Politics

Issa: Obama’s Media Matters collusion like Richard Nixon’s ‘enemies list’

Photograph: AFP/Getty Images.

Matthew Boyle Investigative Reporter
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President Barack Obama’s administration’s work with left-wing political advocacy organization Media Matters for America to attack the president’s critics is no better than Richard Nixon’s “enemies list,” a top House GOP investigator said Thursday.

“Not since Richard Nixon have we seen a president who puts together an enemies list and has a whole team pursuing it,” House oversight committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa said Thursday morning on the Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends.” “That’s what’s happened in this administration. It’s sad. It’s not the America I want to see going forward. I sincerely hope that after the election, regardless, the American people will have made a statement that they won’t tolerate this.”

Issa said he expects Congress will look into whether or not political advocacy organizations like Media Matters should enjoy tax-exempt statuses normally reserved for apolitical charities, too.

“Congress should address that tax loophole for entities that are really not charities,” Issa said, adding that Media Matters “is certainly one of them.”

Issa also said he’d like to see DOJ Office of Public Affairs Director Tracy Schmaler terminated for working with Media Matters.

“She serves at the pleasure of the president. These political appointees do the president’s bidding. So would I like to see her go? Of course. I want to see the entire team packing their bags starting Nov. 7,” Issa told Fox News’ Steve Doocy. “But I think the point is, these people represent the culture that President Obama brought in to Washington — a culture of division; a culture that embraces the concept that the 1 percent is evil and somehow the rest of America somehow needs to punish the 1 percent. I guess I’m part of the 1 percent, for purposes of their attack. So are you.”

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