The IRS "Scandal" Isn't a Scandal, But It Will Get Annoying

[Trajan]

You think this might annoy the rude idiot about the Non Scandal...

SNIP:
Treasury IG Compares IRS Scandal to Nixon Only Worse – “This Is Unprecedented”


Treasury IG official compares IRS scandal to Nixon

By Peter Schroeder - 06/03/13 04:38 PM ET





The Treasury Inspector General who uncovered the improper targeting of Tea Party groups by the Internal Revenue Service said Monday he was stunned by what his investigation uncovered.

Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), said the targeting at the IRS his probe discovered was "unprecedented," and the closest comparison that came to mind was the targeting of political enemies by the administration of Richard Nixon.

all of it here:
Read more: Treasury IG official compares IRS scandal to Nixon - The Hill's On The Money
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yes yes you people say everything is worse than nixon with Obama... Get some new meme's Steph. I know you are limited with the brain power, but i have faith you can come up with something.

Funny how they skip over Iran-Contra.

yes it was a scandal, but, what has it to do with the IRS issue?

 

[Oddball]

I want to be clear, I am not sure I read your snippet above, correctly, your take on this is, irs employees, made 'mistakes'...is that correct?

Yeah...They made the mistake of getting caught.

 

[Stephanie]

I want to be clear, I am not sure I read your snippet above, correctly, your take on this is, irs employees, made 'mistakes'...is that correct?

Yeah...They made the mistake of getting caught.

yep, and now it's showing Obama in the bad light he SHOULD be shown in..

he APPOINTED these people to RUN the Irs...drip drip drip

 

[blackhawk]

The I.R.S. considers it a scandal the President does or at least says he does many Democrats in Congress call it scandal you know it sounds like a scandal despite some pretty silly claims otherwise.

 

[Synthaholic]

If it's not a scandal or an outrage, maybe somebody should tell Obama


That, or ya'll need to get your talking-points scripts straight


Obama Says He's 'outraged' by IRS Case - YouTube

Being outraged that public employees made mistakes, or cut corners on procedure is a hell of a lot different than admitting there is some kind of alleged scandal.

I want to be clear, I am not sure I read your snippet above, correctly, your take on this is, irs employees, made 'mistakes'...is that correct?

I think the OP is most likely a very good explanation for what actually happened.

Look, we know how this went down: Post-Citizens United, the Internal Revenue Service was flooded with applications for tax-exempt status for whatever organization a couple of fucksacks with a tricorner hat wanted to start. "Social welfare" groups, they were called, and they could not be involved with specific political candidates or advocacy (although, you know, c'mon). So the IRS told its low-level drones who had to look at all the fucksack applications to flag ones that looked hinky. So the low-level drones, who are overworked to begin with because Congress won't give the IRS the funding it needs to do its fucking job, used some search terms.

It's 2010 and who are the fucksacks who are everywhere? The "Tea Party" groups. So, sure, fine, let's fuckin' search that. Low-level drone 1 tells low-level drone 2 (and for god's sake, they live in the dull, dull, boring, dull city of Cincinnati, so give 'em a little break), "Hey, just use 'Patriot' as a search term and you'll get your job done faster because if there's one thing we know, it's that a whole bunch of these applications are from crazed fucksacks applying for tax-exempt status because they hate them that black guy in office." Low-level drone 2 might have said, "Oh, shit, that'll get us in trouble." But low-level drone 1 had a convincing argument by saying, "You wanna get to the bar sooner?" By the way, chances are that LLD 1 and LLD 2 have been LLDs forever, under at least one GOP president.

Does this narrative need to be completed? Sure, fine: A mid-level IRS drone discovers what's happening and says, "Whoa, whoa, you can't just go after the costumed fucksacks. You gotta look at everyone." At which point at least one LLD contemplated suicide, surely. So MLD went to the higher-ups, like Lois Lerner, director of exempt organizations, who said, "Aw, fuck, don't you know that the fucksacks are gonna cause a ruckus over this shit? Change it up." And then the IRS started to look at any group that criticized "how the country was run." Then, because that stunk of Tea Party bullshit (even though it encompassed many groups), the standard was then changed to "political action type organizations involved in limiting/expanding Government, educating on the Constitution and Bill of Rights, social economic reform movement." And then, a year ago, that was changed to "organizations with indicators of significant amounts of political campaign intervention."

