|
|
|
 |
FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
|
|
It is in the breaking news sidebar! |
|
Posted on 07/08/2003 10:29:13 PM PDT by LdSentinal
In his former career as a successful car alarm manufacturer, Rep. Darrell Issa pressured his employees to develop "new product, new product." Issa wanted the newest gadgets, technology and features in a fraction of the standard two-year development cycle.
Now Issa brings the same shortened time frame and 'why not?' spirit to a late-blooming political career. Since 1998, he has lost a Republican Senate primary race and won two House races in California.
Of late, he has become the driving force behind the effort to recall Gray Davis, California's embattled Democratic governor, and has openly declared his interest in succeeding Davis in the governor's chair should the recall movement prevail.
Even as his political ambitions soar, the 49-year-old Issa remains in love with technology. His preferred mode of transportation around Capitol Hill is the Segway Human Transporter, a $3,000 stand-up scooter that can cover a mile in less than five minutes.
"He's a typical entrepreneur," said Glenn Busse, a sales executive who used to work for the California Republican. "He did not feel limited and found reasons why to do things instead of reasons not to do things,"
Sitting in the Speaker's Lobby on a warm afternoon before a summer thunderstorm, Issa shows more enthusiasm about footwear than he does about what's happening on the House floor or his single-minded pursuit to evict an elected governor from office.
"Those are unusual shoes," he says, referring to a reporter's Danish black dress shoes. Then, just as quickly, he advertises his own Hush Puppies.
For the past month, Issa has contributed $700,000 of his personal fortune to recall Davis, whom Issa contends is incompetent in the face of budget shortfalls and an energy crisis in the Golden State. If the recall is successful, Issa has made it clear he plans to run for governor.
If Issa gets his way, it will be the first time since the recall initiative was written into California law in 1911 that a sitting governor has been removed from office.
Then, Issa, a California transplant could possibly join the ranks for Earl Warren, Pat Brown and Ronald Reagan as governor of the nation's largest state.
Given that company -- a chief justice of the United States and a president -- it is likely that Issa has presidential ambitions. That would not be surprising given his journey from an 18-year-old arrested but never charged of car theft to multi-millionaire business tycoon to a member of Congress.
In 1998, the Los Angeles Times reported that Issa "got his start in the car alarm business by seizing control of an associate's business through an unusual court maneuver," "that he was questioned about a suspected arson at his Cleveland manufacturing plant in 1982;" and the Times detailed the arrest.
In 1971, Issa joined the Army, and rose from private to captain in five years before receiving a hardship discharge to care for his ailing mother.
He then turned his energies to making car alarms. In 1982, Issa founded Directed Electronics Inc., in Cleveland. The firm makes well-known alarm systems, including the Viper, Python, Sidewinder, Hornet, and Wasp, keyless entry and remote start systems (Issa drives a Toyota Prius, an electric hybrid, and a Lexus 430. Both cars have Viper alarms.)
As a businessman, associates say he was tough and driven. "I met him many times in Chicago to negotiate deals," said Gary Shapiro, now chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association.
He later moved his company to Vista, Calif., and sold it to Trivest in 1999. His financial disclosure reports show that he is now worth between $99 million and $318 million.
With millions to his name but no experience in politics, he entered the 1998 Republican primary for the Senate against Rep. Frank Riggs (R-Calif.) and State Treasurer Matt Fong. Riggs dropped out and Fong whipped Issa.
At the time, Issa hurt Riggs by drawing from his conservative base of voters. Issa had also begged Riggs to stay in the race in order to draw votes away from Fong.
"I ran for the Senate because Sen. [Barbara] Boxer's position leaves us with one real representative in the Senate," he said. "Friends urged me to set my target lower, to cut my teeth in politics [elsewhere] to build my skills and learn what it is I want to do."
Issa did aim a little lower, and two years later won a seat in Congress.
At the start of his sophomore term earlier this year, Issa won a seat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
"Issa wowed his way onto the committee with a glitzy, high tech presentation," said Ken Johnson, Tauzin's spokesman. "Frankly, [Committee Chairman] Billy [Tauzin (R-La.)] likes people who are passionate and want to serve."
A seat on the panel given him the power to help make telecommunications law and become enmeshed in one of the first controversies of post-war Iraq. Earlier this year, he tried to steer post-war Iraq reconstruction contracts to Qualcomm Inc., based in his San Diego district. Under the proposed deal, Qualcomm would be responsible for rebuilding Iraq's cellular phone system.
His ambitions have earned him some criticism, especially from Democrats. "Darrell quickly took to the House, but he forgot why he is here," said Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.). "I like him personally, but I am frustrated with him."
Farr argued that Issa, as a member in the majority party in Congress, could work to get more federal funding to California's education and health care systems, and pressure the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to refund the billions the state unnecessarily paid during the energy crisis in 2001.
If California's Democrats and some of his fellow lawmakers feel challenged by the sophomore lawmaker, it's not the first time Issa has been an outsider provoking the establishment. As a third generation Lebanese Christian, he grew up in a Jewish area.
With respect to the crisis in the Middle East, Issa's approach to peace is more reflective of the first President Bush's policies than that of his presidential son.
"I think people in this body respect the fact that we look to a subset of this body to develop the awareness and personal expertise," Issa said. "I believe I have some access and experience to build upon."
From manufacturing car alarms to resetting the political balance in California -- and perhaps the Middle East -- Issa is understated, almost unemotional, about his journey from accused car thief to car alarm manufacturer to political force.
"There's some poetic irony in it," he said. "The choice was mine to make those products."
|
|
|
|
|
FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
|
|
It is in the breaking news sidebar! |
|
It already has, but I still don't think Issa should be the nominee. The pro-Arab position is a loser.
Yes, I was shocked. Although the Riordan people probably would support Arnold. I don't think people are ready to support an actor unless he shows he has a Clue and a Plan.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.