But on 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. At the meeting, she was told that groups with "Tea Party," `'Patriot" or "9/12 Project" in their names were being flagged for additional and often burdensome scrutiny, the report says.
[...]
Lerner instructed agents to change the criteria for flagging groups "immediately," the report says.
While this was happening, several committees in Congress were writing numerous letters IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman to express concern because tea party groups were complaining of IRS harassment.
In Shulman's responses, he did not acknowledge targeting of tea party groups. At a congressional hearing March 22, 2012, Shulman was adamant in his denials.
[...]
Shulman was appointed by President George W. Bush, a Republican. His 6-year term ended in November. President Barack Obama has yet to nominate a successor. The agency is now run by an acting commissioner, Steven Miller.
Former Congressman Allen West on Sunday (R-FL) said that an admission by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that it had improperly scrutinized tea party groups was part of a wider conspiracy that included President Barack Obama’s administration forcing Republican-owned car dealerships to be shut down during the auto bailout in 2009.
[...]
“One of the things you have to understand with those donor lists — and this is something that was brought up before the Small Business and also the Oversight Committee when I was there in Congress — they are after those lists because they want to put a lot of pressure on individuals,” West explained. “And there are a lot of folks out there concerned about coming out and being forthcoming about their support to political candidates and what have you.”
“I've actually always suspected that, although I have no evidence, that maybe we were facilitating arms leaving Libya going through Turkey into Syria.”
In a fundraising email sent on behalf of the National Association on Gun Rights, Paul alleged the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty was a secret plot to completely disarm American civilians.
“Ultimately, UN bureaucrats will stop at nothing to register, ban and CONFISCATE firearms owned by private citizens like YOU,” Paul wrote. “So far, the gun-grabbers have successfully kept many of their schemes under wraps. But looking at previous attempts by the UN to pass global gun control, you and I can get a good idea of what’s likely in the works.”
Paul said the United Nations would “CONFISCATE and DESTROY ALL” of civilian firearms in the United States and ban the sale of all semi-automatic weapons. He also alleged the United Nations was controlled by “petty dictators and one-world socialists” who were plotting to usurp American sovereignty.
In some cases, the IRS acknowledged, agents inappropriately asked for lists of donors.
There has been a surge of politically active groups claiming tax-exempt status in recent elections – conservative and liberal. Among the highest profile are Republican Karl Rove's group Crossroads GPS and the liberal Moveon.org.
These groups claim tax-exempt status under section 501 © (4) of the federal tax code, which is for social welfare groups. Unlike other charitable groups, these organizations are allowed to participate in political activities, but their primary activity must be social welfare.
The context for all this is that after Citizens United and some related decisions, the number of groups registering as 501©4s doubled. Because the timing of that doubling coincided with a rise in political activism on the right rather than the left, a lot of the politicized groups attempting to register as 501©4s were describing their purpose in tea party terms. A popular conceit, for instance, was that they existed to educate on the Constitution — even if the particular pedagogical method meant participating in Republican Party primaries and pressuring incumbent politicians.
Quote by Raine:Ezra Klein...The context for all this is that after Citizens United and some related decisions, the number of groups registering as 501©4s doubled. Because the timing of that doubling coincided with a rise in political activism on the right rather than the left, a lot of the politicized groups attempting to register as 501©4s were describing their purpose in tea party terms. A popular conceit, for instance, was that they existed to educate on the Constitution — even if the particular pedagogical method meant participating in Republican Party primaries and pressuring incumbent politicians.
Quote by Raine:
Well, I totally believe that all the Benghazi *scandalcoverupcorruptionliesobamaimpeachwedonotknowwhathappenedwhywontthewhitehousetelluswhathappened* crowd will settle down.
....Except I don't.
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all..
Well, in less than 24 hours I'll be unloading the stuff at the new pad. I was kinda reflecting on the whole experience and realized that even with my frugal lifestyle and my finances doing very well, being able to find a really nice place in a really good area without dishing out $2000 up front was impossible for me.
