From Politico:
House Republicans are pressing for a change in federal law that could force Michelle Obama and future first ladies to do more of their policy work in public. But Democrats warn President Obama may take the attempt personally “as an attack on his wife.”
The GOP effort is being led by the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), whose initial salvo was rebuffed recently at a contentious committee markup session. Under Issa’s amendment, any government policy group that Mrs. Obama or another first spouse regularly participates in would be subject to a law requiring meetings to be announced in advance and, in most instances, public.
Rep. William Clay (D-Mo.) suggested President Obama might see the legislation as a personal provocation that could trigger a fight. “Let me… caution my friend from California that, as you’re probably aware, this president is very guarded about his family,” Clay said.
…snip…
“We are trying actually to protect the historic role of the first lady,” Issa insisted, repeatedly invoking the “transparency” mantra of the Obama administration. “I believe this is open government at its finest.”
“What is protection to one person may be just the opposite to another,” Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) observed.
Issa’s amendment would have effectively overturned a 1993 federal appeals court decision which held that First Lady Hillary Clinton could be considered the equivalent of a federal employee.
…snip…
“We should have a set of rules that future presidents, vice presidents, first ladies and spouses of vice presidents, understand what their do’s and don’t’s are. Can they have an open meeting? Can they have a closed meeting?” Issa said. “Perhaps we need to get to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for an opinion.”
Democrats were skeptical about why Republicans were pressing the issue in the first year of a new Democratic presidency. However, Issa said the GOP actually proposed changing the law early last year, when Republican President George W. Bush and his wife Laura were in the White House.
Ummm, yeah. They proposed it early last year, 7 years into the Chimpy maladministration. I guess they were afraid of Michelle Obama being First Lady, Bill Clinton being First Gentleman, or Cindy Lou McCain meeting with her drug dealers.
Issa ultimately withdrew his amendment, which he had offered on a bill aimed at closing loopholes in the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Aides told POLITICO that he plans to reintroduce the spousal provision either as an amendment to another bill or as freestanding legislation.
A spokesperson for Mrs. Obama, Katie McCormick-Lelyveld, said this week that her office had no comment on the proposed legislation.
(Video at link above)
HYSTERICAL RAISINS 
with a collapsing economy and a country falling down the hole — this sounds like something that should go to the top of the list
Issa is a moron — he is the one who led the charge to recall Gray Davis – another bonehead move from a bonehead asshole.
problem is – why does the country continue to elect complete assholes like him and Bachmann
ps – you should do some kind of post with the love child of Issa/Bachmann – wouldn’t it be the exorcist
dcAp,
i love that issa spent all that money so that he could be governor, only to install ahhnold in that position. everything the moron does is to promote himself.
people like issa and bachmann get elected, because most people don’t pay attention. they have name recognition in their districts, and the voters don’t bother getting information about them. they see the R after their names, and they vote for them. there are plenty of dems who do the same thing. it’s a lack of time and/or a lack of interest.
Your title says it all Nonnie. Death and taxes are two certainties in life, another is that Issa makes the news it’s because he’s on another crusade to prove what a self-aggrandizing butthole he really is.
jeb,
he has to be self-aggrandizing. there’s nobody else willing to do the job.
Issa is an assa.
issan’t he? 😆
Issa is one of many reasons why I’m glad I don’t live in California anymore. Weather isn’t everything!
did you live in his district?
No. I lived in Waxman’s. Before he represented the district, Barry Goldwater Jr. was the representive. Now, that’s a change!
did they reshuffle the districts? wiki says goldwater was the 27th district, and waxman is the 30th. the 27th’s rep is brad sherman, which is still a far, far cry from bg, jr.
More than anything, Darrell Issa is a crook. This POS took over a business, AC Custom, at the point of a gun and committed stock fraud by selling the re-named company, Directed Electronics (now called DEI Holdings) to the public for $16/share after saddling the company with over $200 million in debt. Needless to say, the company is in violation of SEC requirements to publish quarterly statements and shares trade for $0.20, less than three (3) years later after going public. Can anyone say major leagues scumbag?
hello j snow,
welcome to the raisin! 😀
i knew that issa had made a lot of money, but i wasn’t aware of how he made it. it figures that it was done shadily, as he’s a very shady person. thanks so much for the info. i will be googling all day now! 😉
i was thrilled when he spent so much of his own money trying to buy the governorship in california and lost. he’s a scumbag.