IRS APOLOGIZES FOR TARGETING TEA PARTY GROUPS

[Dadtodabone]

We started contributing to Tea Party organizations and candidates (Ted Cruz, etc) about two years ago. This year we had our first audit in 45 years of tax returns. Coincidence? Or maybe it was the NRA donation?

More likely a change in pattern of contributions and/or increase in amount over prior returns. Or so the agent told me when first we chatted during my audit a few years ago. For me it was both, we made a substantial one time donation to our parish building fund, as well as discontinuing contributions to our obscenely well endowed alma maters and switched to a more faith based giving program.

[Purplehood]

This whole administration is starting to remind me of Tammany Hall.

I know, I know... y'all could have told me that 4 years ago.

EDIT: OMG, you guys were serious about the Bush-connection! LOL.

[airboss]

At a congressional hearing March 22, 2012, IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman, who had previously stated on the record that no groups had been targeted, testified under oath as follows: "There's absolutely no targeting. This is the kind of back and forth that happens to people" who apply for tax-exempt status, Shulman said at the House Ways and Means subcommittee hearing." SHULMAN was appointed by GEORGE W. BUSH, which suggests like 'Fast and Furious' because of Republican sign off on that issue, it will go away. What this suggests to me that anyone in DC is only interested in one thing: more power, more money regardless of who appoints them. Their loyalty is to the system or administration writing the paycheck and that is all.

IF Republicans do not go AFTER this administration over Benghazi and now the revelation of HUGE misuse of IRS to target Tea Party and other conservative groups, then REPUBLICANS need to be replaced by an independent party who WILL go after them. What the OBAMA administration has done - and the left by extension is to make the federal govt. OUTLAW, worse than King George, or worse than any tin pot dictator.

[airboss]

At a congressional hearing March 22, 2012, IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman, who had previously stated on the record that no groups had been targeted, testified under oath as follows: "There's absolutely no targeting. This is the kind of back and forth that happens to people" who apply for tax-exempt status, Shulman said at the House Ways and Means subcommittee hearing." SHULMAN was appointed by GEORGE W. BUSH, which suggests like 'Fast and Furious' because of Republican sign off on that issue, it will go away. What this suggests to me that anyone in DC is only interested in one thing: more power, more money regardless of who appoints them. Their loyalty is to the system or administration writing the paycheck and that is all.

IF Republicans do not go AFTER this administration over Benghazi and now the revelation of HUGE misuse of IRS to target Tea Party and other conservative groups, then REPUBLICANS need to be replaced by an independent party who WILL go after them. What the OBAMA administration has done - and the left by extension is to make the federal govt. OUTLAW, worse than King George, or worse than any tin pot dictator.

[The Annoyed Man]

This whole administration is starting to remind me of Tammany Hall.

I know, I know... y'all could have told me that 4 years ago.

EDIT: OMG, you guys were serious about the Bush-connection! LOL.

You know, you hit the nail right on the head. I've been calling it "Tammany Hall" in my mind for a long time. And yes, the "Bush angle" is hilarious, n'est pas? Once again, that is their fallback: "If you have no honest answer, Blame Bush."

For those who do not know what "Tammany Hall" is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tammany_Hall

Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It was the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in controlling New York City and New York State politics and helping immigrants, most notably the Irish, rise up in American politics from the 1790s to the 1960s. It controlled Democratic Party nominations and political patronage in Manhattan from the mayoral victory of Fernando Wood in 1854 through the election of John P. O'Brien in 1932.

The Tammany Society was named for Tamanend, a Native American leader of the Lenape, and emerged as the center for Democratic-Republican Party politics in the City in the early 19th Century. The "Hall" serving as the Society's headquarters was built in 1830 on East 14th Street, marking an era when Tammany Hall became the city affiliate of the Democratic Party, controlling most of the New York City elections afterwards.

If anybody thinks that Tammany Hall exists no longer, read this guaranteed truth-free libtard hagiography of ACORN: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associatio ... Reform_Now

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) was a collection of community-based organizations in the United States that advocated for low- and moderate-income families by working on neighborhood safety, voter registration, health care, affordable housing, and other social issues. At its peak ACORN had over 500,000 members and more than 1,200 neighborhood chapters in over 100 cities across the U.S.,[3][4] as well as in Argentina, Canada, Mexico, and Peru.[5] ACORN was founded in 1970 by Wade Rathke and Gary Delgado.[6] It filed for Chapter 7 liquidation on November 2, 2010, effectively closing the organization,.[7] Many ACORN members and organizers formed new state-wide organizations.[8]

Though it was liquified following many charges of criminal misconduct on the parts of both low level employees and its top leadership, ACORN continues to exist under different names as state-level organizations. In other words, it did not die, it merely underwent mitosis and the virus continues to infect the system. If you do not think this is extremely dangerous, consider this: In the wake of a federal government which is increasingly detached from and irrelevant to the daily lives of most Americans, what happens at the local level becomes extremely important, and that by several orders of magnitude.

