oversight powers to bear, the degree to which his will be a purely partisan pursuit remains unclear.

 That the Republican’s midterm pitch aimed primarily at capturing the nation’s anti-Democrat and anti-establishment pathos is no real secret. It only makes sense, then, that Issa might look to pin-point those targets most politically available. In making the post-election media rounds, however, his tone and tact have been somewhat subdued.

 Having once referred to allegations of Pennsylvania Senate campaign mischief as “impeachable” and “Obama’s Watergate,” Issa’s course looks to have been subdued, if not outwardly blunted. Speaking with Roll Call, an Issa spokesman concluded that an investigation into the Sestak affair could be seen as “a partisan witch hunt,” and, it seems, will therefore not be pursued. As of now, what exactly remains on Issa’s docket continues to be uncertain. In light of recent comments, though, it looks to be less harshly partisan than was once expected.