Now, imagine a couple with a child trying to do the same thing, only they're both working full-time minimum wage jobs with no benefits. And they both drive out of necessity. How difficult would it be for them to save up half that much? And even if they did, would their employers be willing to give them the day off to move?
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all..
Well, in less than 24 hours I'll be unloading the stuff at the new pad. I was kinda reflecting on the whole experience and realized that even with my frugal lifestyle and my finances doing very well, being able to find a really nice place in a really good area without dishing out $2000 up front was impossible for me.
Now, imagine a couple with a child trying to do the same thing, only they're both working full-time minimum wage jobs with no benefits. And they both drive out of necessity. How difficult would it be for them to save up half that much? And even if they did, would their employers be willing to give them the day off to move?
Quote by Raine:
BTW -- Can I get a blog fill in for Friday? This is the WEDDING WEEKEND! We are leaving thursday night -- I won't have time friday Morning to even put up a stub. Hair stylist is coming to sisterlove's house about 9 am. It will be chaos even before that ---
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:
BTW -- Can I get a blog fill in for Friday? This is the WEDDING WEEKEND! We are leaving thursday night -- I won't have time friday Morning to even put up a stub. Hair stylist is coming to sisterlove's house about 9 am. It will be chaos even before that ---
If I can't come up with something I can at least put up a stub
I want pix of that dress though
Quote by Raine:Oh there will be pix....Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:
BTW -- Can I get a blog fill in for Friday? This is the WEDDING WEEKEND! We are leaving thursday night -- I won't have time friday Morning to even put up a stub. Hair stylist is coming to sisterlove's house about 9 am. It will be chaos even before that ---
If I can't come up with something I can at least put up a stub
I want pix of that dress though
Thanks Mala!
Quote by wickedpam:
oh, I wanted to give and Aunt Bev update - seems she has been diagnosed with dementia at this point. THey've put her on some medication but I'm afraid she will never go back the way she was.
Please keep the prayers and positive thoughts coming - I told her about Will's Temple and all the friends who were sending her good thoughts and she wanted me to tell everyone "Thank You." My family really appreciates it.
Quote by TriSec:
Well, one of my co-workers became dead to me today.
We were having a brief luncheon for another member of the team, whose birthday it is, when we started idly chatting about the Boston Fund fundraiser going on in the lobby today. I mentioned some of the local updates in the neighborhoods, and the growing connection to the unsolved triple-murder in Waltham.
Imagine my surprise when the person in question launched into a diatribe that the Tsarnaevs were set up, the FBI planted the bombs, and that this was used as a dress-rehearsal for Martial Law. Of course the next words out of her mouth were "Bengazi", and then most curious of all, she somehow worked her way over to climate change and that it wasn't real; the government was hiring commercial airliners to spray chemicals into the atmosphere and those weren't contrails. (I"ll admit that's a new one on me.)
I merely smiled and told her to stop watching Fox News. "Why not? None of this comes from Fox!!"� was her angry reply. In the interest of diplomacy (because I still have to work with her), I remained silent after that.
I'm really at a loss for words this afternoon.
Quote by TriSec:
Well, one of my co-workers became dead to me today.
We were having a brief luncheon for another member of the team, whose birthday it is, when we started idly chatting about the Boston Fund fundraiser going on in the lobby today. I mentioned some of the local updates in the neighborhoods, and the growing connection to the unsolved triple-murder in Waltham.
Imagine my surprise when the person in question launched into a diatribe that the Tsarnaevs were set up, the FBI planted the bombs, and that this was used as a dress-rehearsal for Martial Law. Of course the next words out of her mouth were "Bengazi", and then most curious of all, she somehow worked her way over to climate change and that it wasn't real; the government was hiring commercial airliners to spray chemicals into the atmosphere and those weren't contrails. (I"ll admit that's a new one on me.)
I merely smiled and told her to stop watching Fox News. "Why not? None of this comes from Fox!!"� was her angry reply. In the interest of diplomacy (because I still have to work with her), I remained silent after that.
I'm really at a loss for words this afternoon.
