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IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 13:53:11 2013

fiogf49gjkf0d
Politico

IRS apologizes for targeting conservative groups

By Byron Tau, Lauren French and Tarini Parti | 5/10/13 10:45 AM EDT | Updated: 5/10/13 1:44 PM EDT
The Internal Revenue Service apologized Friday to conservative political groups for giving their tax documents extra scrutiny — validating the worst fears of Republican activists who have long accused the Obama administration of politicizing the process.

Lois Lerner, who is responsible for overseeing tax-exempt groups, said at a conference the agency singled out groups who used words like “tea party” or “patriot” in their tax documents, the AP reported.

“Mistakes were made initially, but they were in no way due to any political or partisan rationale,” the IRS added in a statement Friday afternoon.

The announcement is the latest black eye for an agency that has been criticized by members of Congress from both parties, reform groups and conservative activists for its handling of politically active tax-exempt nonprofits.

House Ways and Means oversight subcommittee Chairman Charles Boustany told Politico he will launch an “aggressive” investigation.

“We’re not going to let this rest,” the Louisiana Republican said. “We’re going to pursue this vigorously.”

Outside groups on both sides have increasingly chosen to organize as nonprofits — regulated and reviewed by the IRS instead of the Federal Election Commission. Their nonprofit status exempts those groups from paying federal taxes — and unlike super PACs, allows them to hide their donors.

Major outside groups like the Karl Rove-affiliated Crossroads GPS, Koch brothers-backed Americans for Prosperity and the pro-Barack Obama group Priorities USA are organized as 501(c)(4) nonprofits.

The IRS issued a statement Friday afternoon adding to Lerner’s apology, saying “it should have done a better job” dealing with the dramatic influx in applications for 501(c)(4) status. It also said that the decisions on how to handle the applications were made by “local, career employees in Cincinnati.”

“It is important to recognize that all centralized applications received the same, even-handed treatment, and the majority of cases centralized were not based on a specific name,” the agency added. “In addition, new procedures also were implemented last year to ensure that these mistakes won’t be made in the future.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell said the IRS’s apology wasn’t nearly enough. “Make no mistake, an apology won’t put this issue to rest,” he said. “Now more than ever we need to send a clear message to the Obama administration that the First Amendment is non-negotiable, and that apologies after an election year are not an sufficient response to what we now know took place at the IRS.

“This kind of political thuggery has absolutely no place in our politics,” he added.

Activists expressed fury Friday that an arm of the federal government would single out groups for investigation or review based solely on ideology or party preference.

“It’s a bloody outrage. It’s a disgrace. It’s a reminder of the Nixon days when he had an enemies list. They’ve got to do more than apologize. It’s an embarrassment,” Niger Innis, chief strategist for TheTeaParty.Net, told Politico.

“Heads should roll, but when the president publicly lambasts Republican donors, petty functionaries feel impunity to harass those who would commit themselves to better the community in ways the leftist politicos at the IRS just don’t like,” said Dan Backer, a campaign finance lawyer who represents several tea party groups.

The conservative group Let Freedom Ring said it plans to file a Freedom of Information Request on the issue as soon as next week. “Blaming low-level workers is not sufficient in this case because it appears to be a broader pattern with this administration,” said the group’s president, Colin Hanna.

Complaint that the IRS has politicized its tax review process have been circulating for years.

Boustany said his staff has already sent questions to the IRS seeking details about why the announcement came today and who approved the actions.

He questioned the agency’s announcement that its actions weren’t politically motivated.

“It clearly, in my mind, [looks like it] was prompted by political motivations,” Boustany said.

Boustany added that he is concerned that IRS officials told the Ways and Means committee last year it was not applying extra scrutiny to conservative groups. “Here we are at this point in time where there is an admission that this type of targeting was in fact going on. That is just unacceptable,” he said.

On the other side, campaign finance reformers and Democrats say the IRS is not doing enough to regulate and curb the influence of anonymous money in politics.

Democrats on Capitol Hill have loudly complained that the agency has shirked its oversight role. Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) are among those who have routinely complained the IRS doesn’t provide basic information about its rules or evaluation standards for political nonprofits.

Levin complained last year that getting information from the agency was “like pulling teeth” — and has sent letters to the agency repeatedly asking for information about the IRS’ plans to regulate the surge in nonprofit political spending.

Hatch, the top Republican on the Finance Committee, said Friday the IRS must adopt “ironclad guarantees” that the agency would no longer “harass” conservative non-profit groups. The agency’s apology “frankly isn’t enough,” he added.

During last year’s campaign, President Barack Obama and other Democrats complained about the influence of shadowy, anonymous money in politics — a development that they say the IRS had allowed to happen.

