Joe Scarborough’s IRS hypocrisy

[Synthaholic]

Joe Scarborough’s IRS hypocrisy



The MSNBC host is outraged about the Tea Party's treatment, but sought to "yank" NAACP's tax-exempt status in 2003





This week, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough joined the chorus of those decrying the IRS for targeting Tea Party groups for extra scrutiny in applying for nonprofit status. “You can’t allow the government to tread on political speech,” Scarborough said. “The Internal Revenue Service — the taxman — to go after their political beliefs. … I can’t imagine much worse than this,” he added.


Targeting nonprofit groups because of their political beliefs is wrong — pretty much everyone agrees on that. So today’s Scarborough must be outraged by his 2003 self, which gave this monologue on his show “Scarborough Country” on July 13, 2003:

The leader of the NAACP bashes President Bush and the Republican Party. Why is this clearly partisan group still being funded by your tax dollars? [...]


[T]he NAACP continues to get a free ride off of taxpayers because of the tax-exempt status that’s conferred to them by our federal government, now, this despite the fact the NAACP produced and ran the most vicious campaign attack ad in the history of televised presidential campaign. [...]


As Americans, NAACP members are free to speak their mind any time, day or night. But they shouldn’t be getting a tax-free ride on the backs of hard-working Americans who don’t get such preferential treatment. President Bush and members of Congress should have the guts to yank the tax-exempt status away from these left-wing activists. And while they’re at it, take away the tax exempt status of any right-wing activist who thumb their noses at the law as brazenly as does the NAACP.
​

In a broad sense, Scarborough was right. Blatantly political groups should not be protected by a tax-exempt status that lets them conceal their donors (even official political groups, organized under section 527 of the tax code, are tax-exempt, but they are regulated by the FEC and have to disclose lots of information).


But at least the NAACP has a clear social mission outside of politics. It’s impossible to say the same of many of the 510(c)4 groups like the ones the IRS targeted. For instance, what does the Karl Rove-linked Crossroads GPS do aside from run ads attacking Democrats? Not much.


Ironically, Scarborough was trying to argue in his 2003 monologue that the IRS used a double standard in questioning the tax-exempt status of the Christian Coalition but not the NAACP. The IRS and the Christian-right group fought a protracted legal battle over its tax-exempt status, while the tax agency did open an investigation into the NAACP after the 2004 election.


In 2000, a number of lawmakers, including Scarborough, a former Florida Republican congressman, along with Sen. Susan Collins and former Sen. Strom Thurmond forwarded requests from constituents to the IRS asking that the agency look into the NAACP’s tax-exempt status. The lawmakers did not make the request themselves.


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It just keeps getting better!

 

[buckeye45_73]

haha, A reference to MSNBC from a liberal, who knew?


The NAACP is a left wing activist group, who doesnt know this?

 

[bendog]

idiot comments like buckeye's aside .... just how well did using the IRS this way work for the gop when they tried it? LOL

 

[Synthaholic]

Republicans are born hypocrites.

 

[AmyNation]

It was disgusting when the GOP did it, and its even more reprehesible now.

 

[B. Kidd]

S-Aholic; USMB King of the Cherry-Pickers.

 

[Mustang]

Republicans are born hypocrites.

I vehemently disagree with you. They learn it. It's necessary for their future success within the GOP.

 

[ba1614]

So you just figured out Scarborough was a hypocrite? This isn't news.

 

[OriginalShroom]

You mean the NAACP that violated the rules of electioneering while being a tax exempt organization?

That NAACP?

Again, the left is twisting what has happened years ago to excuse what this administration has done.

 

[Synthaholic]

You mean the NAACP that violated the rules of electioneering while being a tax exempt organization?

That NAACP?

Again, the left is twisting what has happened years ago to excuse what this administration has done.

Why? Because they talked politics?

That would disqualify every teabagger group and vindicate the IRS.

 

[OriginalShroom]

I really wish you would stop claiming I said something I didn't say.

 

[buckeye45_73]

You mean the NAACP that violated the rules of electioneering while being a tax exempt organization?

That NAACP?

Again, the left is twisting what has happened years ago to excuse what this administration has done.

Why? Because they talked politics?

That would disqualify every teabagger group and vindicate the IRS.

so the Tea Parties are on par with the "independant" NAACP???? Are you serious?


I think the whole tax exempt idea should be scrapped...noone should get any exemptions.....lets see how the liberals would like it then......