No group was denied anything because of the extra scrutiny.

 

[Synthaholic]

yes yes you people say everything is worse than nixon with Obama... Get some new meme's Steph. I know you are limited with the brain power, but i have faith you can come up with something.

Funny how they skip over Iran-Contra.

yes it was a scandal, but, what has it to do with the IRS issue?

It's telling and funny how the far Right, when they think of some of America's worst scandals, have amnesia about Iran-Contra, and jump right to Watergate, which is arguably not as bad as Iran-Contra.

 

[OriginalShroom]

Funny how they skip over Iran-Contra.

yes it was a scandal, but, what has it to do with the IRS issue?

It's telling and funny how the far Right, when they think of some of America's worst scandals, have amnesia about Iran-Contra, and jump right to Watergate, which is arguably not as bad as Iran-Contra.

Iran-Contra wasn't that big of a deal.

Barely a blip on the scandal meter.

 

[OriginalShroom]

Hmmmm

I wonder why these groups got their tax exempt status approved qand have kept it?

Americans United for Change

Americans United for Change enjoys 501(c)4 tax-exempt status. The organization exists, according to its own website, “to amplify the progressive message--to contribute to a grass roots groundswell for progressive policies. Progressives need to redefine ‘common sense’--by reasserting the primacy of the traditional progressive values that resonate with most Americans.”

The group spent $4.7 million in 2009 “redefining” common sense and, according to their IRS form 990, on “advocacy and education about public policy issues.” Americans United for Change directly engaged Republican senators facing reelection in 2008, running television advertisements against them. Naturally, no Democrat complained. Nor did the IRS revoke its 501(c) status.





Ruckus Society

The Ruckus Society (photo above) is part of the Occupy Movement--and donations to this 501(c)3 organization are tax deductible. The George Soros-funded organization’s purpose reads like a parody of the modern Left.

The Ruckus Society provides environmental, human rights, and social justice organizers with the tools, training, and support needed to achieve their goals through the strategic use of creative, nonviolent direct action.

Ruckus also evidently organizes criminal trespass:

The Brass Liberation Orchestra accompanied a second round of the “I Will Survive…Capitalism” flashmob before leading the crowd of over 1,000 people onto the Bank of America, and deployed a giant balloon banner with our friends at [Rainforest Action Network] reading “Defend Human Dignity: Challenge Corporate Power”...The day of course culminated in the truly mass marches to the Port of Oakland to shut down all operations at the Ports for the night. Some reports say 50,000 people marched and danced the three miles to the ports from Camp, and it was truly an unforgettable experience, marching in a sea of thousands at sunset.
None of this seems to attract any IRS attention. Ruckus's 2011 IRS Form 990 indicates that it has maintained undisturbed 501(c)3 status. The form states Ruckus “provides environmental, human rights, and social justice organizers with the tools, training and support needed to achieve their goals.”

The Ruckus training offers the manual “Beautiful Trouble: A Toolbox for Revolution” and provides suggestions for direct action such as “take over intersections and use for community activities,” give “fake parking tickets on SUV’s,” “Occupy Bank Foreclosed Homes,” and “rip out rancher’s fences” to free livestock.

Planning illegal acts is incompatible with 501(c)3 status. Ruckus is run by Megan Swoboda.





Women’s Action for New Directions

Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND) is another leftist organization funded by George Soros that engages in activity designed to transform politics and America. It dates back to the era when the KGB was funding anti-nuclear movements in the West, and was involved in the effort to block installation of Pershing II missiles in West Germany. After the Soviet Union collapsed, the organization continued to oppose America’s national defense.WAND enjoys 501(c)4 tax-exempt status. The organization also boasts a “Students Action Network for New Directions” that encourages leftist students “to become politically active, to vote, and to network with other WAND members.”

