I could not let this day go by without writing about one of the day's biggest news stories which is likely to get lost in the shuffle of all the other news stories. Rather than discussing it first, I want to ask you each to think about the following scenario:
It is 2004. Across America there are a number of groups that have formed to oppose the war in Iraq. Many of these groups are raising funds. They operate as not for profit institutions, so they apply to the IRS for non-profit status as required by law. The IRS does not grant that status, but instead the agency puts each of these groups through a thorough investigation, much more stringent than is normally done with regard to applicants for non-profit status. The IRS also asks these groups for lists of their contributors even though that is a step that the agency never takes with regard to applications to be a non-profit organization. What do you think would be the reaction of the organizations? What do you think would be the reaction of the media? What do you think would be the reaction of the ACLU? What do you think would be the reaction of the Democrats in Congress? Now add the following fact: when word of these actions by the IRS becomes public, the Bush Administration says that they knew nothing about it and even the higher ranking officials at the IRS claim that they too knew nothing about it. Just imagine the reaction of the media, the Democrats and the country.
Well, it is not 2004; it is 2013. We got confirmation today of a story that has been around for the last year. The IRS has been giving a hard time to organizations connected to the Tea Party that applied for tax free status. According to the IRS itself, any organization that had the words "tea party" or "patriot" in its name was put through the wringer in connection with those applications. Most were also asked for lists of their contributors as a condition to the grant of tax free status. (You should know that by law, these organizations do not have to disclose their donor lists.) Even though these Tea Party organizations complained in public about being harrassed by the IRS, the Obamacrats now tell us that they knew nothing about it. Hey, the entire blogosphere knew about this. Here, here, and here are three articles from 2012 about the IRS harrassment of the Tea Party which explain in detail exactly what the IRS admitted to doing today. But the White House claims that neither the White House nor the IRS leadership knew anything about this. And get this: the White House also says that the actions of the IRS against the Tea Party organizations were "not politically motivated." I am not kidding. The IRS targets the group that is most opposed to the Obama agenda and then team Obama tells us that those actions were not politically motivated.
I almost wrote that this was a new low for the Obamacrats. Sadly, it is not. I think it was worse to lie to the America people to cover up the failure of Obama and his administration to protect our diplomats in Libya. I think it was worse for them to lie to America about their failure to send help to the Americans caught in the attack in Benghazi. I do think that these latest brazen lies from the White House just add to the air of unreality that now surrounds that place.
What can America believe when it comes out of the White House. Sadly, the answer now appears to be this: NOTHING.
It is 2004. Across America there are a number of groups that have formed to oppose the war in Iraq. Many of these groups are raising funds. They operate as not for profit institutions, so they apply to the IRS for non-profit status as required by law. The IRS does not grant that status, but instead the agency puts each of these groups through a thorough investigation, much more stringent than is normally done with regard to applicants for non-profit status. The IRS also asks these groups for lists of their contributors even though that is a step that the agency never takes with regard to applications to be a non-profit organization. What do you think would be the reaction of the organizations? What do you think would be the reaction of the media? What do you think would be the reaction of the ACLU? What do you think would be the reaction of the Democrats in Congress? Now add the following fact: when word of these actions by the IRS becomes public, the Bush Administration says that they knew nothing about it and even the higher ranking officials at the IRS claim that they too knew nothing about it. Just imagine the reaction of the media, the Democrats and the country.
Well, it is not 2004; it is 2013. We got confirmation today of a story that has been around for the last year. The IRS has been giving a hard time to organizations connected to the Tea Party that applied for tax free status. According to the IRS itself, any organization that had the words "tea party" or "patriot" in its name was put through the wringer in connection with those applications. Most were also asked for lists of their contributors as a condition to the grant of tax free status. (You should know that by law, these organizations do not have to disclose their donor lists.) Even though these Tea Party organizations complained in public about being harrassed by the IRS, the Obamacrats now tell us that they knew nothing about it. Hey, the entire blogosphere knew about this. Here, here, and here are three articles from 2012 about the IRS harrassment of the Tea Party which explain in detail exactly what the IRS admitted to doing today. But the White House claims that neither the White House nor the IRS leadership knew anything about this. And get this: the White House also says that the actions of the IRS against the Tea Party organizations were "not politically motivated." I am not kidding. The IRS targets the group that is most opposed to the Obama agenda and then team Obama tells us that those actions were not politically motivated.
I almost wrote that this was a new low for the Obamacrats. Sadly, it is not. I think it was worse to lie to the America people to cover up the failure of Obama and his administration to protect our diplomats in Libya. I think it was worse for them to lie to America about their failure to send help to the Americans caught in the attack in Benghazi. I do think that these latest brazen lies from the White House just add to the air of unreality that now surrounds that place.
What can America believe when it comes out of the White House. Sadly, the answer now appears to be this: NOTHING.
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