The facts haven’t come out yet, the investigation is still ongoing. And the facts that supposedly exonerate the IRS do no such thing. Progressive groups were not targeted, period.
In fact, the attempt by Werfel to defuse the scandal in such a lame way should foster further suspicion. The IRS has been anything but transparent, which means they are hiding their guilt.
“The investigation is still ongoing”? Really? Well, can you give us a briefing on recent developments and revelations? We do have one, by way of our good friends at Talking Points Memo:
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/07/mike_kelly_irs_angles.php?ref=fpblg
You’ll have to read it, as I fear I cannot do it justice. Something about how this horrific scandal ties in directly with the NSA leaks and the fact that the Hon. Mr. Kelly’s auto dealership was shut down during the auto industry restructuring, and he’s pretty sure its because he’s a Republican. Or something.
And have you noticed how awfully quiet Mr. Issa is these days? Is he pausing for dramatic effect, lulling us into complacency before he drops his huge ass bombshell? No, no, that can’t be it, that wouldn’t be transparent, which means, according to the adaher principle, he’s hiding his guilt.
Or, he’s got nothin’. I’m leaning towards that.
The IRS is not allowed by law, to be transparent. Not even to Congress. This was the brunt of the so-called Taxpayer Bills of Rights hearings in the Senate, when various “Taxpayers’ came in and accused the IRS of being nasties, and the IRS could not refute their stories with the actual facts as doing so would be a felony. And Congress would not grant the IRS immunity for that.
So, if a IRS spokesperson said what occurred, giving names etc, he’d be sent to prison. Thus, the IRS can not be “transparent”. Unless Congress gives immunity, which of course they won’t do as they aren’t interesting in the facts. They just want to pull the teeth of the IRS as it’s the one agency that scares the right white guys- and at the same time embarrass the Obama administration.
Hmmm. Wondering if by any chance that’s the reason Whats-her-face plead the Fifth?
Thank you for posting this, although it seems only you, me, and Lawrence O’Donnell give a shit about it. The scandal isn’t that anyone was delayed getting their tax-exempt status. The scandal is that they ever got it at all.
Really?? That’s the only explanation for why a government agency won’t answer every question posed by special interest groups whose goal is to get rid of the IRS?
Chiming in, I am also very interested in this particular little wrinkle. By what authority does the IRS install a “regulation” than overturns a law?
The FBI is still investigating, for starters. At least that’s what they say.
And of course we still don’t know who ordered the targeting. Until that is revealed, the issue isn’t settled.
Then there’s the ancillary issues, like how Austen Goolsbee got the Kochs’ tax returns.
First off, the FBI is investigating. So? Are we to assume that an investigation is a sure sign of something? And who ordered the targeting? Have you any proof that the “targeting” was “ordered” by anybody? Aren’t these people supposed to investigate, find out if the 501©4 exemption is justified?
And as far as Mr Goolsbee goes, is that really within the purview of this investigation? Or are you just hoping to drag in whatever floats past your eyes? And yes, as a matter of fact, I’d very much like to know how much of the various Tea Party entities are supported by dues paying grass roots morons, and how much is paid by a bunch of rich guys (like the Koch Brothers, boo, hiss) who love, love, love a tax exempt way to turn their money into political power.
But that’s just me.
There is no legal means by which Goolsbee could gain access to the Kochs’ tax returns, so yes, that’s an issue.
And as far as the FBI investigation goes, it’s ongoing, and all I said was that it’s not over yet. A criminal investigation by definition means there’s still a scandal.
Not to mention high officials in the IRS got fired, which means there was wrongdoing. Unless of course you think the President threw people under the bus who did nothing wrong.
You’re pretty deep down the rabbit hole on this particular scandal-theory. Why don’t you start with why you think Goolsbee had a copy of their tax returns, as opposed to any other source of information or speculation about their tax status?
Yes. That’s exactly what I think, I think they panicked. If it were me, I would find a way to leak how much rich folks money goes into keeping the Tea Party afloat (such as it is, which doesn’t seem to amount to much these days…). I don’t think the average American would much cotton to the idea of rich guys funneling their money into politics, and getting to do it anonymously and tax-exempt.
What, am I supposed to be shocked that The Obama fucked up? He fucked up a lot, the biggest one so far being trying to treat the Republican Party like grown-ups. Next to that, this is chickenfeed.
By the way, the officials who were underbussed? Weren’t they Bushiviks? So, maybe he gets to replace them with somebody more to his liking? What? No, not The One, he doesn’t do shit like that, too sneaky. Kinda wish he would. Sorta.
Hrmm. There was a broken quote marker somewhere and you ended up as the poster when i linked it. Looking back, it would be an odd thing for you to say.
No, she could have just said that she is not allowed to divulge taxpayer information under section 6103. She was being investigated by the FBI, taking the 5th is what any competent attorney would advise you to do and you would be stupid not to take the advice.
This started a long time ago. 501(c)(4) has been a cover for politically active organizations for a long time.
They generally have more success interpreting laws more favorably towards taxpayers than more strictly.
This is the second time you’ve mentioned this. I linked the only article I could find on the subject and it was about Goolsbee referring to Koch’s corporate structure and its use of S corps and shit like that. Not exactly stuff that is limited to tax returns.
Once again, wtf are you talking about?
Do you remember that black woman at the department of agriculture that got fired when a doctored video made her look like a racist?
Obama is a coward and he is not reluctant to throw his subordinates under the bus. In fact that seems to be his first instinct.
The people who were thrown under the bus were career bureaucrats. The IRS commissioner that was thrown under the bus was former deputy IRS commissioner who stepped in as IRS commissioner after the rpevious one resigned. The IRS acticivites that are under scrutiny took place under a Bush appointee but he wasn’t a particularly partisan fellow either, IRS commissioners generally aren’t. They are pretty proud of it. Donald Alexander - Wikipedia
The One throws people under the bus because he is too eager to placate extreme right conservatives.
So many were defending the angry Tea Party whiner testifying in Congress who claimed she could hear the ‘snapping sounds’ of the IRS jackboots of tyranny because her application was delayed. Bringing reality to a discussion here at times finds little interest.
I wonder if they stiil insist this mistake/ non-mistake is a scandal.
Brent Bozell just told Hannity that the IRS matter is a scandal. So We’ve been told if one person says it is a scandal then it must be a scandal.
From the Wiki link.
I’m all for insulting appropriate targets in the Pit but this left a bad taste in my mouth. Call 'em lying sacks of shit, make 'em cry, just don’t slur unrelated groups in the same breath.
I’m not a nice person, scolding me is a waste of your time.
I love how you lefties are so long on mouth and short on facts.
Is this a real live righty throwing down the gauntlet that Rep Issa and histerical jackboot citing Tea Bagger types can be defended by something that can be recognized as facts? My my that is quite bold.