Despite the overt political mission and anti-defense militancy, the 990 Forms submitted by WAND to the IRS whitewash their mission in one short sentence: "Empowering women to stop violence through the legislature."





New World Foundation

The New World Foundation, like so many others, uses the money from industrialists who built America to help reduce America. Cyrus McCormick’s daughter formed the NWF to help transform the world, starting with America. The foundation enjoys 501(c)3 tax exempt status and exists, according to its IRS Form 990, to support “community activists across America and around the world.”

The IRS Form 990 also states that the NWF seek to “build stronger alliances for social justice, environmental justice...while encouraging democratic participation to achieve real and lasting [sic].” The form details the mission of “mobilizing of the least enfranchised in working class and people of color communities.”

In 2010, NWF spent over $15 million. It funnels money to a variety of activist leftist groups like the Coal River Mountain Watch, Colorado Progressive Action and National Peoples Action.






Fierce


Fierce is a New York-based organization that employs the Saul Alinsky organizing model toward activist gay issues. Its website unapologetically proclaims that it is “building the leadership and power of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth of color,” and “We develop politically conscious leaders.”


Looking toward the future, as always, “FIERCE is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of social justice movement leaders who are dedicated to ending all forms of oppression.” This unapologetic political mission is also included in the IRS Form 990 submitted by Fierce, so it should not surprise the IRS.


Fierce also provides a chart showing its organizing model is dedicated first to “Build our Power,” then “Exercise our Power,” and finally “Sustain our Power.”


Fierce! has 501(c)3 status, making contributions to the overtly political organization tax deductible. Last tax year it spent $529,713 on stipends for activists, travel and other expenses.







Black Alliance for Just Immigration


The Black Alliance for Just Immigration enjoys 501(c)3 status. The organization “advocates for administrative changes to visa, detention and deportation regulations” according to the IRS Form 990 it filed with the IRS.


For whom does it advocate these changes? The Black Alliance webpage states:



Historically and currently, U.S. immigration policy has been infused with racism, enforcing unequal and punitive standards for immigrants of color. African Americans, with our history of being economically exploited, marginalized and discriminated against, have much in common with people of color who migrate to the United States, documented and undocumented.


Executive Director Gerald Lenoir told me by telephone that the IRS has never questioned the tax status of the organization. After providing this information, Mr. Lenoir also asked: “is Breitbart a progressive news publication?”







Brennan Center for Justice


Few organizations have worn nonpartisan sheep’s clothing while behaving like a partisan wolf better than the Brennan Center for Justice. Enjoying 501(c)3 status, the Brennan Center’s stated mission on its IRS Form 990 barely scratches the surface. They merely “focus on fundamental issues of democracy and justice,” they claim. The Brennan Center also told the IRS that it is engaged in “the study and solving of intractable problems of social justice and implementing those solutions by coordinating strategies.”


What Brennan didn’t tell the IRS was that those “coordinating strategies” involved bare-knuckle attacks on election integrity laws around the country. The IRS probably doesn’t know that Brennan is hip deep in the effort to derail public policies such as photo voter identification laws. Both the effort and the results of the effort are bathed in politics.


Brennan’s executive director Michael Waldman isn’t above publishing outright falsehoods or phony social science data about election integrity measures in order to advance the group's agenda and enable voter fraud.







Voto Latino


Voto Latino is dedicated to mobilizing Hispanic voters into powerful political coalitions. It also enjoys 501(c)3tax exempt status.


The group holds an annual “Power Summit.” The April 2013 Power Summit included panels entitled “Activism Everyday--I’m Hustling,” “We Voted, Now What?,” “How to Run for Office,” and “Field Operations for Beginners.”


Voto Latino also has a webpage dedicated to the 2012 Democratic National Convention (click while it still exists).


Some on the left are defending the IRS attacks on the Tea Party by falsely claiming the Tea Party is a political organization. These charges sound like projection when considering the descriptions of Voto Latino on itsown webpage:



“We firmly believe that the quality of our future depends on our ability to mobilize and vote....Texas and Florida, two states with the largest Latino populations, passed restrictive voting laws that intimidate people from going to the polls. There's never been a more pivotal time for us to flex our collective power and move our country forward. Despite our economic difficulties and educational needs, Latinos profoundly believe in America....The quality of our future depends on our ability to mobilize today.”


