Watchdog: The Real Stories Behind the Headlines from the Congressman Who Exposed Washington's Biggest Scandals

by Darrell Issa

Overview

You might think you had a front-row seat to the shocking scandals of Benghazi, the IRS targeting of conservatives, Fast & Furious, illegal email servers, mishandling America's secrets and cover-ups at the EPA. The rest of the story, told here for the first time, is even more troubling. In WATCHDOG, Congressman Darrell Issa reveals some of the worst of Washington, pulls back the curtain on business as usual in the Capitol, and lets in the sunshine of accountability.

As Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Issa led a years-long fight to uncover what was really happening in the Obama Administration and Hillary Clinton's State Department, while taking on a mainstream media and establishment Beltway culture he quickly found out weren't always interested in the truth.

But what the public doesn't know about Big Government and what the people may not realize is happening to their country requires someone in Washington willing to tell the truth no matter who gets the blame.

Carrying out aggressive oversight brought Issa into conflict with not only political foes, but friends and allies as well. Through it all, he has sought to remind everyone in government they are still subject to the rule of law and accountable to the American people. WATCHDOG is the inside account of what it took to get the truth and what it will take for our democracy to endure.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781455591985
Publisher:	Center Street
Publication date:	07/12/2016
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 5.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Darrell Issa is a Republican U.S. Representative for California's 49th Congressional District. He lives in Vista, California with his wife and son.

Table of Contents

1 How We Got Here 1

2 The Big Obstacle: Big Government 7

3 The Answer: Transparency, Accountability, and Reform 17

4 A Life before Government 21

5 From Business Veteran to Government Rookie 55

6 The Recall Election and the Rise of the Terminator 79

7 Second Thoughts on Six Years with the Fourth Estate 91

8 Fast and Furious 107

9 The Difference Benghazi Makes 125

10 Lois Lemer: The Power to Tax and the Power to Destroy 141

11 Hillary's Got a Secret (Email Server) 157

12 Bank Accounts as Political Weapons 169

13 Bank Bailouts: Exposed but Unstoppable 179

14 Turning a Deaf Ear to Whistle-blowers and a Blind Eye to Cover-ups 191

15 Why the Oversight Committee Keeps Watch 201

16 Taking the Administration to Court 217

17 The Only Good Government Is Open Government 225

18 Looking Back, Moving Ahead 233

Acknowledgments 241

Endnotes 243