Robt. Reich: Keep your eye on THE BIG SCANDAL!

[Bennyboy]

Robert Reich

Keep your eye on the big scandal. Although the IRS was wrong to target conservative groups for review based on their names, the bigger wrong was its failure to investigate the major groups -- such as Karl Rove's Grossroads GPS and Priorities USA -- that falsely claimed to be "social welfare organizations" under 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code in order to hide the names of their donors. And the real scandal of the 2012 election (which will be even worse next year, because they got away with it) is how many corporations and wealthy individuals used this loophole to disguise their identities while pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into campaigns. The Supreme Court in "Citizens United" at least assumed full disclosure, but the "social welfare organization" loophole in the tax laws has allowed corporations to keep political spending secret even from their own shareholders.

The worst outcome of the indignation over the IRS's targeting of conservative groups would be for the under-manned IRS to pull back from investigating all putative "social welfare organizations," thereby turning the scandalous loophole into a giant river of secret money. Our democracy is already being purchased by big corporations and the rich. At the least we should know who the buyers are.

https://www.facebook.com/RBReich

[rhett o rick]

1. Something smells worst than Denmark in the summer.

It wouldnt be very smart or productive for the IRS to target small time TeaBaggers. So why did they? Funny how the backlash might be a tremendous bonus for the big time Republican sponsors. Hmmm. Sounds waaay too convenient.

And spank me now for even thinking of conspiracies.

[Egalitarian Thug]

2. Here ya go

Any plan can be called a conspiracy, usually by the planners.

[rhett o rick]

3. Do I have to say thank you?

I like your signature.

[Egalitarian Thug]

18. Only if you want another...

[suffragette]

4. Explains all the highly dramatic indignation from them, doesn't it

Look there, look there. Whatever you do, don't look at how Rove, the Kochs, etc might be playing this.

[mac56]

15. The loudest yell follows the truest blow.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

6. Rec

[RoccoR5955]

11. Just how bad

Does Denmark smell in summer? Do people not bathe or something?

[kardonb]

22. Denmark

this quote comes from Shakespeare's "Hamlet " .

[pink-o]

27. I just returned from Denmark and it smells just fine!

I also went to Elsinore Castle (real name Kronborg, the town is Helsingor) and saw none of the rotten things Hamlet spoke of.

I realize totally OT, but so random someone would mention it as I sit here getting over jet lag. BTW, Copenhagen is a totally livable city because guess why?? The dirty, socialist government gives each citizen free education and health care. They foster a sense of community and camaraderie. Not everything is about $$$$$$$ and their politicians aren't bought.

So here I am back in the US, catching up to Repigs ginning up yet ANOTHER fake scandal. Oh, joy. But we're Number One, right?

[NewJeffCT]

12. and

the IRS was headed by a Bush holdover until late 2011...

[rhett o rick]

13. So the important thing, as Reich said, the Democrats must be very careful with their

reaction to this "tragedy". Fool us once, shame on them, fool us a hundred times and some might smell collusion. Just sayin.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

5. Reich is wrong if Holder will not go after the major groups -- such as Rove's Grossroads GPS, ...

[libodem]

7. Now we are getting to the heart of the matter

[Generic Other]

8. They are the crooks and they are playing it as if the IRS targeted them.

Acting as if they are being targeted for no reason other than political. Well, yes in fact this is exactly the case. They should be targeted! They appear to be breaking laws. The entire country was targeted by their out-of-state attack ads, their PACS that claim to be non-profits, to have non-political affiliation. These money laundering operations like Rove's and other high profile PACS masquerading as non-profits need to be investigated. Those who violate rules about political advocacy like the evangelical churches will lose their non-profit status if they cross the line. The teaparty tax evaders deserve to be scrutinized by the IRS. Just like the NRA does. Or the Mafia. Or Donald Trump. I don't care who they are -- A Koch billionaire or Bo the White House Dog, if they are claiming non-profit status, they need to be able to show they qualify and are not just a front operation created to get around the tax code and election laws.

I have zero patience for this non-story. I have a relative who was on Nixon's "enemy list." Bring the people who targeted her to justice. Liberal activists have been targeted for decades. Ask some of the environmental groups. Or anti-war groups.

Anyone can call herself a non-profit. Remember Bev Harris? She collected a lot of money in her voting fraud non-profit, enough to pay herself a hefty sum. That is how sleazebags operate. The IRS knows this. They actually read the sleazebags' tax returns every year. Bet those working stiffs in their government jobs just target all the 1%ers all the time. According to Barron's, Americans underpay their taxes by about $345 billion every year. I think it is safe to guess that the bulk of that money is not lining liberals' pockets.

There is no way on earth you can convince me that Karl Rove's Crossroads should not have been investigated. What does he think he has diplomatic immunity?

[octoberlib]

16. +1

The Rove’s of the world would like nothing more than for the public to believe that conservative groups had too few opportunities to influence the 2012 election and were wrongly persecuted by evil Washington bureaucrats. Yet the 2012 election should have taught us precisely the opposite lesson—that our patchwork regulatory system is far from equipped to deal with the new Gilded Age unleashed by Citizens United. As Rep. Keith Ellison told Hayes last night: “We need to redouble our efforts to bring real campaign-finance reform forward.”

Read more: http://www.thenation.com/blog/174320/irs-fallout-real-scandal-secret-money-influencing-us-elections#ixzz2TOr5Qhi3

[kentuck]

9. Reich is right again!

They are intimidating the IRS for their political advantage.