When contacted, a representative at Voto Latino told me its IRS 501(c)3 tax status had never been challenged. Voto Latino receives money from the Soros-affiliated Open Society Foundations.

 

[Synthaholic]

yes it was a scandal, but, what has it to do with the IRS issue?

It's telling and funny how the far Right, when they think of some of America's worst scandals, have amnesia about Iran-Contra, and jump right to Watergate, which is arguably not as bad as Iran-Contra.

Iran-Contra wasn't that big of a deal.

Barely a blip on the scandal meter.

Spoken like a true brainwashed wingnut.

 

[hortysir]

Funny how they skip over Iran-Contra.

yes it was a scandal, but, what has it to do with the IRS issue?

It's telling and funny how the far Right, when they think of some of America's worst scandals, have amnesia about Iran-Contra, and jump right to Watergate, which is arguably not as bad as Iran-Contra.

Other things cross my mind....
Savings and Loan
WhiteWatergate


Thing is, they don't have anything to do with several IRS offices, nationwide, simultaneously delaying tax-exempt requests submitted by a certain segment of our population while others were not delayed in the same manner

 

[Synthaholic]

Indictments

• Caspar Weinberger, Secretary of Defense, was indicted on two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice on June 16, 1992. [1]. Weinberger received a pardon from George H. W. Bush on December 24, 1992 before he was tried.[70]
• William Casey, Head of the CIA. Thought to have conceived the plan, was stricken ill hours before he would testify. Reporter Bob Woodward reported Casey knew of and approved the plan.[71]
• Robert C. McFarlane, National Security Adviser, convicted of withholding evidence, but after a plea bargain was given only 2 years probation. Later pardoned by President George H. W. Bush[72]
• Elliott Abrams, Assistant Secretary of State, convicted of withholding evidence, but after a plea bargain was given only 2 years probation. Later pardoned by President George H. W. Bush[73] Walsh Iran / Contra Report - Summary of Prosecutions.
• Alan D. Fiers Chief of the CIA's Central American Task Force, convicted of withholding evidence and sentenced to one year probation. Later pardoned by President George H. W. Bush
• Clair George Chief of Covert Ops-CIA, convicted on 2 charges of perjury, but pardoned by President George H. W. Bush before sentencing.[74]
• Oliver North, member of the National Security Council convicted of accepting an illegal gratuity, obstruction of a congressional inquiry, and destruction of documents, but the ruling was overturned since he had been granted immunity.[75]
• Fawn Hall, Oliver North's secretary was given immunity from prosecution on charges of conspiracy and destroying documents in exchange for her testimony.[76]
• Jonathan Scott Royster Liaison to Oliver North was given immunity from prosecution on charges of conspiracy and destroying documents in exchange for his testimony.[77]
• John Poindexter National Security Advisor, convicted of 5 counts of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, perjury, defrauding the government, and the alteration and destruction of evidence. The Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that overturned these convictions.[78]
• Duane Clarridge An ex-CIA senior official, he was indicted in November 1991 on 7 counts of perjury and false statements relating to a November 1985 shipment to Iran. Pardoned before trial by President George H. W. Bush.[79][80]
• Richard V. Secord Ex-major general in the Air Force who organized the Iran arms sales and Contra aid. He pleaded guilty in November 1989 to making false statements to Congress. Sentenced to two years of probation.[81][82]
• Albert Hakim A businessman, he pleaded guilty in November 1989 to supplementing the salary of North by buying a $13,800 fence for North with money from "the Enterprise", which was a set of foreign companies Hakim used in Iran-Contra. In addition, Swiss company Lake Resources Inc., used for storing money from arms sales to Iran to give to the Contras, plead guilty to stealing government property.[83] Hakim was given two years of probation and a $5,000 fine, while Lake Resources Inc. was ordered to dissolve.[81][84]

