Good Darrell, writing in USA Today on Oct. 11: “Oversight is not and should not be used as a political weapon against the occupant of the Oval Office. It should not be an instrument of fear or the exclusive domain of the party that controls Congress.”

Bad Darrell, to Rush Limbaugh on Oct. 19: “You know, there will be a certain degree of gridlock as the president adjusts to the fact that he has been one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times.”

If Issa believes this, he is deranged…

So the question, if Republicans take the House, is whether Good Darrell will triumph over Bad Darrell. Issa’s staff said he was too busy for an interview until after Election Day, but sent a list of inquiries that Issa had championed, including into Countrywide’s VIP mortgage program, the Minerals Management Service and the salmonella outbreak.

Legitimate areas for oversight, but Issa’s larger record does not foretell restraint. His modus operandi has too often been to accuse first — and keep accusing even in the absence of supporting evidence.