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MinM

(2,650 posts)
Wed May 15, 2013, 04:00 PM May 2013

Phony IRS “Scandal” — We’ve Been O’Keefe’d Again

...It turns out the IRS was NOT singling out “Tea Party” groups for audits. The IRS was scrutinizing ALL groups applying for c4 status by asking additional questions. No audits. And only SOME (1/3) of those groups were conservatives — OTHERS were liberal, etc. Doesn’t matter, the right put out a victimization story making it sound like only conservatives were targeted for political reasons. (And Christians are a persecuted minority, Whites are discriminated against, etc.) The “mainstream” news media picked up and spread the lie, and here we are.

Again: Only 1/3 of the organizations that received extra scrutiny were conservative. The rest are not identified, but liberal and progressive organizations are reporting that their applications received the same scrutiny as conservatives. (And by the way almost 70% of the applications that were flagged WERE engaged in campaign activity that would disqualify them from c4 status.)...

Look at how MANY of us fell for one more “pimp costume” story.

James O’Keefe never wore a “pimp costume” into an ACORN office, and conservative groups were not singled out for scrutiny by the IRS. But because of the right’s ability to spread these smears both are now firmly “true” in the public mind. Partly because the rest of us fell for it and helped amplify it.

http://seeingtheforest.com/phony-irs-scandal-weve-been-okeefed-again/
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Phony IRS “Scandal” — We’ve Been O’Keefe’d Again (Original Post) MinM May 2013 OP
Can we still fire Holder? Or impeach Obama? Buzz Clik May 2013 #1
No kimbutgar May 2013 #10
I really hope that was sarcasm DonCoquixote May 2013 #12
Of course it was sarcasm. Buzz Clik May 2013 #17
Holder kardonb May 2013 #15
Get a rope! Pass the tar and feathers!!!11 Buzz Clik May 2013 #18
Who is we? GeorgeGist May 2013 #2
When you are targeting "tea party" and leave "progressive" alone, you've got a problem. dkf May 2013 #3
Please copy and paste the first two sentences of the excerpt. Wednesdays May 2013 #4
Except the IRS didn't leave them alone... DonViejo May 2013 #5
But progressives were not left alone Bjorn Against May 2013 #6
did that *really* hapen, though? Blue_Tires May 2013 #9
Thank you for your two cents. Hissyspit May 2013 #13
That was Issa's spin from a month ago, please be accurate, even if it means foregoing a chance to geek tragedy Jun 2013 #23
Good Thing They Didn't Do That Then. -eom gcomeau Jun 2013 #27
It just doesn't matter. So the IRS did NOT single out Tea Party groups................ wandy May 2013 #7
IMHO, the IRS was right to heighten the scrutiny of 501(c)4 applications from Tea Party groups . . . John1956PA May 2013 #8
I agree with you on that point amerciti001 May 2013 #11
Thanks. I appreciate your post of yesterday evening, May 14, about the Tea Party seeking grants. John1956PA May 2013 #16
Citations please. dorkulon May 2013 #14
.. Buzz Clik May 2013 #19
It wouldn't be quite so easy for the RW to get away with this BlueStreak May 2013 #20
. blkmusclmachine May 2013 #21
Yep, we were “O’Keefed” again. MinM Jun 2013 #22
So those think tanks libodem Jun 2013 #24
recommended! Bill USA Jun 2013 #25
I can't say anything bad enough about the Progressive dog Jun 2013 #26
Now how long until the Snowden fans realize the same thing? -eom gcomeau Jun 2013 #28
Fox Manufactures White House Link To IRS Controversy MinM Jul 2013 #29
 

Buzz Clik

(38,437 posts)
17. Of course it was sarcasm.
Wed May 15, 2013, 06:34 PM
May 2013

Though, at this place, one can never tell.

(I had a post hidden today by a jury -- I was being sarcastic, and they didn't get it.)

Bjorn Against

(12,041 posts)
6. But progressives were not left alone
Wed May 15, 2013, 04:27 PM
May 2013

In fact Emerge America a Democratic leaning group had their tax exempt status revoked while every one of the Tea Party groups were allowed to keep theirs.

 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
23. That was Issa's spin from a month ago, please be accurate, even if it means foregoing a chance to
Wed Jun 26, 2013, 10:18 AM
Jun 2013

whine about the Obama administration.

wandy

(3,539 posts)
7. It just doesn't matter. So the IRS did NOT single out Tea Party groups................
Wed May 15, 2013, 04:43 PM
May 2013

It just doesn't matter! The 'scandal' or rumor of 'scandal' has done it's job!
We are dealing with Teapublicans here. Haters who have waited long and in good christen fashion prayed hard for that 'gotya' moment. Truth be dammed, the heard animals are screaming for blood.
The pump is primed. Now all GOP co. has to do is keep their minions frothing at the mouth until next November.
Who knows what will the next scandal be?

Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of Obama.
Only the GOP knows.......

