Darrell Issa: Obama's Government Most Corrupt In History
First 24-04-2012 02:19 PM EDT | Updated: 24-04-2012 12:00 AM EDT
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WASHINGTON --
Last year Rep. Darrell Issa retracted his statement that President Barack Obama was one of the most corrupt presidents in modern history, saying he should have parsed his words more carefully. \
Tuesday, the California Republican's more careful parsing apparently included declaring Obama's government the most corrupt in history.
"We are busy in Washington with a corrupt government, with a government that I said more than a year ago was perhaps -- because of the money, because of the amount of TARP and stimulus funds -- was going to be the most corrupt government in history, and it is proving to be that, just exactly that," Issa said in a Bloomberg television interview. "This money, at the American people's expense, going through the hands of political leaders, is in fact corrupting the process, whether it is Solyndra, or GSA, or a number of other scandals," said Issa, referring to the bankrupt solar firm that got a $535 million government loan guarantee and the $823,000 Las Vegas conference of the General Services Administration.
The comments echoed the earlier statement, which Issa took a fair amount of heat over. “Do I think the president is personally corrupt? No,” Issa said when he -- at least partially -- took back his remark made on Rush Limbaugh's radio show last year. “I should never have implied that or created that in a quick statement on a radio call-in.” U.S. presidential history includes things like the Watergate, Iran-Contra and Teapot Dome scandals. A number of previous scandals have included criminal convictions, but no such allegations have been made against the Obama administration,.
However, the GSA inspector general said he is investigating the possibility of bribery and kickbacks in the GSA case. Issa's office did not respond to a request for comment on whether the congressman, who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, would amend his accusation. Michael McAuliff covers politics and Congress for The Huffington Post. Talk to him on Facebook. Comments5622Pending Comments43
Last year Rep. Darrell Issa retracted his statement that President Barack Obama was one of the most corrupt presidents in modern history, saying he should have parsed his words more carefully. \
Tuesday, the California Republican's more careful parsing apparently included declaring Obama's government the most corrupt in history.
"We are busy in Washington with a corrupt government, with a government that I said more than a year ago was perhaps -- because of the money, because of the amount of TARP and stimulus funds -- was going to be the most corrupt government in history, and it is proving to be that, just exactly that," Issa said in a Bloomberg television interview. "This money, at the American people's expense, going through the hands of political leaders, is in fact corrupting the process, whether it is Solyndra, or GSA, or a number of other scandals," said Issa, referring to the bankrupt solar firm that got a $535 million government loan guarantee and the $823,000 Las Vegas conference of the General Services Administration.
The comments echoed the earlier statement, which Issa took a fair amount of heat over. “Do I think the president is personally corrupt? No,” Issa said when he -- at least partially -- took back his remark made on Rush Limbaugh's radio show last year. “I should never have implied that or created that in a quick statement on a radio call-in.” U.S. presidential history includes things like the Watergate, Iran-Contra and Teapot Dome scandals. A number of previous scandals have included criminal convictions, but no such allegations have been made against the Obama administration,.
However, the GSA inspector general said he is investigating the possibility of bribery and kickbacks in the GSA case. Issa's office did not respond to a request for comment on whether the congressman, who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, would amend his accusation. Michael McAuliff covers politics and Congress for The Huffington Post. Talk to him on Facebook. Comments5622Pending Comments43
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