tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post1481388612204925310..comments2024-01-05T06:18:18.086-05:00Comments on CommentaramaPolitics: IRS Scandal PrimerAndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-85426049931423911222013-05-16T23:42:06.219-04:002013-05-16T23:42:06.219-04:00Indi, It looks like Levin might be right this time...Indi, It looks like Levin might be right this time.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-39993382509780247822013-05-16T20:57:07.649-04:002013-05-16T20:57:07.649-04:00Indi, I haven't seen anything about that, but ...Indi, I haven't seen anything about that, but last I knew she was in the same job still. And honestly, the best policy where Levin is concerned is to disbelieve anything he says.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-50939541115404976532013-05-16T20:45:18.239-04:002013-05-16T20:45:18.239-04:00Mark LEvin said today that the woman who was in ch...Mark LEvin said today that the woman who was in charge of Not For Profits in 2009 to 2011 is now head of the Obamacare taskforceIndividualisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11005025873042230314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-16837017298240263212013-05-15T20:38:13.628-04:002013-05-15T20:38:13.628-04:00UPDATE: As an aside, the acting director of the I...<b>UPDATE:</b> As an aside, the acting director of the IRS has resigned. Odds are Obama thinks this will calm the waters, but it's really just like throwing chum.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-67445841598169451812013-05-15T20:31:22.167-04:002013-05-15T20:31:22.167-04:00Indi, First, what I find interesting is that they ...Indi, First, what I find interesting is that they admitted they got this. I suspect their lawyer told them they better act like a whistleblower now that the scandal is out there or they will face criminal charges.<br /><br />In terms of the information, this is all very troubling. It's troubling because knowledge is power and if I know where you get your income, what businesses you own, how much you make, etc. that gives me a lot of power to target you in many ways. And if it does include socials, which it does, that gives me power to find all of your assets, to track where you've lived, to identify your neighbors, look up your credit and your criminal record... and steal your identity.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-39020338078695422692013-05-15T20:24:59.201-04:002013-05-15T20:24:59.201-04:00tryanmax, In my experience, the NYT lives on this ...tryanmax, In my experience, the NYT lives on this stuff. They are an opinion-oriented "news" provider, i.e. they advocate and only use "facts" as needed to help them make the case.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-70461024172077795512013-05-15T20:19:25.824-04:002013-05-15T20:19:25.824-04:00Opposition Research
Andrew what is your take on t...<a href="http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/05/14/Progressive-Group-Says-IRS-Gave-Them-Confidential-Docs-On-Conservative-Groups" rel="nofollow">Opposition Research</a><br /><br />Andrew what is your take on this article. I understand that some inforamtion you file in a 501(c) (3) application is evidently available to the puyblic but if they IRS gave them the retunrs before they reviewed it then that suggests they got the whole return including confidential inforamtion such as SSN. This is the most disturbing thing to me as this PROPUBLICA is evidently a Soros funded front group.Individualisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11005025873042230314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-82460401025907345662013-05-15T20:14:06.100-04:002013-05-15T20:14:06.100-04:00I don't think it will derail anything either. ...I don't think it will derail anything either. More than anything, I find it fascinating to pick apart the deception concocted in the NY Times article. It's really shady and it makes one wonder just how often they do this. tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-75670530793258577842013-05-15T18:23:28.957-04:002013-05-15T18:23:28.957-04:00tryanmax, Bloomberg is like Scarborough to me -- h...tryanmax, Bloomberg is like Scarborough to me -- he's a leftist plant trying to undermine the right. That is the pattern of his behavior.<br /><br />In any event, this won't slow the scandal at all because (1) everybody except Bloomberg and the NYT hates the IRS, (2) Obama has elevated this scandal with his rhetoric and that is now inescapable, and (3) the Republicans have a solid idea of how to exploit this.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-83697960584047479722013-05-15T18:20:41.233-04:002013-05-15T18:20:41.233-04:00Tam, Don't feel so down! The world goes on no...Tam, Don't feel so down! The world goes on no matter what happens. Your friends and family are what matter... not this stuff. Seriously, it will be ok.<br /><br />And honestly, one of the things I've been trying to get across to people is that things are nowhere near as bad as they seem. Conservatives are just telling each other that the end has come and its freaking everybody out. But it hasn't. The public hasn't bought into Obama or the Democrats. Obama hasn't gotten anything on his agenda done except a little cronyism, and the public is rejecting that. All of this can be sorted out.<br /><br />Have faith. The world is a beautiful place and things will get better. :D<br />AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-35496833531492774532013-05-15T16:43:45.938-04:002013-05-15T16:43:45.938-04:00So, I've been on suicide watch since November....So, I've been on suicide watch since November. People who love me held interventions, cut down my internet usage and got me more involved in meaningful activities away from news and politics, but Scandalpalooza has brought me right back in...please Dear Lord above, let some heads roll this time! This administration can't possible escape unscathed after this week!Tamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16892551860593187175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-55479543982174839372013-05-15T10:13:50.384-04:002013-05-15T10:13:50.384-04:00nobody wants to defend the IRS.
