Of the “non-profit” type (though I think plenty of people are profiting):
How do they get away with it? The Obama picture looks like something from a totalitarian cult of personality, but now that he is safely re-elected, he is not a candidate for office. Neither, it turns out, is Speaker Perez, who is currently serving his third term in the Assembly, is prohibited by California law from seeking another term, and has not launched a campaign for another office in 2014. Further, the brochure makes no reference to any specific legislation, only to the general goal of providing “everyone” with “access” to “affordable health care.”
This column does not think the Internal Revenue Service should take a punitive approach to the endowment’s propagandizing for semi-socialized medicine. (Similarly, our colleagues on The Wall Street Journal editorial page were critical of the IRS’s 2004 investigation of the NAACP.)
But it does underscore why the IRS’s abuse of grassroots conservative groups is so galling. ObamaCare was enacted in 2010 against overwhelming public opposition. This energized the Tea Party, which helped turn the 2010 elections into a referendum in which ObamaCare was resoundingly defeated.
Obama’s re-election was another referendum on ObamaCare. That one he narrowly won–but as it turns out, the IRS was cheating on his behalf. The California Endowment’s pro-ObamaCare propaganda may be unobjectionable in itself, but the government’s systematic suppression of dissent lends another layer of illegitimacy to this monstrous law.
I’m starting to take the view that this entire administration is illegitimate.
but as it turns out, the IRS was cheating on his behalf
By unfairly demanding extra paperwork from groups claiming to be not-primarily-political social welfare organizations? That was their devious election-stealing plan?
I’m starting to take the view that this entire administration is illegitimate.
“Starting”?
That extra paperwork included questions about what the content of people’s prayers were and other things that the IRS had no right to ask. It took a lot of man hours to comply with the IRS and that is time they did not spend community organizing. Then there is the monetary cost. The IRS pulled millions of dollars out of the pockets of groups and people critical of Obama.
Taking time and money from these groups and individuals to retard their effectiveness is voter disenfranchisement. Here we have an actual case of the government persecuting political dissidents and Democrats are cheering it on, disgusting.
Just like when it comes to war, civil liberties, racism, and diversity Democrats have shown under Obama that none of their core ideals are actually ideals at all just things they say to get power.
Taking time and money from these groups and individuals to retard their effectiveness is voter disenfranchisement
Those groups were trying to convince the IRS that their activities weren’t about affecting elections. And you’re arguing that the IRS taking time from those groups affected elections. You’re making the case for the IRS’s actions.
The IRS pulled millions of dollars out of the pockets of groups and people critical of Obama
Huh? How do you figure that?
an actual case of the government persecuting political dissidents
Having to fill out intrusive questionnaires in order to get an official designation as a social welfare organization, so you can keep your donors secret, is not exactly the Gulag. Recall that many of the groups that got this special attention were Obama supporters. It’s a scandal that the IRS Cincinnati office used terms like “Tea Party” in their targeting, but those weren’t the only groups that got this treatment. Any political group, regardless of ideology, should expect intrusive questioning when they ask the IRS to certify that they’re not primarily political.
Even if it were acceptable behavior, the fact that they were NOT doing it to leftist organizations is a problem…or do you not believe leftists can do anything wrong, Jim?
“Those groups were trying to convince the IRS that their activities weren’t about affecting elections.”
They are allowed to effect elections but not spend all of their time on campaigning. Look at Planed Parenthood, NAACP, and OWS groups that have the same non profit status that Tea Party groups want. Heck, look at Obama’s own campaign apparatus which received no scrutiny. If Democrats can have these groups, then so can everyone else.
Obama’s own campaign organization was turned into a non-profit to advocate for his policies. It is 100% political.
“Huh? How do you figure that?”
People have to hire lawyers and accountants to deal with the IRS. Some donors paid “fines”. And whatever money was spent dealing with the IRS is money that could not be spent supporting the organizations goals.
“Having to fill out intrusive questionnaires in order to get an official designation as a social welfare organization, so you can keep your donors secret, is not exactly the Gulag.”
Except that everything these groups provided became open to public requests after they submitted the information to the IRS. We know at least one Democrat front group had access to leaked confidential information.
One group even had the FBI, OSHA, and IRS target them for persecution.
And remember it is not just Tea Party groups but donors, companies, and other people who prominently criticized Obama who were targeted by the Obama administration.
You are right though, Obama didn’t throw us all in hard labor camps to starve to death but surely you must have some actual standards for what you consider wrong short of throwing people in prison camps. But that sounds pretty good, “Hey, at least you didn’t get thrown in prison camp. I would count yourself lucky if I were you.”
“Recall that many of the groups that got this special attention were Obama supporters.”
Lets see the questions they were asked. Were they asked about the content of their prayers? Were pro-abortion groups told not to talk about abortion? How many had their applications approved? Because as we sit here today hundreds of these Tea Party groups are still in lingo when the program of targeted persecution supposedly ended over a year ago.
The report about this wasn’t released to congress when they asked about it during the election and IRS officials lied to congress about the investigation last year.
“It’s a scandal that the IRS Cincinnati office used terms like “Tea Party” in their targeting,”
It wasn’t just Cincinnati. We know at least 88 IRS agents were involved and that it was in several different offices including DC.
“Any political group, regardless of ideology, should expect intrusive questioning when they ask the IRS to certify that they’re not primarily political.”
Except that only groups the criticized Obama got the full monty scrutiny.
For the last several years the Democrats have been celebrating the Arab Spring. OWS and Anonymous even directly supported the revolutions in these countries with manpower and money. But here we see Obama acting like the regimes he helped overthrow in the Middle East and when it comes to political persecution in the homeland, Democrats cheer it on. Sick.
I can’t decide if you’re Jay Carney or Candy Crowley.
Did they ask for extra paperwork from Media Matters? How about BarackObama.com?
Hah! Yeah, the whole point was to monkeywrench the Right’s Get Out the Vote effort and, as history shows, it worked beautifully:
Well, go watch the video of the FBI director testifying before congress. It is readily apparent the FBI is not an impartial investigative body. They haven’t even interviewed any of the groups or individuals targeted for persecution by the Obama administration.
Obama is destroying the institutions that hold our country together.
Right now, it looks like every single person who works at the IRS, EPA, DOJ, and FBI needs to be fired and their agencies closed down.
Really looking forward to the totalitarian state we will live under when Obamacare is fully implemented.