What if they held a contempt party and nobody came?

Issa & Co. are obviously on the side of the angels in a matter that has incensed Americans — not because of mere, familiar DOJ stonewalling but because of our government’s arming of violent criminals and the predictable murders federal agents. So why oh why are Republicans stepping on their own news? Why, when the contempt vote could be scheduled at any time, has Speaker John Boehner insisted that it go forward on the same day as the Obamacare ruling, assuring that the media will be paying far less attention than a contempt citation for a sitting cabinet official would otherwise surely get?

Very simply: They are the same old Republicans. GOP leadership is jittery that the Fast & Furious investigation, and the extraordinary measure of holding Holder in contempt, will make the Obamedia say bad things about them and — shudder – upset independents and moderates. Yet leadership also knows that if it does not, at least for appearances’ sake, back Issa, conservatives and other concerned Americans, who want accountability for this heinous episode, will revolt. So leadership figures: We’ll do the contempt vote to satisfy the right-wing knuckle-draggers, but we’ll do it while nobody’s looking so the left-wing press will have to go easier on us. Profiles in Courage!