[rhett o rick]

19. What is fasinating is that when the right pulls a fast one, the left spots it right away, yet the

Democrats in Washington the DC, are always fooled. "Slime-ball told us there are WMD in Iraq, therefore, we should have a trillion dollar war." Fooled a number of prominent Democrats, including one that might be running for president.

[malaise]

24. +1000 n/t

[siligut]

10. It isn't as if the IRS is pinning something on them

The IRS is investigating, following the law. If they are within the law, they have nothing to be worried about.

[rhett o rick]

14. Exactly. Exactly. nm

[HangOnKids]

17. They Are Playing Yet Another Nasty Tricky Game

A preemptive strike game; where they set up the IRS (I believe with inside conservative help), giving cover to themselves and the real heavy players in the GOP, and plotting to squeal like the pigs they are when the IRS starts climbing into their shorts.

It is pulp fiction at its finest.

[northoftheborder]

20. But Obama is playing right along with them. Apparently.

[JEB]

21. Phuck KKKarl and all the other GOP crooks.

Our President should appoint Van Jones to run the IRS. ACORN could be reassembled to dismantle Rove's empire of deceit, lies and greed.

Edit to add after-thought: Never going to happen, Van Jones is out working on his own and ACORN is dead and buried and Obama bows before the nasty trickster Rove. SAD.

[stuffmatters]

23. I wondered right away if Lois was another Kathryn Harris

She was on the FEC then appointed by Bush to head up the 501c4 Division of the IRS when Citizen's United created the need for the 501c4 division. Unimaginable that Turdblossom wasn't in on her selection (as this couldn't have been more in his wheelhouse) or that they weren't friends and that she wasn't a die hard Republican.

I was thinking too, who has the most to gain from this self-appointed whistle blower? Carl Rove of course. The period these IRS "persecutions" of the Tea Party took place was the primaries, as Republican primary polls threatened him with one unelectable Tea Party hero after another, Cain, Gingrich, Santorum...not to mention all the TP challenges to his Congress preferences. It was well known that Rove was very anti those candidates because they were unelectable. So a little help from his friend at the IRS ideal.

It's well known that Rove has been heavily scrutinized and has been in serious jeopardy lately of his 501c4 tax free/
anonymous donor standing for 2012 election revoked by the IRS. . Rightfully so. Who in the world thinks Rove/Crossroads GPS qualifies as a primarily social welfare non profit? The tax penalties he faces would be hundreds of millions of dollars if his status were revoked; I have not read that the IRS has made final determination of his 501c4 exemptions.


Nobody had as much to gain from "prosecuting" Tea Party 501c4's during the Republican primary season as Karl Rove and no one has as much to gain by kneecapping the current IRS 501c4 challenges as CrossRoads& Karl Rove now.

[Dustlawyer]

25. We all need to demand COMPLETE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM (CCFR)!!!

This money has purchased most of our D.C. Politicians. They no longer Represent us, they Represent the corporations and the very wealthy. Wake up and stop arguing over Bengazi, guns, gays.... I am not saying guns and gays are not important, I am saying that those issues would be better served with a legislature that truly Represents we the people! The 1st step is to clean house and elect those committed to CCFR. Then we have to massively protest and withstand attack from the law enforcement groups bought off by the rich and powerful. They will not give up the reins willingly! This money is bribery plain and simple, why can't people see this? Why do we wonder when the Democrats cave and show they have no spine. Their spine is not the problem, it is their wallets!

[Augiedog]

26. Double secret conspiracy

I usually look to see who really has the most to gain or lose from suspicious behavior. In this case case it seems to me that these small time Teabagger organizations are a far bigger threat to the Republican Party mainstream than they are to any Democrat. Seeing as how the IRS management is a Bush era holdover is it possible that the Republicans used the IRS to slow down their embarrassing and politically harmful demonic sideshow put on by these alleged patriots and teabaggers,While at the same time get away with blaming it on Obama?

[patrice]

29. +++1!

[patrice]

28. I haven't hung around here as much lately, so when I came back recently & saw the latest outrage, I

was shocked (but, now that I think about it, I don't know why) that DU wasn't saying exactly what Robert Reich says here ABOUT SECRET MONEY.

For all of our supposed special position, as (cough, choke) "outsiders" (ha!), watching, observing, and processing lots of what's going on, we still lack the honest self-awareness to admit how there is a strong inertia that makes us the puppet of the very things that we criticize and it's not an unknown trait of that whole dynamic that those who criticize most negatively/destructively are also most likely, and I can hear the denials now, of being (at least de facto) co-opted by the very thing that they putatively fight against. And anyone who can't admit that tendency should honestly consider whether they are more part of the problem they mistakenly think they are fighting than they are of a solution. . . .

but then that potential fact IS consistent with what appears to be way more priority placed on some OTHER unknown goals and it also fits issue advocates who habitually act in a manner on this board that concretely politically damages their own issues. IOW, it's more important to get Obama than it is to see authentic PROGRESS on the issues. That fact ruins solidarity and self-insures the fight through failure on the issues.

[randr]

30. We should commend the IRS for their actions

"Patriot" and "Tea Party" groups are hiding under the conservative banner. Well funded, paranoid, and radically right leaning criminal organizations bent on corrupting our political process need more scrutiny not less.