The False Nixon Equivalence

RCP ^ | 05/19/2013 | Steve Chapman

[SeekAndFind]

"The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know," said Harry Truman, who made it his task to absorb a lot of it. Many people who have not followed his example are not averse to using what little they do know, with the inadvertent effect of exposing how much they have to learn.

[Mmogamer]

This whole mess is like an after image of the Nixon cover-up and irs scandals.

[ChildOfThe60s]

In the case of Obama, there is no evidence that he or his Treasury Secretary was aware of the mistreatment of conservative groups -- much less that either of them requested it.

[paguch]

This is far far worse than Nixon.it is further involved and wide ranging. For the President say he recently heard about it in the news,while many Americans heard about it a year ago is either just one more outright lie or our President is so detached from reality he is guilty of dereliction of duty.

[smoothsailing]

This whole mess is like an after image of the Nixon cover-up and irs scandals.

[Tupelo]

If memory serves me correct, Nixon was not able to get the IRS Commissioner to go after any of the Democrats as Nixon wanted. I think the IRS Commissioner was a Democrat who told Nixon to pound sand. What Chapman is damning Nixon about is Nixon privately bitching about NOT being able to go after his enemies.

[Democrat_media]

Obama got the IRS and other agencies to rig the election for him by shutting down tea party groups.

It is far worse than Nixon even if all the liberal news media said about Nixon were true but the media would never slander , lie about or smear Republicans would they ? of course look at how they lied about and smeared Palin , Bush and we have an Internet and SOME conservative media to counter what the media does and still the news media demonized Palin and Bush . Nixon didn't have an Internet nor Conservative media to counter the news media claims so in my thinking I thing the media slandered Nixon

[WilliamofCarmichael]

In 1971, weary of improper pressure, Commissioner Randolph Thrower asked for a meeting with the president to advise him that "the introduction of political influence into the IRS would be very damaging to him and his administration, as well as to the revenue system and the general public interest." Nixon refused to see him.

That comports well with the articles of impeachment which said that Nixon endeavored to use the IRS. News articles reported that Nixon talked about using the IRS. Those damn tapes again.

In the old days it was what they did.. dirty tricks;

but they knew that there was a limit. We disputed what that limit was but IIRC no one went anywhere near violating the public trust as Obama has gone. (With the possible exception of LBJ but that was just plain corruption and crime.)

In Politics, Scamps, Saboteurs and the Occasional Criminal

"Of course, the nature and seriousness of political mischief runs a wide gamut and elicits varied interpretations. Lines are blurred, breached. One man (say, Nixon) might see a clever campaign tactic, while someone else (say, an opponent) might see a 'dirty trick,' while someone else still (say, a Watergate prosecutor) might see criminality."

Read about the Democrat who inspired Nixon's "dirty tricks." The Nytimese do not reveal that bit of information in their article but it was widely reported back then. Nixon wanted a dirty trickster like the Democrats' Dick Tuck.

Donald Segretti was recruited to be Nixon's Tuck. Years later it would be noted that Lee Atwater's "place [is] secure in the annals of conservative shenanigans."

[Twotone]

Actually, Nixon himself was audited!

[C210N]

[0'] announced the dismissal of the acting commissioner for failing to prevent political abuse...

That's all well and good to try and avoid the Nixon comparison, but it's a failed "try" when you consider the contrast with Sarah Ingram, head of the IRS dept in question that got $100,000-plus in bonuses and was promoted to do the same with the new Affordable-Care unit within the IRS.

[MIchaelTArchangel]

The problem with this RCP piece is we know now what Nixon said and wrote inside the Oval Office in the late 1960s and early 1970s. We only know what BHO said in public. We do not know what BHO said and wrote in the Oval Office. We do however know that the underlings in Cincinnati are saying that everything they did was ordered by IRS headquarters. Does anyone believe that fool former acting commissioner Miller thought this up on his own?

[Pollster1]

The equivalence is false - because Obama’s crimes are far worse than Nixon’s.

[Arthurio]

So this jackass writer wants to compare what we knew about Nixon after years of investigation to what is now known about the current scandals?

[McGruff]

Nixon was a boy scout compared to this guy.

[RedMDer]

We are Free Republic!
Less than $15k to go!!
Let's git 'er done!!

We are Free Republic!
Less than $15k to go!!
Let's git 'er done!!

[Noob1999]

Hey! I’m running out of popcorn awaiting the MSM
to pick up on the lawsuit reported in the Wash. Times
that the IRS released 60 million health records of 10 million taxpayers.

Maybe that will be the icing on the Obamacare cake!

[Travis McGee]

[Rocky]

So... he’s comparing a public statement by Obama (who is a liar, let’s remember) with a candid remark by Nixon captured on the Oval Office tapes?

Let’s hear some tapes of Obama’s private conversations, and then we have a fair comparison. This guy is a real tool.

And, yes, this is very much like Watergate.

[naturalman1975]

The reason I find comparison with Nixon odious.

Whatever else came in his political career, Richard Nixon had already served his country.

[windsorknot]

I’ll cut Nixon some slack since Whittaker Chambers liked him, and he helped to bring down the left’s god, Alger Hiss. The left will never forgive him for that.