Señor Jehuda, aka "El Blogo de Liberto", is an attorney and media professional with a background in TV marketing and production, copywriting, independent filmmaking, and spontaneously speaking perfect Spanish. A proud Texan who recently escaped from Los Angeles to Albuquerque, he spends far too much time thinking about movies - especially since his job requires it. Jehuda is also a contributor at YesButHowever.com and PJ Lifestyle.
Any other excuse or justification misses the point: The IRS Targeted Conservatives Because It Could:
When public servants have the power to make life difficult for narrowly defined groups of people—their political enemies, or disfavored causes, or people on the wrong side of a national discussion—they’ll end up using, and abusing, that power.
It’s as simple as that…
This is probably ‘Irrelevant’: Ace: Lois Lerner Will Plead The Fifth Tomorrow, Rather Than Answer Questions About IRS Partisan Targeting.
UPDATE: Related: LAT: IRS officials still don’t have full explanation of targeting.
MORE: Here’s an actual link to the story Ace discusses at the link above.
You can help with the recovery efforts in Oklahoma through:
A Conspiracy To Commit Journalism: The Justice Dept’s Dangerous New Argument Threatens Basic Reporting.
Not that there was a whole lot of reporting being carried out by major media outlets. More propaganda than journalism, if you ask me. But, yes, this is a big deal. A line has been crossed.
UPDATE: CBS News reporter who covered Fast and Furious investigated, too?
Attkisson told WPHT that irregular activity on her computer was first identified in Feb. 2011, when she was reporting on the Fast and Furious gun-walking scandal and on the Obama administration’s green energy spending, which she said “the administration was very sensitive about.” Attkisson has also been a persistent investigator of the events surrounding last year’s attack in Benghazi, and its aftermath.
Yes, we can!
The New York City Filming Locations of ‘The Warriors’.
Et tu, Apple? Senate investigators: Apple sheltered $44 billion from taxes.
Google has also been the object of similar allegations…
Schadenfreu-delicious: Obama Scandals Bring MSNBC 7-Year Low While Fox News Rises.
This is to be expected, especially given that MSNBC carries coverage like this…
A staggering level of destruction on the wake of that tornado in Oklahoma.
My thoughts and prayers are with all of the victims and survivors. As soon as I learn of opportunities to donate or render assistance, I’ll make sure to note them in any updates to this post.
USA Today Poll: ”A 53% majority say the IRS decision to single out conservative groups for extra scrutiny before granting tax-exempt status was made for political reasons. By 50%-44%, they say Obama deserves at least a little of the blame, though the White House says he didn’t know about it until the scandal was in the news.”
This is why the spin about law-breaking being irrelevant is of no avail to the administration. People instinctively know the IRS’s inquisitorial tack came from the top – and that it was wrong.
UPDATE: Related: LAT: White House officials knew of IRS audit findings weeks in advance.
This is probably ‘Irrelevant’: Tax-exempt Obama Foundation doesn’t exist at listed address: “The ‘charity’ run by President Barack Obama’s half-brother that was fast-tracked for IRS tax-exempt status is based at a Virginia UPS store, according to its website.”
Tough Crowd: Bacon restaurant shut down for smelling like bacon.
This is probably ‘Irrelevant’: Inspector General: ex-US Attorney violated department policy with news leak in Fast and Furious probe.
Poor Critical Thinking at MSNBC (but I repeat myself): MSNBC Speculates: Bush Appointee In IRS Targeted Tea Party Because They Reflected Badly On GOP.
Seeing the IRS Scandal in a vacuum, sure…maybe that thought could cross your mind. But it didn’t happen in a vaccum. Far from it. In fact, it’s no secret that it all seems to be part of a pattern…
BOMBSHELL: CBS News: Evidence emerges that Obama administration official knew of IRS targeting during 2012 campaign.
I put ‘Bombshell’ in there just for effect, really. I’m not too surprised by any of this. What does surprise is that CBS News is actually using the sentence above as a headline.