Quote by Scoopster:
What the shyt.. since when does the USPS charge a buck just to change/forward your mailing address?!
Quote by Mondobubba:
You've not heard about the contrails thing? Google it, dude. There is huge amount of stuff that particular conspiracy.
Quote by wickedpam:
oh, I wanted to give and Aunt Bev update - seems she has been diagnosed with dementia at this point. THey've put her on some medication but I'm afraid she will never go back the way she was.
Please keep the prayers and positive thoughts coming - I told her about Will's Temple and all the friends who were sending her good thoughts and she wanted me to tell everyone "Thank You." My family really appreciates it.
Quote by livingonli:
Good day, folks. It's going to be that kind of week since I have a bunch of late shifts ahead and I have a few nights that I am scheduled until 3 AM and this is on top of the Saturday night when I had to be there until 4 AM with all the changes I had to do to Sunday's MSG log due to the waiting on scheduling of Rangers-Caps game 6. Tonight, I got the Nats on the West Coast.
Quote by Scoopster:
Related to this ridiculous BS non-scandal about the IRS and Tea Party groups..
These assholes had NO PROBLEM WITH IT when the fucking Bush Administration did THE SAME THING to groups protesting the Iraq War, DELIBERATELY.
Quote by Raine:On behalf of the Caps, I apologize...Quote by livingonli:
Good day, folks. It's going to be that kind of week since I have a bunch of late shifts ahead and I have a few nights that I am scheduled until 3 AM and this is on top of the Saturday night when I had to be there until 4 AM with all the changes I had to do to Sunday's MSG log due to the waiting on scheduling of Rangers-Caps game 6. Tonight, I got the Nats on the West Coast.
Quote by TriSec:Quote by Mondobubba:
You've not heard about the contrails thing? Google it, dude. There is huge amount of stuff that particular conspiracy.
The only thing I know about contrails is that sometimes they linger due to atmospheric conditions and sometimes propagate further cloud growth....because once moisture initially condenses it tends to attract more.
I did briefly look at the Wikipedia article on the subject, but after enough brain cells died that I had to make a conscious effort to keep my heart beating and my diaphragm moving, I stopped.
Quote by TriSec:
Well, one of my co-workers became dead to me today.
We were having a brief luncheon for another member of the team, whose birthday it is, when we started idly chatting about the Boston Fund fundraiser going on in the lobby today. I mentioned some of the local updates in the neighborhoods, and the growing connection to the unsolved triple-murder in Waltham.
Imagine my surprise when the person in question launched into a diatribe that the Tsarnaevs were set up, the FBI planted the bombs, and that this was used as a dress-rehearsal for Martial Law. Of course the next words out of her mouth were "Bengazi", and then most curious of all, she somehow worked her way over to climate change and that it wasn't real; the government was hiring commercial airliners to spray chemicals into the atmosphere and those weren't contrails. (I"ll admit that's a new one on me.)
I merely smiled and told her to stop watching Fox News. "Why not? None of this comes from Fox!!"� was her angry reply. In the interest of diplomacy (because I still have to work with her), I remained silent after that.
I'm really at a loss for words this afternoon.
Quote by Scoopster:
Wait wtf.. now my replies aren't showing up!
Quote by Raine:
Everything is working fine on my end... Not sure what is going on, Scoop.
Quote by Mondobubba:
No issues here, Scoop.
(psst Raine, our cunning plan to gaslight Scoop is working)
Quote by Scoopster:Quote by Mondobubba:
No issues here, Scoop.
(psst Raine, our cunning plan to gaslight Scoop is working)
I KNEW IT! You scrubbed my comment about Scott Stapp being the one act at that jazz festival!
Quote by BobR:
Hmmm - it works fine for me. The comment "Add" and the comments "Refresh" work by sending AJAX commands on the back end. If it's not working, you may need to restart your browser.
Quote by Scoopster:
Oh for fuck's sake......
Quote by Mondobubba:
Marco Rubio proved to be blithering moron.
Marco Rubio Calls on Nonexistent IRS Commissioner to Resign