VIDEO: DARRELL ISSA BACKING DOWN NOW THAT HE'S IN POWER

As ranking member of the House Oversight & Government Reform committee, Darrell Issa (R) talked a very mean game when it came to the misconduct of the Obama administration. As ranking member, he had no power to launch investigations. He left the public with the impression that once he became chairman of that committee - which he will do soon after the 112th congress is sworn in - the Obama administration would face a formidable foe led by Issa.

For example, in the spring of last year, when it became very apparent that someone in the administration offered congressman Joe Sestak a job in return for dropping out of the Senate race against Arlen Specter. Issa's rhetoric was quite fiery. Again, he had no power to do anything about it. A chained dog can bark much louder if it wants; it's still not going to go anywhere. At one point, Issa even referred to the scandal as Obama's 'Watergate.'

Here, Issa is on CNN and is called on his strong rhetoric. In response, Issa is more than a little defensive and the interviewer rightfully continues to come back to the 'Watergate' comparison. We even learn courtesy of this interview that Issa is NOT going to investigate the Sestak scandal because Bush's people did it too.

This should have the Tea Party crowd spittn' mad. Issa looks disgraceful here. Perhaps he was hoping he could just 'play the game,' not realizing that he would actually be watched this time.