John Nichols: Darrell Issa's cynical attack puts veterans in cross hairs

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House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., has made no secret of his desire to diminish and dismantle the U.S. Postal Service.

Issa has for some time now peddled plans to end Saturday deliveries by the USPS — which continues to perform with more agility than private firms, as holiday delivery patterns illustrated — in ways that are all but certain to make the Postal Service vulnerable to privatization.

Issa has a right to his opinion. But the cynical determination with which he is now advancing it is jarring.

Issa has proposed legislation to address one of the many flaws in the budget agreement that was cobbled together in December by House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, and Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash.: a cut to military retirement benefits for veterans under the age of 62.

Reversing the benefit cut is a good idea, as the cut is part of an austerity agreement that seeks to balance budgets by placing more of the burden on government workers and military personnel — rather than on multimillionaires like Issa.

But Issa is not proposing to offset the restoration of benefits by taxing the wealthy or closing loopholes. Rather, he wants to do so by ending Saturday mail delivery.