Elijah Cummings ruins Darryl Issa’s day


It’s not everyday a powerful liar is stone cold busted and held up to public ridicule in DC. But that’s what just happened to Darryl Issa (R-dejected), head witch hunter in the IRS scandal machine. Issa has spent the last few months claiming to any reporter who would transcribe his accusations that the IRS was focused on checking the tax status of conservative groups because Obama was secretly directing them from the Oval Office in classic Nixonian fashion. Issa went so far as to leak partial transcripts of closed door hearings that appeared consistent with his claim. Another member on the same House committee, ranking democrat Elijah Cummings, grew tired of Issa’s dishonesty. After warning the conservative teabagger he better fess up, Cummings finally released the full transcript:

MSNBC — So what was in the transcript? Cummings found the very first case was flagged in Cincinnati, the group manager centralized cases for consistency, the Cincinnati agent developed inappropriate screening criteria, the manager didn’t learn of the criteria until a year later, and perhaps most importantly, no witnesses have identified any White House involvement.

“To be clear, I am not suggesting that IRS employees in Washington D.C. played no role in these activities,” Cummings said in a letter to Issa. “…These facts are a far cry from accusations of a conspiracy orchestrated by the White House to target the president’s political enemies.”

Issa, who has previously accused Cummings of trying to sweep the issue under the rug, also released a statement saying he was “deeply disappointed” with Cummings.

The gist of it is those full transcripts proved Issa was a bald-faced liar and shady partisan alarmist, making him this week’s DC laughing stock. No wonder he’s “deeply” disappointed.

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