Many in the reform community now fear that any backlash against the IRS will complicate their efforts to get the agency to crack down on nonprofit groups that they say are abusing their tax exempt status and inappropriate injecting millions of anonymous dollars into elections.

“There are legitimate questions to be asked about political groups hiding behind a 501(c)(4) status,” said Nick Nyhart, president and CEO, Public Campaign. “It’s unfortunate a few bad apples at the IRS will make it harder for those questions to be asked without claims of bias.”

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Fri May 10 14:07:37 2013, in response to IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 13:53:11 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
So the targeting of groups based on political affiliation was not motivated because of politics?

Ah, the Friday news dump.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Train Dude on Fri May 10 14:23:41 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Fri May 10 14:07:37 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
of course not. Democrats would never do that.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by SLRT on Fri May 10 14:32:15 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Train Dude on Fri May 10 14:23:41 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Remember Clinton, new in office, asking for the FBI for their dossiers on Congressional Republicans.

Moot question is, if the IRS had put Progressive groups under close scrutiny, would they get away with an *apology.*

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by LuchAAA on Fri May 10 14:59:56 2013, in response to IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 13:53:11 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
The dictatorship I warn about is closer than people realize.

I thought 20 years, now thinking 10-15.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by bingbong on Fri May 10 15:36:26 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by SLRT on Fri May 10 14:32:15 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Ahem. ACORN. There was absolutely *nothing* untoward or illegal going on. Where's the apology from the RW about that?

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Train Dude on Fri May 10 15:42:37 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by bingbong on Fri May 10 15:36:26 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Go get your seltzer bottle, Clarabel. Adults are talking.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Train Dude on Fri May 10 15:44:15 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by SLRT on Fri May 10 14:32:15 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Of course not. But then you'd have the "unbiased" mainstream media fanning the flames.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by SLRT on Fri May 10 16:09:32 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by bingbong on Fri May 10 15:36:26 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
ACORN: The facts seem to contradict you. And more importantly, they were publicly exposed by a non-Governmental group. The IRS working in political interest is a little more than that.

I imagine you would have loved to be able to say the IRS allegation is a lie; instead you are reduced to "OH YEAH!! THE RW..."

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Fri May 10 16:11:21 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by bingbong on Fri May 10 15:36:26 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d


James O'Keefe doesn't work for them.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 16:14:40 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by bingbong on Fri May 10 15:36:26 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
LOL! Then ACORN should still be around. Instead, the Democrats defunded them. Doesn't sound like "nothing untoward or illegal" happened, does it?

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 16:16:31 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Fri May 10 16:11:21 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Thread derail fail. IRS still on their haunches.

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IRS official confesses that she is "not good at math", creates PR gaffe

Posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 16:29:50 2013, in response to IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 13:53:11 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Washington Post

‘I’m not good at math’: The IRS’ public relations disaster

Posted by Aaron Blake on May 10, 2013 at 2:18 pm
About a half-hour into a conference call with reporters Friday afternoon, senior Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner said something she will regret.

“I’m not good at math,” she confessed as she tried to summon a statistic.

Lerner clarified that she is a lawyer and not an accountant (a fair defense) but the remark instantly blew up on Twitter — an IRS official being bad at math!? — and wound up punctuating what was a torturous response to the IRS’ admission that it inappropriately targeted tea party groups.

A skeptical press corps peppered Lerner with questions, many of which she and her staff were unable or unwilling to answer.

A sampling:
  1. IRS officials claimed that there was no political bias behind the targeting of these conservative groups, but they failed to produce any examples of similar targeting of groups with non-conservative-sounding names. Initially, they suggested that other non-conservative-sounding names might have been targeted. By the end of the call, though, Lerner acknowledged: “I only said that because I never like to say ‘absolutely not.’ I don’t have any information on that.”

  2. Lerner wouldn’t say whether anyone is being disciplined, then appeared to say there was no disciplinary action, then went back to saying she wouldn’t comment. Federal personnel rules appear to prohibit Lerner from discussing discipline, so she has some justification for not commenting. But that justification was never explained, and instead she was pressed repeatedly on why she wouldn’t discuss discipline.

  3. Lerner said she disclosed the information because someone asked her about it Friday morning — indicating that she had no plans to release the information publicly, despite the confirmed wrongdoing.

  4. When asked how they found out about the wrongdoing, Lerner said the investigation stemmed from media reports about conservative groups claiming that they were targeted, not from any internal review.

