IRS Admits Targeting Conservative Groups; Apologizes

[serpentdove]

IRS Asked for Facebook Posts, Reading Lists, Private Thoughts

IRS approved liberal groups while Tea Party in limbo

IRS official Lerner approved exemption for Obama brother's 'charity'

[Tinark]

Republicans are still furious over IRS scrutiny of non-profit groups with "Tea Party" and "patriots" in their names, but the life of the scandal depends entirely upon the political affiliation of the hundreds of other groups investigated by tax officials.

Only 25% of the 300 scrutinized groups seeking non-profit status were reportedly affiliated with right-wing causes. Whether the rest aligned with left-leaning causes like abortion and climate change will not be known until the entire list is released. The IRS told Gawker today that the full list has yet to be made public.

President Obama said he only learned of the Cincinnati office's tactics on Friday but "will not tolerate it." Republicans in Congress are calling for investigations.

IRS examinations of politically vocal non-profits is not new—the most recent outrage to make the national news was in 2006, when tax officials threatened and persecuted liberal churches during the presidency of George W. Bush.

But as the harassment of both liberal and conservative churches in 2004 and 2006 shows, it is sometimes difficult to create a partisan scandal out of some bureaucrats interpreting the ridiculously vague tax code prohibitions on non-profits engaging in political campaigns.
http://gawker.com/irs-didnt-just-hun...s-al-504685119

So the IRS apparently has been targeting both the left and the right for inappropriate attention since the early 2000s. Obama deserves criticism for not putting a stop to it. Although the culprits seem to be Bush holdovers, they now work for Obama, and he should have told them that such things would no longer be allowed.

It seems there was evidence that there was a culture of politically-motivated investigation, going back over a decade before he took office. Bill Clinton's mom was the subject of one such fishing expedition, when he was running for president.

Should be interesting to see what else is there.

From the IRS' standpoint, it kind of makes sense: 501(c)4's whose primary purpose is political is in violation of the 501(c)4 rules.

They need a better way to target 501(c)4 abuse that doesn't make it seem like they are targeting an organization for additional scrutiny based strictly on political viewpoint. But, how exactly are they supposed to do that, as those organizations that are most likely to be in violation will necessarily be political in nature.

[Tinark]

And yet we have the revelation that rightwing groups were only about 25% of the groups so targeted, but serpent is clinging to her belief that she's a victim.

It's the usual extremist pandering for sympathy, while ignoring that others were similarly treated. You'r a victim only as long as you let yourself be.

I find it rich that the tea party conservatives who strongly advocate racial profiling of minorities are up in arms about being profiled for their political views.

[Tinark]

Hey, Folks
Posted by Lew Rockwell on May 14, 2013 01:34 PM

The IRS scandal is that they steal your money at the point of a gun--and they're doing more and more of it right now--not that they question some conservative group's tax exemption.

News flash: we live in a democracy. It is not a scandal since the overwhelming majority of the public supports taxation. In fact, I don't think there has ever been a civilization without some form of taxation. To whine about taxation in principle is an extremely fringe viewpoint and, frankly, a waste of time.

[serpentdove]

Report: Agency demanded list of students trained by conservative group

Number of targeted groups swells to 500

IRS facing class action suit for stealing 60 million medical records

Exec Got $42K in Bonuses

[serpentdove]

How's about getting to the bottom of the story.
Whoever did for whatever reason target a group because of their political affiliations be held accountable and fired or imprisoned...

Obama claims to have heard about this on Friday (10 May 13) from the news media. On board Air Force One on Monday, Jay Carney said the president was notified nearly three weeks ago--the week of April 22nd.

[Tinark]

Obama claims to have heard about this on Friday (10 May 13) from the news media. On board Air Force On on Monday, Jay Carney said the president was notified nearly three weeks ago--the week of April 22nd.

Basic reading comprehension fail: he was notified about the investigation and that a report would be soon released detailing the results. He was not made aware the results of that investigation at that time.

[serpentdove]

Basic reading comprehension fail: he was notified about the investigation and that a report would be soon released detailing the results. He was not made aware the results of that investigation at that time.

Strawman

"...Carney said later in the press conference that although the White House was notified “weeks ago” about the IRS investigation, neither he nor the president were notified individually." Vid: Carney: White House notified of IRS targeting tea party ‘several weeks ago’; Obama: I found out Friday

[Tinark]

Strawman

"...Carney said later in the press conference that although the White House was notified “weeks ago” about the IRS investigation, neither he nor the president were notified individually." Vid: Carney: White House notified of IRS targeting tea party ‘several weeks ago’; Obama: I found out Friday

Nice try in switching the link to remove his quote. Your first link had the exact quote. It is crystal clear from your 1st link. Is reading comprehension really that difficult?

: No. My understanding is that the White House Counsel’s Office was alerted in the week of April 22nd of this year, only about the fact that the IG was finishing a review about matters involving the office in Cincinnati. But that’s all they were informed as a normal sort of heads up. And we have never — we don’t have access to, nor should we, the IG’s report or any draft versions of it.

http://gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com/...-irs-and-more/

Obama found out Friday about the results of the investigation that IRS abuse was uncovered.

[99lamb]

serpentdove
Obama claims to have heard about this on Friday (10 May 13) from the news media. On board Air Force One on Monday, Jay Carney said the president was notified nearly three weeks ago--the week of April 22nd.

The way the story is breaking, it was two rouge agents working on their own, and these two agents have been punished...whatever that means.

[Uberpod1]

Wanna find pedophiles, scrutinize NAMBLA. Wanna prevent tax cheats, scrutinize teapartiers.

[99lamb]

IRS Acting Commissioner Steven Miller resigns.
nuff said.

Barry's cleaning house.
Just imagine the IRS is the enforcement arm of Obama-care.

[serpentdove]

Congressman Claims DOJ 'Tapped House Cloak Room'

Employees at center of scandal: 'We were simply doing what our bosses ordered'

[serpentdove]

Nice try in switching the link to remove his quote. Your first link had the exact quote.

A few housekeeping items:

I link to different sites for additional information on a given topic.

"...It is crystal clear from your 1st link. Is reading comprehension really that difficult?"

Ad hominem

[Obama: I ‘did not know anything’ about IRS targeting before reports by Justin Sink] "President Obama flatly declared Thursday he was unaware of the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative political groups.

Asked if he could ensure the public that no one in the White House knew about the IRS's actions before the White House counsel's office learned of a Treasury inspector general (IG) report in April, Obama said he “certainly did not know anything about” the scandal before reading news reports.

"I can assure you that I certainly did not know anything about the IG report before the IG report had been leaked through press," Obama said at a soggy Rose Garden press conference where he sought to battle back against a trio of controversies dogging his administration.

The president did not directly say whether anyone at the White House knew about the IRS's actions..." Full text: Obama: I ‘did not know anything’ about IRS targeting before reports

Obama found out Friday about the results of the investigation that IRS abuse was uncovered.

Strawman

[serpentdove]

Report: IRS denied tax-exempt status to pro-lifers on behalf of Planned Parenthood