Posted on 05/11/2013 1:16:15 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
A BEDROCK principle of U.S. democracy is that the coercive powers of government are never used for partisan purpose. The law is blind to political viewpoint, and so are its enforcers, most especially the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service. Any violation of this principle threatens the trust and the voluntary cooperation of citizens upon which this democracy depends.
So it was appalling to learn Friday that the IRS had improperly targeted conservative groups for scrutiny. It was almost as disturbing that President Obama and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew have not personally apologized to the American people and promised a full investigation.
“Mistakes were made,” the agency said in a statement. IRS official Lois Lerner explained that staffers used a “shortcut” to sort through a large number of applications from groups seeking tax-exempt status, highlighting organizations with “tea party” or “patriot” in their names. The IRS insisted emphatically that partisanship had nothing to do with it. However, it seems that groups with “progressive” in their titles did not receive the same scrutiny.
If it was not partisanship, was it incompetence? Stupidity, on a breathtaking scale? At this point, the IRS has lost any standing to determine and report on what exactly happened. Certainly Congress will investigate, as House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) promised. Mr. Obama also should guarantee an unimpeachably independent inquiry. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Not bad from the Washington Post but I would have preferred "CHILLING" over "appalling".
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You'd think the geniuses at WaPo would know by now that Obama only apologizes to foreign countries. Apologize to the American people? Riiiigggghhhhttt.
Wanna bet the culprits are black and/or gay?
If Congress can identify the commissar who gave the orders and managed the harassment and just who was the White House control, it can get interesting.
The fact they are writing about it within a few days of the story breaking is amazing.
I'll take a pair of lines that no one else has criticized. WaPo is out of touch if they think threatening "the trust and the voluntary cooperation of citizens" is something new for the Obama years.
The Obama people lost my trust more than four years ago, within days of the Inauguration. And my "voluntary" cooperation comes only from the fact that even after cutting way back on my income (and now retiring), I'm still in the high-income, frequently-audited bracket. I cooperate out of fear, although I despise Obama, Holder, and their goals for our government and for our country. There is nothing voluntary here beyond a conscious decision to stay free until the storm strikes or passes. Overall, those who still have a job with WaPo have no idea how bad things are for those who are working, or for those who are not working - reporters are a lot like Obama's inner circle.
"So it was quite a relief to learn Friday that we had a shiny brand-new front page story to replace Benghazi, which had become national news for two days in a row."
I agree.
Our laws are mostly partisan. Gun laws are partisan. Tax laws are partisan. That’s how we’ve done things for the past century or so.
[Wanna bet the culprits are black and/or gay?]
Some could be both. Posters on office walls of Michael Jackson or Little Anthony could be a tip off.
Bias is a job for the press. WaPo is upset that someone else stepped on their turf.
I would not take that bet, or even have any reason to suggest it. Leftist totalitarians are represented quite well, and more numerously, by, to give just a few examples, the snow-white staff of MSNBC or salon.com, audience of The Daily Show, and members of Occupy Wall Street, than by any list of government union members.
The culprits could be linked to Karl Rove. The GOPe hates the Tea Party, too.
The law is blind to political viewpoint, and so are its enforcers, most especially journalists. Any violation of this principle threatens the trust and the voluntary cooperation of citizens upon which this democracy depends..
So it was appalling to learn Friday that the Washington Post and others had improperly targeted conservative groups for scrutiny.
The Washington Post and others insisted emphatically that partisanship had nothing to do with it. However, it seems that groups with “progressive” in their titles did not receive the same scrutiny.
If it was not partisanship, was it incompetence? Stupidity, on a breathtaking scale? At this point, the Washington post and others have lost any standing to determine and report on what exactly happens.
(My re-write). Satire
“The IRS insisted emphatically that partisanship had nothing
to do with it.
Bullcrap! There should be prisons terms for everyone involved in this tyranny.
The media has lost all credibility. They are probably inserting this story before they put out several whitewash stories. This and the Benghazi stories should have been investigated last October, not now. Instead they were busy at that time criticizing a press release/statement from Romney. They also helped push that youtube video lie.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.