Don’t Be Evil Get Caught: Google insider exposes ‘immoral’ tax scam.
Related: How a Career Con Man Led a Federal Sting That Cost Google $500 Million.
David Freddoso: Why you can’t blame Citizens United for the IRS Scandal.
Excellent analysis. Give it a read.
My own, shorter (plus admittedly conclusory and analysis-free) explanation is that the IRS didn’t seem to harass any leftist groups over their non-profit status applications like it did to conservative groups.
If this abusive level of scrutiny from the IRS is an unintended consequence of a Supreme Court decision, wouldn’t every organization have been treated equally badly?
Via reason‘s Hit & Run blog.
Legends of the Windfall: What could happen to you: tales of big lottery winners.
RAAAAACISM: Conservative Hispanic Groups Targeted In IRS Scandal.
WSJ: Top Moments From the IRS Hearing.
UPDATE: Related: NYT: “Obama administration officials were aware of the matter during the presidential campaign year”.
Tech Meets Politics Meets Economics: We Need to Talk about the Burgeoning Robot Middle Class.
Enter the ‘worst-case scenario’: IRS Official in Charge During Tea Party Targeting Now Runs Health Care Office.
Crappy policies, crappy results: So, Venezuela Has a Toilet-Paper Shortage (Don’t Laugh. Seriously.).
No surprise there. Venezuela went to crap ever since Hugo Chavez decided to turn it into the oil-rich version of Cuba. What ever happened to “To each according to his needs”? Doesn’t quite work that way, does it?
We’re living in interesting times: Chris Matthews sours on Obama.
That explains everything: Obama: “I have complete confidence in Eric Holder as attorney general.”
Epistemic Closure Vortex: Lawrence O’Donnell: ‘IRS Agents Did Nothing Wrong’.
Hard to believe this guy used to write for The West Wing. But then again, that’s a work of fiction. This is who he really is…
Frontiers of Chutzpah: Attorney General Eric Holder scolds Issa for ‘shameful’ demeanor.
He did so fast and furiously, I suppose. Or maybe it was even worse than that…
The plot thickens: Senate Democrats Pushed for IRS Tea Party Snooping.
So an agency under the Executive – namely, the IRS – and members of the Legislative branch, Dem Senators, are all part of the same push to intimidate and discriminate against people who disagree with them.
This is using government as a weapon. It’s all so banana republic – and I’m not talking about clothing here…
David Axelrod for smaller government? Axelrod: Government ‘So Vast,‘ Obama Can’t Know About Wrongdoing.
No one expects the president to know everything that goes on with the US Government, but he should be able to keep tabs on the one branch of government he is responsible for: the Executive Branch.
Frontiers of Bacon: Oscar Mayer Fires Up Bacon Wieners in Battle for Top Dog.
Jon Stewart Again Tears Apart Obama: You Can’t Keep Saying You Found Out About News At The Same Time As Us!
Word. Are Pigs Flying Yet? Never thought I’d see Stewart slam Obama twice in one week.
UPDATE: Related: Keith Olbermann and RNC Chairman in agreement over DOJ phone records abuse.
Wow. What’s next? Michael Moore becoming a libertarian?
Frontiers of Technology: Synthetic Burger Patty Grown in Test Tubes Only Cost $325,000 to Make.
That’s a funny term for ‘viewpoint discrimination’: Report: ‘Ineffective management’ led to IRS scandal.
But is it better than Starfleet’s translator? Bing Translator Adds Klingon.
Ingenuity: Wealthy Manhattan moms hire handicapped tour guides to bypass lines at Disney World.
Not sure I find this all that objectionable, assuming there is no coercion or any services provided under duress. Not a bad payday, it seems.
But then again, I don’t work for the Disney Company.
One Nation, Under Viewpoint Discrimination: IRS unites nation with shoddy treatment of tea party groups.
The tea party groups have gone from the MSM’s favorite pariahs to popular, scrappy underdogs. Who knew?
