Issa: Nadler Needs to Take a 'Deep Breath'

Democrats are calling on acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to step aside from overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation because they want to have Rod Rosenstein as the new attorney general, Rep. Darrell Issa said Monday, adding that critics like New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler need to slow down.

"It's an odd situation that so quickly things change," the California Republican, who is retiring at the end of his current term, told Fox News' "America's Newsroom."

"A few years ago, Jerry Nadler was complaining about the cost of investigations when we were doing them to the Obama administration. Apparently Jerry Nadler doesn't remember that Attorney General Eric Holder used the term 'Issa and his idiot cronies' in a text and didn't question whether or not he could fairly do the job as attorney general."

Issa thinks Democrats are "willing to go too far."

"I've sat next to Jerry Nadler as my ranking member for quite a few years," said Issa. "He needs to take a deep breath and recognize he should have tremendous power. This administration could and should welcome legitimate oversight by that committee, by Oversight and the other committees. I'm going to encourage them to do that."

The Trump administration has made it clear that Whitaker was not appointed to fire Rosenstein or Mueller, or to end the Russia investigation.

"If the Congress had had Rod Rosenstein, they would have been happy to never have a new attorney general," said Issa. "As it is, when the president puts up a nominee for attorney general, for once the Democrats will have an opportunity to actually quickly ratify that without 30 hours of excessive debate."

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