Intermarkets' Privacy Policy
Support


Donate to Ace of Spades HQ!



Recent Entries
Absent Friends
Bandersnatch 2024
GnuBreed 2024
Captain Hate 2023
moon_over_vermont 2023
westminsterdogshow 2023
Ann Wilson(Empire1) 2022
Dave In Texas 2022
Jesse in D.C. 2022
OregonMuse 2022
redc1c4 2021
Tami 2021
Chavez the Hugo 2020
Ibguy 2020
Rickl 2019
Joffen 2014
AoSHQ Writers Group
A site for members of the Horde to post their stories seeking beta readers, editing help, brainstorming, and story ideas. Also to share links to potential publishing outlets, writing help sites, and videos posting tips to get published. Contact OrangeEnt for info:
maildrop62 at proton dot me
Cutting The Cord And Email Security
Moron Meet-Ups





















« Top Headline Comments 2-5-14 | Main | Wednesday Morning News Dump »
February 05, 2014

Obama: There Isn't Even A Smidgen Of Corruption At IRS
Lerner: I Exercise My Rights Under the Fifth Amendment

During his big Fox News interview on Sunday, President Obama claimed that there was "not even a smidgen of corruption" at IRS, just some "bone-headed" decision-making. This is understandably raising some eyebrows, particularly since just last May, he said that the targeting of conservative groups by IRS was "intolerable and inexcusable."

Yesterday, Deputy Attorney General James Cole suggested that Obama had not even been briefed on the investigation into the IRS.

On Tuesday, Mr. Cole told the House Judiciary Committee that he doesn’t know what evidence Mr. Obama is using, but that nobody from the department briefed the president.

“Generally we do not brief elected officials,” Mr. Cole said.

That left Republicans with more questions for Mr. Obama.

“How can he be so sure, when it’s an ongoing investigation?” said Rep. Jim Jordan, Ohio Republican and chairman of a key investigative committee looking into both the IRS and the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into the agency.

The Wall Street Journal, observing that we've gone from "inexcusable" to "bone-headed," rightly wonders, "If there was no corruption at IRS, why did Lois Lerner invoke her Fifth Amendment rights?"

But hey, if the President says it's all kosher and the FBI doesn't intend to pursue criminal charges in its probe of the selective IRS screening procedures, why should Ms. Lerner take the Fifth? Perhaps we'll get to hear what Ms. Lerner meant when she wrote in February 2011 emails that the tea party matter was "very dangerous" and that "Cincy should probably NOT have these cases."

This is quite right. Obama glibly tosses aside even the possibility of corruption in the IRS before the investigation is even complete while Lerner's decision to clam up actively prevented further investigation into her role in targeting conservative groups for extra scrutiny and holding their applications in administrative limbo for longer than liberal groups.

We can and we should take the negative inference from Lerner's decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment. She had no reason to do so unless she believed a crime had been committed. I think we should take Lerner, who was present and involved in the event, at her word when she indicated that crimes might have been committed. Certainly Lerner is more credible on the topic than the President, who wasn't even briefed on the matter.


digg this
posted by Gabriel Malor at 08:24 AM

| Access Comments




Recent Comments
Hour of the Wolf: "The Secret Service has been going downhill since J ..."

Pug Mahon: "Sal, prayers aloft. ..."

screaming in digital: "pookysgirl, good to see you and happy the little f ..."

Ciampino - No Ispettore, a published author: "Trump assassination attempt suspect Ryan Wesley Ro ..."

Soothsayer:: " [i]Think I'll take a cruise to Seattle. Posted ..."

Commissar Hrothgar (hOUT3) ~ This year in Corsicana - again! ~ [/i][/b][/u][/s]: "Sal, may the memories of your brother be a blessin ..."

[i]Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM)[/u][/s][/i][/b]: " While comfortably ensconced upon a regular Kilam ..."

Bertram Cabot, Jr.: "Think I'll take a cruise to Seattle. ..."

Mike Hammer, etc., etc.: "Uh, I recall Civics as 9th or 10th grade class. Ap ..."

skywch: "And yay for Li'l Pooky! Glad mama can get some res ..."

nurse ratched : "Peace be with you and your family, sal ..."

Ciampino - No Ispettore, e molto strano: "This is odd .... Ryan Routh photographed with Worl ..."

Recent Entries
Search


Polls! Polls! Polls!
Frequently Asked Questions
The (Almost) Complete Paul Anka Integrity Kick
Top Top Tens
Greatest Hitjobs

The Ace of Spades HQ Sex-for-Money Skankathon
A D&D Guide to the Democratic Candidates
Margaret Cho: Just Not Funny
More Margaret Cho Abuse
Margaret Cho: Still Not Funny
Iraqi Prisoner Claims He Was Raped... By Woman
Wonkette Announces "Morning Zoo" Format
John Kerry's "Plan" Causes Surrender of Moqtada al-Sadr's Militia
World Muslim Leaders Apologize for Nick Berg's Beheading
Michael Moore Goes on Lunchtime Manhattan Death-Spree
Milestone: Oliver Willis Posts 400th "Fake News Article" Referencing Britney Spears
Liberal Economists Rue a "New Decade of Greed"
Artificial Insouciance: Maureen Dowd's Word Processor Revolts Against Her Numbing Imbecility
Intelligence Officials Eye Blogs for Tips
They Done Found Us Out, Cletus: Intrepid Internet Detective Figures Out Our Master Plan
Shock: Josh Marshall Almost Mentions Sarin Discovery in Iraq
Leather-Clad Biker Freaks Terrorize Australian Town
When Clinton Was President, Torture Was Cool
What Wonkette Means When She Explains What Tina Brown Means
Wonkette's Stand-Up Act
Wankette HQ Gay-Rumors Du Jour
Here's What's Bugging Me: Goose and Slider
My Own Micah Wright Style Confession of Dishonesty
Outraged "Conservatives" React to the FMA
An On-Line Impression of Dennis Miller Having Sex with a Kodiak Bear
The Story the Rightwing Media Refuses to Report!
Our Lunch with David "Glengarry Glen Ross" Mamet
The House of Love: Paul Krugman
A Michael Moore Mystery (TM)
The Dowd-O-Matic!
Liberal Consistency and Other Myths
Kepler's Laws of Liberal Media Bias
John Kerry-- The Splunge! Candidate
"Divisive" Politics & "Attacks on Patriotism" (very long)
The Donkey ("The Raven" parody)
Powered by
Movable Type 2.64