John1956PA

(2,654 posts)
8. IMHO, the IRS was right to heighten the scrutiny of 501(c)4 applications from Tea Party groups . . .
Wed May 15, 2013, 04:49 PM
May 2013

Last edited Wed May 15, 2013, 09:05 PM - Edit history (1)

. . . as long as it heightened the scrutiny of 501(c)4 applications from progressive groups. I am hopeful that the same heightened level of scrutiny was applied to both classes of groups.

As a side note, I will mention that I accessed the IRS search engine for non-profit groups and found that the IRS granted 501(c)4 recognition to several Tea Party organizations in 2010 and 2011. Over that two-year interval, the number 501(c)4 applications from Tea party groups exceeded the applications from progressive groups. Of course, the largest volume of 501(c)(4) applications came from groups with little or no political motivations, and the IRS granted 501(c)4 recognition to those groups following moderate scrutiny of their applications.

To sum up: In 2010 and 2011, the IRS was faced with a great increase of Tea Party 501(c)4 applications as the result of the Citizens United decision. During that two-year interval, the IRS struggled with adjusting its policies concerning the proper level of scrutiny which should be applied to 501(c)4 applications from political groups, such as Tea Party groups which were the most prolific 501(c)4 political group filers at the time. Yes, there may have been a few rogue IRS employees who were "off the reservation" and who went too far in scrutinizing some of the applications from Tea Party groups. However, I will wait for more evidence before I conclude that there was systemic wrongdoing by the IRS in this matter.

John1956PA

(2,654 posts)
16. Thanks. I appreciate your post of yesterday evening, May 14, about the Tea Party seeking grants.
Wed May 15, 2013, 06:23 PM
May 2013

Yesterday evening you posted:

While everyone is howling about IRS extra scrutiny of these specific groups of 501(c)4 applications . . .

In your post, you suggested that some 501(c)4 Tea Party groups could be in search of government grants, which is an exercise conflicting with their stated goal of helping to bring about smaller government. You pose an interesting thought.

Of course, with 501(c)4 Tea Party organizations in place, wealthy right wingers can direct large sums to their preferred candidates by using those 501(c)4 organizations as conduits.


 

BlueStreak

(8,377 posts)
20. It wouldn't be quite so easy for the RW to get away with this
Thu May 16, 2013, 12:37 AM
May 2013

if Obama wasn't spending every day apologizing for how he mistreated the poor teabaggers.

It really does raise the question, whose side is he on anyway?

MinM

(2,650 posts)
22. Yep, we were “O’Keefed” again.
Wed Jun 26, 2013, 09:38 AM
Jun 2013
So IRS DIDN’T “Target Conservative Groups” After All

ep, we were “O’Keefed” again. It turns out that the IRS really was just doing its job — scrutinizing all kinds of groups applying for special tax status, not “targeting conservatives” as has been widely reported. Of course anti-government scandal-mongers are trying to make this sound bad, saying this means the “targeting” was “broader” than first thought. That’s like saying people are “targeted” to pay their taxes on April 15. Anyway the “scandal’s” purpose was achieved: the IRS is going to give corporate-funded political groups a pass now and let them “self-certify” that they aren’t breaking the rules.

Scandal Frenzy

Back in May the media was in a scandal frenzy, echoing a right-wing lie that the IRS was “targeting conservative groups” that applied for special tax status. The NY Times even claimed that “audits” were going on, as part of the “Internal Revenue Service’s effort to target conservative non-profit groups for scrutiny.”

But anyone who actually spent the time to read the official report on this “scandal” would have learned that was just not what happened. The IRS is supposed to scrutinize all groups applying for special tax status to make sure they are not violating tax rules by engaging in political activity. Because of Citizens United and typical underfunding the IRS couldn’t check every group so they tried to find shortcuts to pick potential political groups. ne of those shortcuts involved looking for political sounding names of organizations. That is the entire “scandal” – they let some groups out of the usual scrutiny, but still looked for groups that might be engaged in politics...

http://seeingtheforest.com/so-irs-didnt-target-conservative-groups-after-all/

Are KKKarl Rove & GOP behind IRS scandal?

libodem

(19,288 posts)
24. So those think tanks
Wed Jun 26, 2013, 11:07 AM
Jun 2013

Are still panning out for them. Somebody has to dream up these pimp schemes to begin with.

What floors me is the righteous exterior of shamelessness and family values, while the real interior of Republicans, justify lying, cheating and steeling, to get what they want. They truely are sociopathes.

Democrats seem to live their actual values. It's just show, a facade, for Repukes to hide behind, while carrying out frank breaches of their precious Ten Commandments. Just look how fast they condone mass genocide, like shock and awe in Iraq, when it suits them. Thou shalt not kill, my ass!

Republican morality is a bludgeon used to shame those whom actually own a conscience, it has nothing to do with how they behave, when they want anything. The rules go out the window.

MinM

(2,650 posts)
29. Fox Manufactures White House Link To IRS Controversy
Fri Jul 19, 2013, 12:28 PM
Jul 2013
@mmfa: Fox Manufactures White House Link To IRS Controversy http://mm4a.org/1aXSTjJ

While Fox is still desperately attempting revive this "scandal" Other 'news' organizations are beginning to put the story into context...
@CBSNews: Liberal groups may have been targeted by IRS as well http://cbsn.ws/195r1bI
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