For the past two years, the Republicans in Congress have suffered acutely from subpoena envy and when they took the House in the midterms, the biggest immediate effect they can have on the government is to exercise their new power to investigate.
Congressman Darrell Issa is the new chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and he will be leading the charge. According to Politico, he is beginning to indicate the areas he will be examining. A word to the wise: If Issa does not create a narrative to justify his investigations, those investigations will backfire. If the common theme is "Finding ways to save money," that sounds like a winner. But, if it looks more like "Everything but the Kitchen Sink to Tarnish Obama" Cong. Issa risks alienating the very people who gave him the chairman's gavel, centrist voters who want both parties to work together for the good of the country.
Stay tuned.
Memo To Cong. Issa: Think Narrative
January 3, 2011
Advertisement