For those who care, one of ACORN's three founding chapters was organized in...............




.......wait for it...........




TEXAS.



Tammany Hall is alive and well.

[VMI77]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/pos ... port-says/
IRS targeted groups that criticized the government, IG report says
By Juliet Eilperin, Published: May 12, 2013 at 2:30 pm

At various points over the past two years, Internal Revenue Service officials targeted nonprofit groups that criticized the government and sought to educate Americans about the U.S. Constitution, according to documents in an audit conducted by the agency’s inspector general.

The documents, obtained by The Washington Post from a congressional aide with knowledge of the findings, show that on June 29, 2011, IRS staffers held a briefing with senior agency official Lois G. Lerner in which they described giving special attention to instances where “statements in the case file criticize how the country is being run.” Lerner, who oversees tax-exempt groups for the agency, raised objections and the agency revised its criteria a week later.

But six months later, the IRS applied a new political test to groups that applied for tax-exempt status as “social welfare” groups, the document says. On Jan. 15, 2012 the agency decided to target “political action type organizations involved in limiting/expanding Government, educating on the Constitution and Bill of Rights, social economic reform movement.,” according to the appendix in the IG report, which was requested by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and has yet to be released.

How long are Americans going to put up with this kind of political corruption in the highest places? What is it about liberals that they don't think their message will stand up to scrutiny, so they have to try and squash the First Amendment for people who do the scrutinizing? Right now, at this time in American history, there is little or no difference between the democrat party and the mafia.

I think that statement is extreme, wrong, and possibly offensive to those of us of Italian descent. Little or no difference? The mafia has a twisted form of ethics --the Demorats have none. The mafia's objectives are well known --the Demorat's hide their objectives in devisive rhetoric and lies. The mafia's objectives are primarily to make money and have fun, illegally --the Demorat's primary objectives are complete control over all of us and destruction of the Republic. The mafia's actions don't affect most of us --the Demorat's actions make things worse for all of us. Finally, I'd say the mafia isn't interested in destroying the Republic, they just want to own some of it --whereas the Demorats can and will destroy the Republic if they're not stopped.

[The Annoyed Man]

This is really blowing up in the administration's face. It's huge. Here are the links from Drudge:

• IRS Began Targeting Conservatives in March 2010...
• Probe Expands To Groups Opposed To Gov't, Teaching Constitution...
• Scrutiny Deeper Than Thought...
• 'Kept shifting targets in tax-exempt groups'...
• Agency accused of leaking confidential tax documents during election...
• FLASHBACK: Romney donor vilified by Obama campaign, then subjected to 2 audits...
• Did Plouffe Justify IRS Targeting Conservative Groups?
  
  
  and saving the best for last.....
• A NEW 'ENEMIES LIST'

This stuff is not going to go away. Between this scandal and the Benghazi debacle, we are witnessing the hamstringing of the Obama administration. Even leftist news sites are beating these drums now, and they are going to view whatever the administration says from now on with extreme skepticism. Watching WH Reporters from leftwing news outlets pound on Carney at WH press conferences has been a source of some bitter mirth for me. I say "bitter" because if they had just applied the same skepticism back in 2008 during the campaign, we would not have a LOT of the issues we're facing today. Instead, they went with the "tingle down the leg" school of "reporting."

[The Annoyed Man]

Right now, at this time in American history, there is little or no difference between the democrat party and the mafia.

I think that statement is extreme, wrong, and possibly offensive to those of us of Italian descent. Little or no difference? The mafia has a twisted form of ethics --the Demorats have none. The mafia's objectives are well known --the Demorat's hide their objectives in decisive rhetoric and lies. The mafia's objectives are primarily to make money and have fun, illegally --the Demorat's primary objectives are complete control over all of us and destruction of the Republic. The mafia's actions don't affect most of us --the Demorat's actions make things worse for all of us. Finally, I'd say the mafia isn't interested in destroying the Republic, they just want to own some of it --whereas the Demorats can and will destroy the Republic if they're not stopped.

I apologize for the undeserved slur. Can I make it up by delivering a package to someone or something?

[anygunanywhere]

A point to ponder is that the IRS jack boots are the ones tasked with enforcing barry care.

Barry is also poised to throw anyone under the bus to save his hide. At what point are his worshippers going to grow weary of taking the fall for their god?

Anygunanywhere

[gthaustex]

This is really blowing up in the administration's face. It's huge. Here are the links from Drudge:

• IRS Began Targeting Conservatives in March 2010...
• Probe Expands To Groups Opposed To Gov't, Teaching Constitution...
• Scrutiny Deeper Than Thought...
• 'Kept shifting targets in tax-exempt groups'...
• Agency accused of leaking confidential tax documents during election...
• FLASHBACK: Romney donor vilified by Obama campaign, then subjected to 2 audits...
• Did Plouffe Justify IRS Targeting Conservative Groups?
  
  
  and saving the best for last.....
• A NEW 'ENEMIES LIST'

This stuff is not going to go away. Between this scandal and the Benghazi debacle, we are witnessing the hamstringing of the Obama administration. Even leftist news sites are beating these drums now, and they are going to view whatever the administration says from now on with extreme skepticism. Watching WH Reporters from leftwing news outlets pound on Carney at WH press conferences has been a source of some bitter mirth for me. I say "bitter" because if they had just applied the same skepticism back in 2008 during the campaign, we would not have a LOT of the issues we're facing today. Instead, they went with the "tingle down the leg" school of "reporting."