You can add Bloom...<i>nobody wants to defend the IRS.</i><br /><br />You can add Bloomberg to the list that includes "nobody." They are reporting that the IRS sent the same letter that they sent to Tea Party groups to...wait for it...<b><i>THREE</i></b>...Democrat-leaning organizations seeking non-profit status. One was even denied! Scandal over. Everybody go home.<br /><br />You can add the NYTimes, as well. They have a very deceptive <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/business/irs-denies-3-political-advocacy-groups-tax-exempt-status.html" rel="nofollow">article</a> out that seems to indicate the IRS was justified in putting extra scrutiny on Tea Party groups. They play with chronology, making it seem that groups founded in the late 1990s were formed in response to groups founded in the late 2000s. <br /><br />Boogeymen Rove and the Koch Bros. also feature prominently to set a tone that the following anecdotes are somehow tied to them. One would have to have read the Bloomberg piece to realize that the groups which "might have applied for tax exemption with an eventual court challenge in mind" and the "advocacy group working to train women affiliated with a particular party for political leadership" referenced near the end were all affiliated with the Democrat Party. tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-41972212627297782122013-05-15T01:40:35.768-04:002013-05-15T01:40:35.768-04:00Kit, It's really hard to tell. First, we need...Kit, It's really hard to tell. First, we need to see how the system fails, how they try to rescue it, who goes bankrupt in the process, who loses their seats, etc.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-82555217414088107192013-05-15T01:28:23.219-04:002013-05-15T01:28:23.219-04:00Also, re Obamacare, I'm wondering if its provi...Also, re Obamacare, I'm wondering if its provisions will make healthcare so toxic of an issue that no one will discuss a federal overhaul of healthcare for at least a decade after its repealed.Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01453591141757808708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-46191300878190471462013-05-14T22:23:50.203-04:002013-05-14T22:23:50.203-04:00T-Rav, I would not be surprised in the least if th...T-Rav, I would not be surprised in the least if that was something many of them wanted to do. Of all the press secretaries I can think of, he's really been the most obnoxious.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-35249152219838026762013-05-14T22:18:51.379-04:002013-05-14T22:18:51.379-04:00Andrew, I know that they're generally on the s...Andrew, I know that they're generally on the same side and everything, but I have to think that even most members of the WH press corps have wanted from time to time to go up to the podium and slap that smug look off Carney's face. Personally, I can't imagine ever <i>not</i> wanting to do it, but that's me.T-Ravhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10861218035729479354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-20082910530205174612013-05-14T20:08:00.945-04:002013-05-14T20:08:00.945-04:00Anthony, I recall and you were right.