  5. Lerner and her staff tried to get off the phone call after less than half an hour of questioning, but Columbia Journalism Review reporter (and Pulitzer Prize winner) David Cay Johnston informed them that they had better stay and answer everyone’s questions. They stayed on the call for another 20 minutes. By the end, they said Lerner had to get to some appointments and cited the “repetitive” line of questioning. Johnston informed them that it was because they weren’t answering the questions.
Karen Tumulty contributed to this post.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by bingbong on Fri May 10 16:35:04 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Train Dude on Fri May 10 15:42:37 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Don't see too many here, yourself included.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by bingbong on Fri May 10 16:36:17 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by SLRT on Fri May 10 16:09:32 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
No, they were framed by a RW conspirator. His estate is currently being sued. He won't be around much longer after that concludes.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by bingbong on Fri May 10 16:39:16 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Fri May 10 16:11:21 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d


He's where he belongs...in prison.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Fri May 10 16:44:58 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by bingbong on Fri May 10 16:39:16 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Um ....

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Re: IRS official confesses that she is ''not good at math'', creates PR gaffe

Posted by SMAZ on Fri May 10 16:45:57 2013, in response to IRS official confesses that she is "not good at math", creates PR gaffe, posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 16:29:50 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Michelle Bachmann is still working at the IRS?

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Train Dude on Fri May 10 17:36:20 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by SLRT on Fri May 10 16:09:32 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Facts don't mean anything to her. Doughnuts? Well now you are talking.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by RockParkMan on Fri May 10 17:37:26 2013, in response to IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 13:53:11 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
The NAZIS did the same thing when they were in power.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Train Dude on Fri May 10 17:39:07 2013, in response to IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 13:53:11 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Yes and these are the same good people who will now be charged with overseeing obamacare compliance with the same "even-handed" diligence. The only question left is this:

Why is the IRS apologizing? What did they get caught doing and by whom? This is not the entire story!

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Re: IRS official confesses that she is ''not good at math'', creates PR gaffe

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Fri May 10 17:53:39 2013, in response to Re: IRS official confesses that she is ''not good at math'', creates PR gaffe, posted by SMAZ on Fri May 10 16:45:57 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Community service. :)

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Fri May 10 18:39:40 2013, in response to IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 13:53:11 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Interdasting! Politico.com didn't mention WHO started this whole thing. :)

Turns out that it was Douglas Shulman, the IRS Commissioner who did this. Guess who he belongs to?

After all, he could have blown his own whistle on this given that he was a Bush appointee. Could the REAL story here be the republicans having their fill with their own teabaggers? :)

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Charles G on Fri May 10 18:47:56 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by SelkirkTMO on Fri May 10 18:39:40 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
I'm sure you have some support for your assertion that Shulman started this.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by RockParkMan on Fri May 10 18:50:44 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by SelkirkTMO on Fri May 10 18:39:40 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Or a Nazi who started this shit to make trouble for the Administration when it came out.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Fri May 10 18:54:41 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Charles G on Fri May 10 18:47:56 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
It was just on NBC Nightly News. He ran the agency until November 9, 2012, so by official conservative standards, HE did it. :)

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Fri May 10 18:55:45 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by RockParkMan on Fri May 10 18:50:44 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
That would be Shulman ... You don't do policy in any agency without a memo approved by the top. See "Benghazi" for details on how it works. :)

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Charles G on Fri May 10 19:00:34 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by SelkirkTMO on Fri May 10 18:54:41 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Ah. So you're just talking sh-t. Thought so.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Fri May 10 19:13:34 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Charles G on Fri May 10 19:00:34 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Just using republican standards. Thanks for calling that what it is. :)

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Fred G on Fri May 10 20:17:24 2013, in response to IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 13:53:11 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Not the first time the IRS has been used politically but let's hope it's the last.

your pal,
Fred

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Re: IRS official confesses that she is ''not good at math'', creates PR gaffe

Posted by bingbong on Fri May 10 21:12:37 2013, in response to IRS official confesses that she is "not good at math", creates PR gaffe, posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 10 16:29:50 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
OK, you work at a bank. You signed the FDIC SEC and IRS affidavits. YOU are responsible for the calculations you make. You gonna do it in your head and risk error, or are you gonna use a printable machine, be it an adding machine or computer where you can check for human input error and the rest is traceable to a machine?

Add to that, people that go into PR do so because they usually suck at math. PR demands a different skill set. So to criticize a PR person for being bad at math merely reflects the ignorance of that accuser.

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Re: IRS official confesses that she is ''not good at math'', creates PR gaffe

Posted by Fred G on Fri May 10 21:14:21 2013, in response to Re: IRS official confesses that she is ''not good at math'', creates PR gaffe, posted by bingbong on Fri May 10 21:12:37 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
I'd be surprised if an IRS administrator could even fill out an IRS form.

your pal,
Fred

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Re: IRS official confesses that she is ''not good at math'', creates PR gaffe

Posted by bingbong on Fri May 10 21:16:59 2013, in response to Re: IRS official confesses that she is ''not good at math'', creates PR gaffe, posted by Fred G on Fri May 10 21:14:21 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
I think the guy said that. Even he uses a professional tax preparer.