I really hope you are right with the thought TAM. I have become more than my usual cynical over the last few years, watching softball after softball thrown out there to this administration. I know the press has been asking some tougher questions lately, but my now overly cynical side tells me that they are just playing along in the game to make it look like some heat is being applied to the current administration.....time will tell I guess....

[cheezit]

This administration is easily the most corrupt in many generations.

serious question.... was there ever one that was worse?

[The Annoyed Man]

This is really blowing up in the administration's face. It's huge. Here are the links from Drudge:

• IRS Began Targeting Conservatives in March 2010...
• Probe Expands To Groups Opposed To Gov't, Teaching Constitution...
• Scrutiny Deeper Than Thought...
• 'Kept shifting targets in tax-exempt groups'...
• Agency accused of leaking confidential tax documents during election...
• FLASHBACK: Romney donor vilified by Obama campaign, then subjected to 2 audits...
• Did Plouffe Justify IRS Targeting Conservative Groups?
  
  
  and saving the best for last.....
• A NEW 'ENEMIES LIST'

This stuff is not going to go away. Between this scandal and the Benghazi debacle, we are witnessing the hamstringing of the Obama administration. Even leftist news sites are beating these drums now, and they are going to view whatever the administration says from now on with extreme skepticism. Watching WH Reporters from leftwing news outlets pound on Carney at WH press conferences has been a source of some bitter mirth for me. I say "bitter" because if they had just applied the same skepticism back in 2008 during the campaign, we would not have a LOT of the issues we're facing today. Instead, they went with the "tingle down the leg" school of "reporting."

I really hope you are right with the thought TAM. I have become more than my usual cynical over the last few years, watching softball after softball thrown out there to this administration. I know the press has been asking some tougher questions lately, but my now overly cynical side tells me that they are just playing along in the game to make it look like some heat is being applied to the current administration.....time will tell I guess....

The thing is, when you look at the list of news outlets/publications linked above, there is a pretty good distribution of left, right, and center outlets.....and they're ALL pointing out the same things. That's why I think this has reached much deeper into the public discourse than it might otherwise have done.

This administration is easily the most corrupt in many generations.

serious question.... was there ever one that was worse?

I can't think of one that was worse. I can't even think of one that was as bad. I mean, Nixon had Watergate and that's the obvious comparison, but absent Watergate, Nixon had an otherwise fairly successful presidency. He presided over a successful disentanglement with Vietnam, after democrats in media and government had succeeded in snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. He succeeded in normalizing relations with China, which previously had been previously similar to our current relations with North Korea. At the time, China and the USSR were having armed borer clashes between one another, and there was a lot of tension there between the two. That rapprochement between the U.S. and China put additional pressure on the USSR, which helped to lay some of the groundwork for Reagan's winning of the Cold War. He got the USSR to agree to SALT 1 and the ABMT. Nixon also had a LOT more experience in national politics than Obama had before he became president. He served two terms representing California in the House, and a partial term as a California Senator, before being tapped for Vice President under Eisenhower, where he served two terms as VPOTUS. Nixon also served 4 years as a Navy Lt. Commander in the Pacific during WW2—a thing he volunteered for because he did not like the idea of being stuck in a nice cushy stateside government job, and despite the fact that, as a Quaker, he had an automatic deferral from the draft.

Compare that to Obama, who spent his youth getting high, lied to campus financial aid committees about his nationality, never really worked as a lawyer, never published a word in the law journal of which he was editor, refuses to release his academic records, never served in the military, never owned or ran a business, and serves a half term in the Senate as qualification for the presidency.

So yeah, this one is pretty bad.

[Dragonfighter]

This administration is easily the most corrupt in many generations.

serious question.... was there ever one that was worse?

I was thinking Woodrow Wilson but now I'm not so sure.

[Jumping Frog]

Combines the above, Benghazi, and now the Feds obtaining all the phone records for the Associated Press, the tone is shifting rapidly in the formerly loyal press.

Of all the above, the press will be most dismayed by the phone records.

[talltex]

This whole administration is starting to remind me of Tammany Hall.

I know, I know... y'all could have told me that 4 years ago.

EDIT: OMG, you guys were serious about the Bush-connection! LOL.

It IS like Tammany Hall...but remember where BHO's political career was nurtured...Chicago...the closest thing to Tammany Hall in the modern era. The Chicago political machine has fed on corruption and payoffs since the days of Al Capone. Their Governor, who was forced out of office on corruption charges, then tried to auction off the Senate seat and acted like it wasn't a big deal when he got caught !