Issa

California is on to something. Make it big, make it noisy and make it quick. Politics in this state is normally a matter of money and the overwhelming power of professional consultants and lobbyists. This development is totally different. The recall and the election it will trigger are messy, unpredictable and populist. Look how the process has already pushed out Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), its funding father. And we are being pushed into paying attention to our state government and its problems, something most of us would rather simply ignore.

Is this a great state or what? Where else can a millionaire married to a Kennedy run as a populist? And why should Arnold Schwarzenegger's candidacy be taken any more seriously than Gary Coleman's? Oh, that's right. He's famous and rich -- the two most important qualifications for serving "the people." Isn't it interesting that rich people who feel suddenly called to "public service" have to start at the top? I'd find Schwarzenegger more convincing if he started at, say, state controller.

The California Supreme Court cleared the way Thursday for the Oct. 7 recall election as a flurry of candidates entering and leaving the race brought the campaign to succeed Gov. Gray Davis into sharper focus. On the Republican side, leading officeholders urged the party to unify around Arnold Schwarzenegger. As they did so, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) -- who spent $2.

Even in his own congressional district, it's not easy to find voters who know much about the man who wants to replace Gov. Gray Davis. Questions posed over the weekend about Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) drew mostly blank stares from the folks who should know him best after he won his 2000 election with 61% of the vote. "I don't know anything about him," said Michaelene Couch, 41, of Oceanside, who was fishing with her 8-year-old son, Garrett, at the Oceanside Pier on Saturday.

Re "Record Does Not Support All of Candidate Issa's Claims," July 30: Thank you for detailing Rep. Darrell Issa's (R-Vista) devious resume. I'm having trouble understanding the point of spending millions of dollars on an election aimed at replacing an unskilled governor with a crooked one. Where's the net gain for us? Tom Hensley Sherman Oaks The front-page feature on Issa was quite informative. I am always amused by candidates who take a defensive position with the press.

In his transformation from car-alarm magnate to Republican congressman and, now, candidate for governor, Rep. Darrell Issa has often recalled his rags-to-riches rise in the business world. Issa's campaign Web site touts an achievement that seems to symbolize his story: "In 1994, Inc. Magazine recognized Darrell Issa as Entrepreneur of the Year." In fact, Issa has never won the prestigious national award.

Representatives of two gay-rights groups on Sunday criticized San Diego-area congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Darrell Issa for comments made by his campaign manager that some perceived as anti-gay. The comments, made by Issa campaign manager Scott Taylor and published in Sunday's editions of The Times, were in response to an announcement by former congressman and 1994 Republican U.S. Senate nominee Michael Huffington that he was considering running for governor as a moderate.

The campaign to recall Gov. Gray Davis dissolved into street theater Tuesday, with dueling news conferences before a dozen television cameras outside a state office building in downtown Los Angeles. Opponents of the recall unveiled a lawsuit seeking to slow or stop an election, arguing that the actions of paid petition circulators violated state law and threatened "the legitimacy and integrity of our electoral system." A spokeswoman for the recall's biggest financial backer, Republican Rep.

Re "Davis Recall Might Be the Big One That Jolts Pols Off Their Perches," Commentary, July 9: Does Arianna Huffington truly believe that ousting Gov. Gray Davis will send politicians any message other than that the Republicans can continue to get away with nullifying elections when they don't like the results? Does she truly believe that the recall, bought and paid for by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) for (at least) $1.5 million, represents the triumph of democracy over moneyed interests?

The marathon Medicare overhaul negotiations in Congress had dragged on for hours, and several committee members wandered off for fresh air and sustenance. At 9:30 p.m., finally ready for a vote, aides took a head count and realized they were one Republican short. Out went the call, and minutes later in walked the vote: Rep. Darrell E. Issa, straight from the House gym, in shorts and a sweaty T-shirt, a towel draped around his neck.