 

[OriginalShroom]

Please note that the NAACP was a 501C(3) group and that these groups targeted by Obama's IRS were applying for 501C(4) a different animal all together.

NAACP Faces IRS Investigation (washingtonpost.com)

An IRS document dated Oct. 8 said that at the group's annual convention in Philadelphia in July, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People may have violated the restriction on political activity because it "distributed statements in opposition of George W. Bush for the office of presidency."

"Specifically in a speech made by Chairman Julian Bond, Mr. Bond condemned the administration policies of George W. Bush on education, the economy and the war in Iraq," said an IRS "information document request" sent with the letter.

The IRS asked for the cost of the convention, including a "listing of all expense," and the "names and addresses of each board member and indicate how each voted."

Experts on the IRS said it was unusual for the agency to send such a letter to a national organization. Jan Baran, a Republican tax and election lawyer, said the IRS has sent cautionary letters to churches but could not recall a similar recent probe.

"This shows that the IRS is increasing its monitoring of potentially improper political activities by officials of these groups," Baran said.

Bond said in a telephone interview that he found it "Nixonian" for the government to send the letter a month before the presidential election, and charged it was designed to intimidate the group from carrying out get-out-the-vote activities.

"They don't say I crossed any partisan lines -- they just said I criticized the president," Bond said. "I am shocked at this effort to silence our group just before the election."

::::::::::::::::

The NAACP is organized under section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, covering many charities, educational institutions and religious organizations. The IRS said the group is "prohibited from directly or indirectly participating or intervening in any political campaign." The IRS said the group cannot endorse a candidate, contribute to a campaign, raise money for a candidate, "distribute statements for or against a particular candidate," or become involved in activity "beneficial or detrimental to any candidate."

Check with "Americans United Seperation of Church and State.. AU.Org about the tax issues with C(3) groups, which most Churches are under and how they are restricted in what they do.

 

[AmyNation]

You mean the NAACP that violated the rules of electioneering while being a tax exempt organization?

That NAACP?

Again, the left is twisting what has happened years ago to excuse what this administration has done.

Why? Because they talked politics?

That would disqualify every teabagger group and vindicate the IRS.

so the Tea Parties are on par with the "independant" NAACP???? Are you serious?


I think the whole tax exempt idea should be scrapped...noone should get any exemptions.....lets see how the liberals would like it then......

I think that's a great idea.

 

[Synthaholic]

You mean the NAACP that violated the rules of electioneering while being a tax exempt organization?

That NAACP?

Again, the left is twisting what has happened years ago to excuse what this administration has done.

Why? Because they talked politics?

That would disqualify every teabagger group and vindicate the IRS.

so the Tea Parties are on par with the "independant" NAACP???? Are you serious?


I think the whole tax exempt idea should be scrapped...noone should get any exemptions.....lets see how the liberals would like it then......

I agree!

 

[Stephanie]

Poor Joe, one week he is hailed as a hero by the left on this board as they post about him quite a bit..

then the next they turn on him like rabid dogs..

Ole Joey just can't get a break...LOL

 

[Harry Dresden]

Republicans are born hypocrites.

all of them Synth?.....or just some.....because out here in my State i have witnessed many Hypocritical Democrats....but yet i aint foolish enough to say they ALL are....

 

[Yurt]

It was disgusting when the GOP did it, and its even more reprehesible now.

what did the GOP do?

i fail to see any hypocrisy. the NAACP is already a NPC and they made blatantly political statements and endorsements. it should come as no surprise they would be investigated, given their level of national exposure.

contrast that with groups who had ZERO national exposure and were merely trying to form C4 corps, which, are not C3 corps.

once you understand that, you will see there is no hypocrisy, just lefty desperation.

 

[Yurt]

You mean the NAACP that violated the rules of electioneering while being a tax exempt organization?

That NAACP?

Again, the left is twisting what has happened years ago to excuse what this administration has done.

Why? Because they talked politics?

That would disqualify every teabagger group and vindicate the IRS.

so the Tea Parties are on par with the "independant" NAACP???? Are you serious?


I think the whole tax exempt idea should be scrapped...noone should get any exemptions.....lets see how the liberals would like it then......

the tax exempt provision allows many charitable corps to survive.

it should never cease to exist in this country.

 

[blackhawk]

The left here turns on the token MSDNC Republican not surprised.