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Re: IRS official confesses that she is ''not good at math'', creates PR gaffe

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Fri May 10 21:18:06 2013, in response to Re: IRS official confesses that she is ''not good at math'', creates PR gaffe, posted by bingbong on Fri May 10 21:16:59 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Yep ... the head of the agency said exactly that, it's right there in the article I linked to earlier. :)

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Dan Lawrence on Fri May 10 22:28:58 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by LuchAAA on Fri May 10 14:59:56 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Nobody listens to to you as you constantly say the dictatorship is here.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sat May 11 00:36:51 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by SelkirkTMO on Fri May 10 18:39:40 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
So, you are asserting that the Republican appointed head of the IRS is to blame for targeting......Republican groups?

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Sat May 11 00:41:14 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sat May 11 00:36:51 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
How about that shit? Even *I* am impressed! The republican brain trust strikes again. :)

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by AlM on Sat May 11 00:59:28 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sat May 11 00:36:51 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
2 choices:

1. It was done at a low level and the higher ups never knew about it. In which case it's just silliness, not a political effort.

2. The Commissioner knew about it.

Take your pick.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Sat May 11 01:12:06 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by AlM on Sat May 11 00:59:28 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Well ... you've GOT to honor the republican rules now. The HEAD of the agency is the cause of everything that happens below, no exceptions. And therefore ... a duck! :)

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sat May 11 03:57:12 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by AlM on Sat May 11 00:59:28 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
It was done at a low level and the higher ups never knew about it. In which case it's just silliness, not a political effort.

There are only 3 way these groups were targeted by the IRS:

1. The "low level" employees were acting under orders from above

2. An environment was created where career advancement was available to those who did things like this, to help the presidential campaign

3. Left wing IRS agents acted on their own and targeted right wing groups without fear of either being caught or punished.

All 3 of these options are damning for the Obama administration. And it's with said administration the blame lies for this egregious abuse of power. Whether it was top down or bottom up abuse is what we need a congressional investigation to determine.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Sat May 11 04:04:53 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sat May 11 03:57:12 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
And a Bush appointee was in charge of, and supposed to be managing that. How about ...

4. As a loyal "establishment" republican appointee, he did what Priebus is doing right now having seen the proof of what the teabaggers have done to the grand ole opry? Cut the militia types off before they festered further and SAVE the party? After all, Priebus is doing that right now today by hiring Rove to handle them.

Any head of an agency might not see the worker bees dissing them in the lunchroom, but DAMNED sure he saw summaries of the reports of who was taking it in the ear. Conduct continued THROUGHOUT his term of four years without a single peep. Execs may not watch every hand, but they sure do dwell on those "executive summaries" ...

And although republicans are eating this story alive, turns out they were doing the same thing to leftist groups trying to get tax exempt status too. But of course, that ain't the story here now is it?

So check off item one there, saddle up the pony, and realize that the bottom rung that did this were TOLD to do it and if the memo telling them what the policy was happened to have been purely written, then "OK, genius" kicked in. That's what docudroids do ... "as you're told."

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Sat May 11 04:07:45 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by SelkirkTMO on Sat May 11 04:04:53 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Damned Wiccan spell checker! :(

Corrected ...

the memo telling them what the policy was happened to have been purely POORLY written

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by AlM on Sat May 11 07:51:47 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sat May 11 03:57:12 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
All 3 of these options are damning for the Obama administration

All 3 of these options imply complicity from the Republican-appointed IRS Commissioner.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by RockParkMan on Sat May 11 08:02:26 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by AlM on Sat May 11 07:51:47 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Ask that piece of shit how his Mom's doing.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by AlM on Sat May 11 08:22:51 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by RockParkMan on Sat May 11 08:02:26 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
No.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Fred G on Sat May 11 09:09:25 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by RockParkMan on Sat May 11 08:02:26 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
You look like the piece of shit here. Cease that nonsense.

Your pal,
Fred

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by RockParkMan on Sat May 11 09:16:16 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by Fred G on Sat May 11 09:09:25 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
I HATE him and Olog.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by AlM on Sat May 11 10:15:35 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by RockParkMan on Sat May 11 09:16:16 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Let's look at this totally from your point of view, that all things conservative are a conspiracy by powerful interests to enhance their position at the expense of the vast majority of the American people.

But even from that point of view, Chris and Olog are simply pawns. They are not the source.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by RockParkMan on Sat May 11 10:21:51 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by AlM on Sat May 11 10:15:35 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
They are useful idiots that deserve only scorn and hatred.

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Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sat May 11 12:39:57 2013, in response to Re: IRS apologizes for going after conservative, Tea Party and Republican groups, posted by AlM on Sat May 11 07:51:47 2013.

fiogf49gjkf0d
No. All three imply that this was either ordered or tacitally permitted by the IRS, a part of the federal government.

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