Gibbs said that 'Darrell Issa is doing nothing more than politicizing this event.' | AP Photos Gibbs: Issa must apologize

Former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs on Monday called on Rep. Darrell Issa to apologize after the California congressman bashed the current administration spokesman as a “paid liar.”

“Well, first of all, Darrell Issa should call Jay Carney and apologize this morning,” Gibbs said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”


He also called the fact that Issa is the chairman of the House Oversight Committee possibly the “biggest joke in all of Washington.”

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His comments came a day after Issa (R-Calif.) called White House press secretary Jay Carney a “paid liar” in light of the controversy surrounding the IRS and a division in the agency that scrutinized conservative groups.

“Their paid liar, their spokesperson … he’s still making up things about what happened and calling this a local rogue,” Issa said on Sunday, speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“I mean, it’s a stunning thing,” Gibbs said of Issa’s charges. “It’s why five people in this town take Darrell Issa seriously and it’s the surest bet the Republicans are very much on the verge of overplaying their hand publicly and the American people will lose interest in their side of this. They want to see the IRS cleaned up, but they will understand quickly that Darrell Issa is doing nothing more than politicizing this event.”