Darrell Issa: The Republicans' Best Pest

Darrell Issa makes it his business to be the fly the Obama administration can’t swat. The ranking Republican on the House Oversight Committee is an admitted attention hog, and he brings that attention to whatever issues will most annoy the White House, writes Mark Leibovich in a profile for the New York Times. “There is an expression here on Capitol Hill,” says Issa. “Don’t ever get between a member and a camera.”

Issa constantly needles the administration over issues big and small, and brags publicly that Rahm Emanuel recently gave him the middle finger. He’s gotten special mileage out of his complaints about the White House’s attempts to dissuade Joe Sestak from running, which he calls an “impeachable offense.” Democrats have taken notice, and are circulating a hefty opposition research file on him. “You can call me a pain,” says Issa. “I’ll accept that as a compliment." (More Darrell Issa stories.)