Kucinich Wants Ranking Member Spot On House Oversight Committee

Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D) has officially thrown in his bid to be Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, reports The Hill.  

Kucinich is currently the fifth ranking member on the committee.

Many see this as a move to oppose the incoming GOP chair of the committee Rep. Darrell Issa (Calif.).  

In a “Letter to Colleagues” Kucinich said Democrats “cannot simply stand by idly and hope that such a reckless approach to the use of the power of the chair will not happen, especially since it is not only being promised, but demonstrated by the person who will hold the gavel.” 

Democrats are scheduled to vote on the committee’s leadership this week. 

GOP's Main Objective Is Not To Limit Obama To One Term, Says Issa

One of the most important members of the new Congress says Republicans must not prioritize defeating President Obama in the 2012 election over restoring the nation’s struggling economy.

In an interview with CNBC, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) responded to a question about whether or not his party will be able to block the White House’s agenda during the next two years.

“Our goal is not and should not be about winning a political campaign, but rather to get America and our economy moving again,” Issa said.

Issa is currently the top Republican on the powerful House Oversight Committee, and will become its chairman once the House changes hands in January. Earlier this week, Issa told Politico that he’d like to hold roughly 280 investigative hearings each year during the remainder of Obama’s first term in office…

Senate Ethics Panel Re-Opens Probe Into Countrywide Loans

The Hill newspaper reports today that the Senate Ethics Committee has decided to take another look into the participation of Senators and staffers in a VIP mortgage lending program at Countrywide Financial Corp…