Looks Like We're Gonna Have Darrell Issa To Kick Around Some More

 
 Must have been that last-minute support from Obama that did it

It took three weeks of vote counting, but the extremely close congressional race between California congresscreep Darrell Issa (R-sonist) and Democratic challenger Doug Applegate has finally been called by the Associated Press for Issa, who will now be free to get back to the important business of holding pointless, expensive investigations into the IRS, the Affordable Care Act, Benghazi, and anything else left over from the Obama presidency he's still mad about. The race had remained too close to call until Monday afternoon, when the AP finally determined Issa's lead of just over 2,300 votes was greater than the remaining uncounted ballots.

Issa's charming snarl will return to the Republican-held House, giving the body a 45-seat majority until Louisiana finishes up its weirdass electoral runoffs December 10, when two seats from that state will be filled. (Also remember there's still a competitive Senate race in Louisiana, and if you haven't supported Democrat Foster Campbell, get off your ass and send a donation. Seriously.)

Issa at one point in the run-up to the election actually trailed Applegate in polls. Applegate, a former Marine colonel who attracted national attention after finishing closely behind Issa in California's June primary, was the first Democrat to come anywhere near Issa in years. How close a race was it? Issa was desperate enough to send out mailers to voters suggesting he was a great big bipartisan pal of Barack Obama, the president he spent most of his time condemning and whose administration Issa called "the most corrupt in history."

We're certain Rep. Issa, a former car thief and arsonist who later became the richest member of Congress after a career selling car alarms, will find the incoming administration much more to his liking as he's sworn in for his ninth term in office. In a statement Monday, Issa said, 

I am eager to continue working to advance the best interests of the American people and restoring the focus of Washington where it belongs: Economic prosperity, national security and government accountability. With our newly unified government, we have the opportunity to lead the country in a new and better direction.

Translation: Let's screw some poor people and cut my taxes.

Applegate's campaign manager, Robert Dempsey, said, "We ran a great race and we are really proud of the effort we put together," and Applegate plans to release a statement later today. As of October 19, Applegate had actually out-fundraised Issa, drawing $1.26 million in donations to Issa's $1.03 million for the campaign, so we won't at all be surprised if Doug Applegate comes back to take on Issa again in 2018.

Unless of course Donald Trump is such a huge success as president, what with the mass deportations, and the killing Medicare, and the leaving 20 million people without health insurance, and the corruption, that no Democrat ever dares runs for anything again.

[ Politico / San Diego Union-Tribune ]