Oliver North and John Poindexter were indicted on multiple charges on March 16, 1988.[85] North, indicted on 16 counts, was found guilty by a jury of three felony counts. The convictions were vacated on appeal on the grounds that North's Fifth Amendment rights may have been violated by the indirect use of his testimony to Congress which had been given under a grant of immunity. In 1990 Poindexter was convicted on several felony counts of conspiracy, lying to Congress, obstruction of justice, and altering and destroying documents pertinent to the investigation. His convictions were also overturned on appeal on similar grounds. Arthur L. Liman served as chief counsel for the Senate during the Iran-Contra Scandal.[86]

 

[OriginalShroom]

It's telling and funny how the far Right, when they think of some of America's worst scandals, have amnesia about Iran-Contra, and jump right to Watergate, which is arguably not as bad as Iran-Contra.

Iran-Contra wasn't that big of a deal.

Barely a blip on the scandal meter.

Spoken like a true brainwashed wingnut.

Your rants and threads are examples of the Brainwashed Wingnut. FIlled with half-truths and personal opinions being held out as fact and rarely backed up with a link to a source material.

 

[Synthaholic]

yes it was a scandal, but, what has it to do with the IRS issue?

It's telling and funny how the far Right, when they think of some of America's worst scandals, have amnesia about Iran-Contra, and jump right to Watergate, which is arguably not as bad as Iran-Contra.

Other things cross my mind....
Savings and Loan
WhiteWatergate


Thing is, they don't have anything to do with several IRS offices, nationwide, simultaneously delaying tax-exempt requests submitted by a certain segment of our population while others were not delayed in the same manner

What was the result of the Whitewater investigation?

Hmmm??

Hmmmmmmmm??????

 

[Synthaholic]

Iran-Contra wasn't that big of a deal.

Barely a blip on the scandal meter.

Spoken like a true brainwashed wingnut.

Your rants and threads are examples of the Brainwashed Wingnut. FIlled with half-truths and personal opinions being held out as fact and rarely backed up with a link to a source material.

The OP is an Opinion. From a Pundit. Who gives his opinion rudely. That's why he's called The Rude Pundit.

You're a bit slow.

 

[Avatar4321]

corruption is annoying. It's also a scandal.

Regardless, it's still evil and you still support it.

 

[Synthaholic]

corruption is annoying. It's also a scandal.

Regardless, it's still evil and you still support it.

We're not talking about you and the Mormon "Church".

 

[hortysir]

It's telling and funny how the far Right, when they think of some of America's worst scandals, have amnesia about Iran-Contra, and jump right to Watergate, which is arguably not as bad as Iran-Contra.

Other things cross my mind....
Savings and Loan
WhiteWatergate


Thing is, they don't have anything to do with several IRS offices, nationwide, simultaneously delaying tax-exempt requests submitted by a certain segment of our population while others were not delayed in the same manner

What was the result of the Whitewater investigation?

Hmmm??

Hmmmmmmmm??????

Probably the same thing that will happen here.
There will be indictments and convictions but nothing will be connected to Obama.

But, ya see, I'm not so much after Obama as I am after the truth.
I'd like to know how far up the ladder people knew what was happening.
If that includes Obama, well, it sucks to be him.
If not...cool. Let's see him rip some flesh from the assholes that DID KNOW about it.
Promoting them to head the ACA portion of the IRS isn't punishment...it's condoning

 

[Rambunctious]

What will be annoying is the lefties calling for voter fraud investigations after the GOP takes back the senate and holds onto the house. There is two kinds of stupid and the Obama administration has presented both. The Dems will be sorry he ever ran for president after he destroys their BRAND.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

Is the TC annoyed yet?

Fuckem

 

[Locke11_21]

It's telling and funny how the far Right, when they think of some of America's worst scandals, have amnesia about Iran-Contra, and jump right to Watergate, which is arguably not as bad as Iran-Contra.

Iran-Contra wasn't that big of a deal.

Barely a blip on the scandal meter.

Spoken like a true brainwashed wingnut.