Darrel Issa acts like Vladimir Putin in Congress

Rep. Darrel Issa (R-Calif.) has today abused his trust — again — as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

{mosads}When Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) tried to make a statement and ask a question, Issa, acting in Washington the way Russian strongman Vladimir Putin acts in Moscow, cut him off.

This kind of abuse by Issa and committee Republicans, against Cummings and committee Democrats, has gone too far. Issa and committee Republicans have selectively leaked testimony, regularly destroyed the rights of committee Democrats, repeatedly violated the rules and standards of the House of Representatives, and turned the committee into a banana republic organ that is reminiscent of the one-party rule of Putin in Russia.

It is a disgrace, and it should be stopped. House Republican leaders should order Issa to stop this abuse. America is not a one-party state. Congress is not a one-party institution. And the House Oversight Committee is not a one-party committee. If Chairman Issa wants to continue these abuses, he should run a committee in the Russian Duma, not the Congress of the United States. 

Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen and Bill Alexander, then chief deputy majority whip of the House. He holds an LL.M. degree in international financial law from the London School of Economics. Contact him at brentbbi@webtv.net.