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Issa's Recall Effort Is No Surprise in D.C. If there is a downside to all of this for the conservative, law-and-order congressman, it is probably the avalanche of renewed publicity regarding episodes in his past. In recent days, the news has been an unpleasant trip down memory lane that has forced Issa to explain years-old embarrassments, including: a misdemeanor conviction for possession of an unregistered weapon while he was a college student in Michigan ("an unloaded, never-fired, in-the-box, little teeny pistol," he said); allegations that he brought a gun to a Cleveland business meeting ("Shots were never fired," he said); an apparent arson fire at his manufacturing plant in 1982, weeks after the insurance coverage was increased (no charges were filed); and an indictment with his brother as a teenager on charges of stealing a red Maserati from a car dealership, which Issa has said involved a knife (the case was ultimately dismissed). His famous $1-million booster shot to the recall campaign and his early candidacy — he's the only major party candidate to declare so far — have made Issa as much a target as Davis, who Issa has suggested should be "in jail." "Gray has one person to slime, and it's me," Issa said. In Washington, assuming that he stays, experts say Issa is not likely to sustain damage for his recall efforts, and he might even ingratiate himself with the party's most ideological wing. His dredged-up past probably won't hurt him. There are plenty of skeletons in plenty of closets on Capitol Hill. And as for his statewide aspirations: "I wish I could say naked ambition didn't go over well in Washington, but I'd be lying," Rothenberg said. "Darrell Issa's future depends on whether he's seen as a winner or a guy who keeps trying and keeps losing," he added. "Then he'll get tagged as the rich kid who can't buy an office."
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