At the time...Anthony, I recall and you were right.<br /><br />At the time, I thought it was in bad taste and wasn't smart. I didn't think it would hurt him that much, though I thought it would hurt a little. I didn't think much about the long term, but the long term effect seems to have been to defuse the thing from the get-go.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-12307602660034162552013-05-14T19:55:37.190-04:002013-05-14T19:55:37.190-04:00I think Romney messed up bad on Benghazi and I sai...I think Romney messed up bad on Benghazi and I said so at the time. The freaking day of a terror attack you don't hold a press conference to denounce the President, no matter how justified.<br /><br />Granted, it seems that nowadays blood often doesn't get time to dry before people start reading their scripts, but I've seen no evidence that those who wait a decent interval (a day or two) are at a disadvantage vi a vi those who start holding press conferences and tweeting as soon as they get the news.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16124128949343301445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-84997085325120667102013-05-14T19:54:59.391-04:002013-05-14T19:54:59.391-04:00Bev, Talking points? What talking points?! I'v...Bev, Talking points? What talking points?! I've never heard of any such thing! This is an outrage! An outrage I tell ya! ;)<br /><br /><br />One thing on Carney I thought was a real mistake is that he can't turn off the snark. Hatch (a mild mannered fellow) said he hadn't seen anything like this since Nixon and Carney responded that anyone who mentioned Nixon "needs to check their history." Yeah... smart move Carney... piss off the one guy who will be fair to you.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-8107219801610051712013-05-14T19:42:34.610-04:002013-05-14T19:42:34.610-04:00Holder recused himself from the investigation beca...Holder recused himself from the investigation because he didn't know nothing about it no how. This seems to be the fallback position of just about everyone in the government this week.<br /><br />On a lighter note, there are some emails that CNN has that seem to indicate that the WH was more involved in the "talking points" memo than just changing a few words. Carney must be sweatin' bullets right now.BevfromNYChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14953050916932306270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-30429382919578238342013-05-14T18:41:55.407-04:002013-05-14T18:41:55.407-04:00Patriot, It will be interesting to see how this tu...Patriot, It will be interesting to see how this turns out. It has to be warrants otherwise, the reporters would have known if it had been subpoenas. I wonder what basis they used? They must have alleged an on-going crime of some sort.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-83874979675747439882013-05-14T18:28:47.887-04:002013-05-14T18:28:47.887-04:00Andrew and Bev, I did a brief check of the stories...Andrew and Bev, I did a brief check of the stories on the AP seizures, and from the phrasing, they definitely got either subpoenas or warrants. No Patriot Act invocation (so far).T-Ravhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10861218035729479354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-57448758855637442142013-05-14T17:17:28.354-04:002013-05-14T17:17:28.354-04:00Max, I think the problem with Romney (on that inci...Max, I think the problem with Romney (on that incident) was that he grabbed the camera and got involved. He broke the cardinal rule that when your opponent is trying to slit his own throat... let him.<br /><br />When he got up and attacked, he handed Obama a life-line that let Obama refocus the scandal away from "dead people on Obama's watch" to "should we politicize foreign policy events." That was a get-out-of-jail-free ticket for Obama and he and the MSM exploited it fully.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-55309271464692351702013-05-14T17:13:29.013-04:002013-05-14T17:13:29.013-04:00Bev, I've honestly never heard of a corpse flo...Bev, I've honestly never heard of a corpse flower... but 4/8 sounds just about right. ;)<br /><br />On Obamacare being a Trojan horse for single-payer, I really don't think that's true. For one thing, I don't think Team Obama has that kind of foresight. For another, that's not how government works. Step 2 will not be single payer, it will be price controls. Step 3 will be rationing plus more price controls. Step 4 will be generations of angry promises to fix the problem coupled with accounting tricks. Step 5... we don't know, we've never reached Step 5 before.<br /><br />Not to mention, this thing has been pushed by insurers all along and they won't push their own extinction. They want to use the government to squeeze out the competition and then get utility-like regulation, which includes monopoly profits.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-70377120073339889822013-05-14T17:08:39.446-04:002013-05-14T17:08:39.446-04:00Kit, Obamacare is incompetence personified. Serio...Kit, Obamacare is incompetence personified. Seriously, if you wanted to reform the system, this is the last thing you would ever try no matter what your ideology.<br /><br />If Obama hadn't been a fool, he would have actually offered a plan instead of letting this monster take shape. But he didn't. Frankly, I think this thing took shape when the insurance lobby whispered dollar bills in the ears of Max Baucus. He bought their line hook, line and sinker, and adopted their Treasury-raping plan and then added some other crony stuff his other donors wanted, expanded Medicaid to shut up the left, and away we went. And you're right, there's nothing "socialize medicine" about. To the contrary, it's basically forced commerce-ism plus some cronyism plus some tax hikes.<br /><br />Moreover, Obama's inability to lead was highlighted throughout the process. The Democrats wanted guidance and he said, "I'm too busy golfing... you figure it out." He had no ability to get Republican votes because his approach was to tell people in safe districts, "Hey, I won, support me or... well, something." He squandered all the good will he had with the electorate. And he let that one bill eat his entire agenda and his entire mandate.<br /><br />Now he's struggling with a bill that is as popular as herpes and will keep doing damage year after year until it finally fails and gets repealed... and his painful "legacy" can finally be expunged from the history books.<br />AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.com