Phony IRS “Scandal” — We’ve Been O’Keefe’d Again
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 OKeefe 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 rights 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/
Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)I really, really want to impeach Obama.
DonCoquixote
(13,615 posts)Impeach indeed.
Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)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.)
Buzz , BIUZZ OFF !
Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)GeorgeGist
(25,294 posts)dkf
(37,305 posts)Wednesdays
(17,249 posts)Thanks.
DonViejo
(60,536 posts)http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251306026
Bjorn Against
(12,041 posts)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.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)Hissyspit
(45,788 posts)geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)whine about the Obama administration.
gcomeau
(5,764 posts)wandy
(3,539 posts)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)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.
amerciti001
(158 posts)John1956PA
(2,654 posts)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.
dorkulon
(5,116 posts)Link goes nowhere and as much as I'd love to take your word for it...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/15/1209257/-Liberal-groups-received-same-IRS-letter-that-ignited-Tea-Party-nbsp-outrage
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_05/two_rather_important_details_a044751.php#
http://www.treasury.gov/tigta/auditreports/2013reports/201310053fr.pdf
BlueStreak
(8,377 posts)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?
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts).
MinM
(2,650 posts)ep, we were OKeefed 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. Thats like saying people are targeted to pay their taxes on April 15. Anyway the scandals purpose was achieved: the IRS is going to give corporate-funded political groups a pass now and let them self-certify that they arent 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 Services 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 couldnt 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)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.
Bill USA
(6,436 posts)Progressive dog
(6,862 posts)fools and the RW haters that kept this IRS story in play.
gcomeau
(5,764 posts)MinM
(2,650 posts)While Fox is still desperately attempting revive this "scandal" Other 'news' organizations are beginning to put the story into context...