GOP shill media jump to push Republican talking points on IRS

[ProSense]

Steve Benen flags Joe Klein making a ridiculous claim.

<...>Let's also note that as political controversies go, this one appears to have a ceiling.

This item from Time 's Joe Klein, for example, struck me as way off the mark.

Previous Presidents, including great ones like Roosevelt, have used the IRS against their enemies. But I don't think Barack Obama ever wanted to be on the same page as Richard Nixon. In this specific case, he now is.

No, actually he's not, and it's irresponsible to say otherwise. The IRS commissioner at the time was a Bush/Cheney appointee, and had no incentive to punish conservative groups. Indeed, we learned over the weekend that when senior IRS officials learned of the additional scrutiny paid to conservative groups, they did the right thing.

(O)n June 29, 2011, Lois G. Lerner, who heads the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt organizations, learned at a meeting that groups were being targeted, according to the watchdog's report.... Lerner instructed agents to change the criteria for flagging groups "immediately," the report says.

To argue that the president "used the IRS" against his enemies is ridiculous given what we know.

- more -

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/05/13/18228634-from-bad-to-worse-at-the-irs

Here is Greg Sargent on a BS piece by Ron Fournier conflating Benghazi and the IRS:

The IRS story is serious business, and I fully support a complete investigation to get to the bottom of it. However, on Benghazi, it’s clear that basic facts are being submerged and that journalistic shorthand risks conveying a too-simplistic picture to the public. Case in point: Ron Fournier’s piece today, which is sure to get some attention. Fournier argues that Benghazi and the IRS are creating a “perfect storm” that is “threatening Obama’s credibility.” Fournier describes the Benghazi story this way:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/05/13/the-morning-plum-time-for-caution-in-scandal-coverage/

The head of the IRS is a Bush appointee
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022836081

IRS trolling Tea Party and conservatives was wrong, but these political groups invited IRS scrutiny
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022836332

Given what we know, I'm waiting for the rest of the Iraq-war cheerleading media/pundits, including Joe Klein, to call for a war crimes investigation of the Bush administration.

Bush and His Aides Made 935 False Statements about Iraq In the 2 Years After 9/11
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022836412

Pressure Mounts On Obama To Investigate Torture
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022752702

[kentuck]

1. The major point to be made is...

...that the IRS Commissioner was a Bush appointee and had no incentive to investigate conservative groups. They are squealing because they are guilty.

[ProSense]

2. Speaking of

"The major point to be made is...that the IRS Commissioner was a Bush appointee and had no incentive to investigate conservative groups. They are squealing because they are guilty."

...squealing: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022836670

[Politicub]

3. Agree with everything you said

Great post and research!

I wrote something along these same lines this morning and I know there are a lot of kindred spirits on DU. My post is here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022836692

This is an orchestrated campaign and now I'm starting to think that it's what the GOP leaders were planning during the recent retreats they've had. The public framing of the events was how the GOP was wrestling with attracting more people to the party. What a great cover for the closed door sessions where they were developing their smear strategy.