To the President of the United States, abuses of power by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are fodder for humor.
But it is not at all funny to those who are persecuted by the harsh thumb of the IRS, armed with its special powers to summons, seize and prosecute. It's Nixonian.
The IRS's tea party targeting is clearly intentional. Under the Obama administration audits of non-profit organizations soared, almost doubling from an average of 6,205 returns each year from 2001 to 2008, rising to an average of 11,111 audited returns per year from 2009 to 2011, even as the number of tax exempt organizations filing returns decreased. From the White House, speaking on behalf of the President, Jay Carney wants us to believe the increase and selection of new audit targets was driven by low-level rogue employees. It's what I call the Benghazi defense, "We didn't know and no one was in charge." But to quote Hillary Clinton, "What difference does it make?" There is virtually no daylight between the disdain and destruction of criminal neglect and the depredations of intentional malfeasance.
But let's get real about this. Is there anyone out there dumb enough to think that bureaucratic minions responsible for the targeted nonprofit audit surge would act on their own, without engaging superiors in the process? Bureaucrats are expert, if at nothing else, in covering their butts. They don't do anything strong, creative or even different without checking and reporting up the line.
The IRS targeted for audit nonprofit groups that included terms like "tea party", "patriot", "Bill of Rights" and "Constitution" in their title or charter -- words that go to the core of our country's strength, uniqueness and founding principles. These principles are what the Obama administration and its brain dead, navel gazing supporters love to hate.
By the way, do you know what precipitated the Inspector General investigation into the IRS audits? It was a request by Darrel Issa, Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the very same Darrel Issa who is leading the charge on the investigation into Benghazi. Darrel Issa is a good man, a reasonable man, a competent man and someone who pursues issues with passion and integrity. There are few like him in Congress these days, Republican or Democrat, and it appears no one like him these days in the Obama administration.
There is emerging evidence that the Commissioner of the IRS lied and or misled about the abuse of power over the last two years. This is a politidumb that has days to go and legs to last.
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