Is Darrell Issa a "Turncoat" for Not Voting For Tax Cut Bill?

From a comment over at Watcher of Weasels:

I'd hesitate to call Darrell Issa a "turncoat". Issa is a conservative and generally a good guy. There is a practice on both sides of the aisle of letting individuals deviate from the party line vote, so long as their vote isn't critical for passage. If the measure can pass without their votes, a limited number of Congresscritters are allowed to "vote their conscience" if a vote has to potential to affect their re-election.

Issa is one of a handful of Republicans in public office in California. The cap on mortgage deductions is not popular there. Democrats are lining up to run against him. Voting for the measure, when his vote was not required for passage, will mean one less cudgel for the opposition to use against him.