Twitter Explodes With Joy, Mockery as Crusading GOP Congressman Darrell Issa Announces Retirement
‘Issa Was Already Toast’
JUST IN: California GOP Rep. Darrell Issa announces he won’t seek re-election in 2018 pic.twitter.com/qITzZ1ndpp
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 10, 2018
Republican U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa has just announced he will not seek re-election and retire from Congress at the end of his term. Issa spent the Obama years targeting the Democratic president but lost his chairmanship of the powerful House Oversight Committee after his supposed bombshell investigations rarely if ever proved wrongdoing by the Obama administration.
“Issa used his position atop the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to relentlessly poke at President Obama over Benghazi, the Internal Revenue Service, the ‘Fast and Furious’ failed gun sting, and any number of topics that made for high theater and cable cameos,” The LA Times reported in 2015. “But Issa’s investigations often failed to show direct culpability on the part of the White House or Obama, whom he once called ‘one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times.'”
On Twitter, many rejoiced over the news Issa will be gone – and the possibility the seat, despite being in conservative Orange County, could go to a Democrat.
This, from the Managing Editor of the highly-regarded Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball of the UVA Center for Politics:
CRYSTAL BALL RATINGS CHANGE: Retirement of Rep. Darrell Issa (R, CA-49) moves district from Toss-up to Leans Democratic.
— Kyle Kondik (@kkondik) January 10, 2018
Nate Silver suggests Issa would have lost:
Issa was already toast.
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) January 10, 2018
And these:
Issa retirement moves the seat from “Dems are definitely gonna win†to “Dems are definitely gonna win without spending any money.â€
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) January 10, 2018
MORE: With Rep. Issa’s retirement announcement, 31 House Republicans are not seeking reelection in 2018, a group that includes seven committee chairs. https://t.co/HrViRyOK9u
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 10, 2018
Others weighed in with glee, mockery:
Heartbroken by the Issa news. He deserved the justice of a humiliating defeat.
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) January 10, 2018
BUH-BYE Issa! #AnotherOneBitesTheDust pic.twitter.com/n7yNkzSDG2
— Laffy (@GottaLaff) January 10, 2018
at least 15 House Rs now vacating winnable seats:
Issa (CA-49)
Royce (CA-39)
Ros-Lehtinen (FL-27)
Reichert (WA-8)
LoBiondo (NJ-2)
Trott (MI-11)
Dent (PA-15)
Murphy (PA-18)
Tiberi (OH-12)
Smith (TX-21)
McSally (AZ-2)
Pearce (NM-2)
Jenkins (KS-2)
Renacci (OH-16)
Barletta (PA-11)— Jesse Lehrich (@JesseLehrich) January 10, 2018
BREAKING: Darrell Issa is retiring from Congress to pursue other criminal opportunities pic.twitter.com/dR1C8uyAzH
— The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) January 10, 2018
Buh-bye, Issa. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. https://t.co/IRQzMDNDpa
— Karoli (@Karoli) January 10, 2018
Wow, this is really big news. All the rats are getting off the sinking ship! We are going to take back our country. #resist https://t.co/Onb6kGhLb7
— Amy Siskind (@Amy_Siskind) January 10, 2018
I can’t believe Darrell Issa doesn’t have the courage to run on his record. I mean this is the man who was brave enough to— *checks notes* —literally hide from his constituents on a rooftop after voting to kick millions off their health care
— Emmy Bengtson (@EmmyA2) January 10, 2018
Flashback: Darrell Issa hiding on the roof, afraid to speak with constituents furious about Trumpcare. #BlueWave2018 https://t.co/8mDmgujddn
— Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro) January 10, 2018
Remember that day Issa climbed the roof of his district office to hide from Democrat @MikeLevinCA and fellow activists gathered outside. Same. https://t.co/k7pjYoNwHF
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) January 10, 2018
Darrell Issa joins the ever-growing list of Republicans fleeing Congress after fucking over their constituents https://t.co/w21TCWMkTk
— jordan (@JordanUhl) January 10, 2018
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Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license
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