Posted on 07/07/2009 11:02:34 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Issa unloads: Says GOP must address 'failures' of Bush and Hastert @ 1:15 pm by Michael O'Brien
Republicans have a responsibility to reflect on the "failures" of leaders like former President George W. Bush and House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), a prominent House Republican said Tuesday.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, argued the GOP must "throw everything we did wrong under the bus" — even if it means alienating some members of the party.
Issa said that his committee and Republicans in general wouldn't be doing their jobs "if we're not investigating the failures of the Bush administration; if we're not investigating the failures of Speaker Denny Hasterts."
"You don't get redemption without confession," Issa said at a meeting of conservative bloggers at the Heritage Foundation. "They have to take the opportunity to throw everything we did wrong under the bus."
Issa used the example of former Rep. Mike Oxley (R-Ohio), who Issa said had "screamed" at him this morning over his staff released on the government role in promoting homeowner loans.
Issa accused former President Bush of overseeing a "Ponzi Scheme" of inflated homeownership by the end of his administration, and said that Republicans have a responsibility to hold Bush accountable.
"If you're not willing to say "Bush didn't get it"…then we don't deserve our credibility back," the California lawmaker continued. "We've got to learn from our mistakes; we made some."
The GOP also has a "void" of African American, Hispanic, Jewish, and young, female members, Issa lamented. But he said the Republican Party shouldn't bend over backward to win them over.
"Why don't we just be honest? We're not for social programs, that, in fact hand outs," he explained. "And if you believe those social programs are critical, then stay with the Democratic Party."
McCainism... such a great winning political philosophy...NOT!
Makes sense to me.
I don’t think we need to trash Bush any more...there’s nothing left to trash, but he right that we need to repudiate our Democrat-lite approach to governance.
HEY, Issa....yea You...REFLECT UPON THIS (image goes here) !
Navel gazing with apologies. Ah, that’s the ticket. Idjit.
Sounds about right.
Responsible for a Real Estate ponzi...not a chance.
who is this RINO @$$h0le???
why doesn't he just join his butt buddies over in the Dhimmicrat party where his heart is?
Rather than harping on past mistakes, why not come with a positive agenda? Here are just a few ideas.
1) Stop illegal immigration.
2) Cut income tax, corporate taxes, dividends, capital gains , and estate taxes across the board to stimulate the economy.
3) Cut spending dramatically and balance the budget.
4) Rebuild or defenses with a special emphasis on ballistic missile defense.
5) Energy independence including increased oil exploration and drilling both onshore and off shore. Increase coal production and build nuclear power plants.
6) Promote traditional values especially life and traditional marriage.
How difficult can this be? Stop in the ridiculous infighting and backstabbing and return the GOP to its traditional roots and values.
This isn’t rocket science. It’s common sense.
He needs to get down to the real business at hand.
Like attacking the Socialist takeover of America and winning an election (remember those?) instead of self castigating flagellation.
Issa may be on to something, but he may be looking in the wrong places.
The republicans in the house under Hastert’s leadership went along with massive spending increases and pork. That was a failure of leadership, and Bush’s failure to veto any of the pork was a failure of leadership.
The republicans in the house under Hastert’s leadership rolled over and refused to PUSH HARD for an aggressive and comprehensive energy plan to reduce our dependance on foreign energy by increasing domestic supply. This was a failure of leadership.
The republicans in the house under Hastert’s leadership thought it was a good idea to try to ramrod a democrat piece of legislation on “immigration reform” through congress against the overwhelming opposition of the American people. In doing so, they pushed the liberal democrat agenda but completely let the democrats off the hook and took ownership of the wrong side of the issue. This was an epic failure of leadership.
The republicans in the house under Hastert’s leadership allowed the democrats to set the agenda, define the terms and positions, and frame the spin however they liked. The refused to counter the lies that dems told about Bush and even repeated those lies many times. This was a failure of leadership.
Unfortunately, those don’t seem to be the things Issa is talking about.
If he's saying "Let's call a spade a spade", as it sounds like he might be, then I'm with him. Bush was asleep at the wheel during much of his second term, and Rove did as much harm as good..
If, on the other hand, he's looking to win favor by bashing the Republican leaders and not the Democrats, a la McLame, then who needs him.
Get back to me when Pelosi retracts her CIA lied to me remarks. Get back to me after your oversight committee investigates Rangel, Murtha and Frank. In the meantime STFU!
WTF?
Are we sure this isn’t some copy/paste/edit of some Barney Frank hissy fit?
If not, take this assclown out back and put him out of his misery.
Privately they may need to acknowledge what they did wrong, but the Democrats and media have so thoroughly beat President Bush to a pulp that Republicans don’t need to piling on that dead horse. How about tackling and addressing the Big-eared Bozo and the Botox Queen that are currently occupying those offices? And bending over backwards for minuscule gains with minority groups is a losing proposition. I used to think that was a good idea too, but it’s a waste of time and resources for the return you get—especially with the black community. They have hitched themselves to the Democrat wagon and there’s no changing that.
Hastert absolutely should be thrown under the bus for his defense of William Jefferson, D-LA.
It would make sense to me, but Issa does not get it. What needs to be thrown under the bus is the spending and job growth, etc.
Maybe the situation is becoming so dire that some of our public servants are waking up and some will be cracking up...good! Let’s get everything on the table, 100% transparency for all to see! These unconstitutional lawmakers must be exposed.
When the Democrats denounce Clinton, Carter and Nancy Pelosi, we’ll talk.
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