Colbert concludes tea partiers are ‘a bunch of pussies’ after consulting his lawyer

[Up2Late]

Source: Raw Story

“...Why has my application for tax-exempt status never been granted?” he asked his lawyer, Trevor Potter.

“Because we never filed it,” Potter replied, to Colbert’s surprise, since his 501 (c)(4) group was doing business and had handled at least hundreds of thousands of dollars, in Potter’s estimation.

“How is that possible, that I didn’t apply?” Colbert asked. “Am I breaking the law?”

Potter took that opportunity to remind the Colbert Report host that he was not legally obligated to apply for tax-exempt status in the first place.

“So wait a second,” Colbert said, stifling a laugh. “So you can form a 501 (c) (4) without asking to form one.” When Potter confirmed that, Colbert got a little giddier.

“So these tea party, anti-big government organizations didn’t have to ask big government for permission, but they did anyway?” Colbert asked as a follow-up.

“Right,” Potter answered....

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/05/21/colbert-concludes-tea-partiers-are-a-bunch-of-pussies-after-consulting-his-lawyer/

---

Be sure to check out the video lower down in the article too, it's great!

I hope Raw Story is still O.K. here, it's been a while since I've posted to LBN.

[blm]

1. I've been pushing the same point - 230 groups flagged for extra scrutiny NEVER WHINED ABOUT IT

the way the 70 tea party groups did, prompting their moron congressmen to make numerous inquiries to IRS.

Left groups and others are ACCUSTOMED to added scrutiny while Tea party groups feel they are entitled to a process that hands them what they want, no matter how undeserved. And we all KNOW how undeserved tax exempt status is for this cabal of morons and fascist tools.

[maidensandiego]

3. Dirty....Rotten...Scandrals !!!!

All the NUTTY BAGGERS were out protesting a few of the IRS buildings across the country today. I wanna find one near or a reasonable distance.... from San Diego...and go PICKET with Signs right across from them... that state something to the effect of "And Our Tax $'s Got Us These Bunch of NUTS!" Fascist Tools they are !

[babylonsister]

5. They are total morons,

but they managed to stir up a hornet's nest. Maybe that was their intent all along, making them less moronic?

[Chaco Dundee]

9. king george

King George (shrub) used to say"Morans" .
I am still amused by that.by the way,I love the fountain to.

[Up2Late]

10. I've been wondering that myself...

If they were just too stupid to think they needed to consult a good lawyer?

OR, did they file these forms knowing it would take a lot more time than seemed reasonable, then they could bitch about it and try to blame Obama for it?

[former9thward]

14. You need to file the forms so taxes are not paid on contributions.

The lawyer in the OP needs to consult a lawyer who actually knows tax law.

[Up2Late]

15. I'm pretty sure you form a Tax Exempt "social welfare organization" to NOT pay taxes...

...so why would you file a form to not pay taxes that you never planned to pay?

I don't think you fully understand how screwed up this law is, a 501 (c) (4) is basically a now legal way to launder unlimited amounts of campaign cash from anonymous donors, you don't have to tell the IRS anything about how much money passes through one of these Tax Exempt "social welfare organization." I know it sounds impossible, but that is how the law was written and how the SCOTUS interpreted it in the Citizens United case.

Btw, Trever Potter is the former commissioner (1991–1995) and chairman (1994) of the United States Federal Election Commission, he was there when this Law was written, so I'm pretty sure he's the guy to turn to if you have a question about this Law.

If you really want to understand how screwed up this law is, check out these videos, they explain it very well, the show won a Peabody Award for these "reports":

http://www.colbertnation.com/video/Trevor+Potter

If you prefer reading to watching some great video, here's a good summery of what he covered in the videos:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/19/colbert-super-pac_n_1212960.html

[former9thward]

18. You need to file the form to get IRS exemption not to pay.

Again, the lawyer in the OP needs to consult a real lawyer -- not play one on TV.

[Up2Late]

22. He is a real lawyer, it's you who needs to read this section of the Law!

This part of this Law is handled through the FEC, NOT the IRS. I know! It sounds crazy and wrong (and most who have read this part of the tax code agree that it's wrong) but that is how this section is written and how SCOTUS interpreted this section of the law.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

2. The Tea Party was astroturfed from the beginning so it only follows they would use every trick.

[blm]

4. Attack them as whiners incapable of accepting normal vetting process on FB and Twitter, too.

Their feeling of entitlement has been costing the taxpayers a whole lot of money for all these unnecessary investigations and hearings.

Dumbasses.

[Berlum]

6. WhineBaggers (R)

[blm]

17. LOLOL

Ain't it the truth!

[Brigid]

26. Whinebagger!

I am so stealing that!

[Up2Late]

7. I found these GREAT old video clips, last night, at The Daily Show's archive

...that really explain them well, from way back when they still called themselves "Tea Baggers."

Tempest in a Tea Party - Tea Bag Tyranny

The Correspondents Explain - Political Parties - The Tea Party

[freshwest]

12. Good stuff. I found a Rachel Maddox from that same time:

And Hitchens analyzed them:

Tea’d Off January 2011
By Christopher Hitchens

Forfeiting a both-houses Republican victory, rational conservatives ignored or excused the most hateful kind of populist claptrap (e.g., the fetid weirdness of Glenn Beck’s 9/12 Project). The poison they’ve helped disseminate will still be in the American bloodstream when the country needs it least...

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2011/01/hitchens-201101

More of what Hitchens had to say:

http://www.mediaite.com/online/christopher-hitchens-slams-glenn-beck-tea-party-in-vanity-fair/

[The Wizard]

11. What do they have to conceal? (NT)

[AngryAmish]

19. Do you put political stuff on your facebook page?

That is incredibly strange.

I got all sorts of people as facebook friends. My kids babysitters, college buddies, guys from my golf club, etc. I can guarantee you that not a single one is in any way interested in my political beliefs. Why should they be?

[blm]

20. No - It goes on FB pages of news media posting about these topics

Last edited Wed May 22, 2013, 01:35 PM - Edit history (1)

not my personal one.

[AngryAmish]

21. oh, nevermind

[Up2Late]

23. Oh yes, plenty of stuff.

I grew up in Indiana, so most of the people I went to school with are Obama hating Republicans, so the few bits of Democratic/Pro-Obama stuff that I post is just a fraction of the RW crap I see them post everyday. If I could figure out how to block their RW crap without totally blocking my old friends, I would.

Thankfully, most of my Cousins are far Left Liberals.

[babylonsister]

8. Great stuff! nt

[cosmicone]

13. oh come on !! The teabaggers bravely serve in the 81st Chairborne!!! n/t

[blm]

16. HAH!

.

[Up2Late]

24. I don't get that reference at all...

A little help?

[cosmicone]

30. Chair-borne as opposed to Air-borne?

i.e. armchair soldiers

[Up2Late]

31. Ah! I get it! Sorry, my dyslexia was putting a L in there

Clairborne instead of Chairborne.

Plus I'm rapidly going blind, due to a degenerative eye disease (Keratoconus) I recently found out I have.

[cosmicone]

32. Hope your ophthalmologist can do

a mini asymmetric laser radial keratotomy or intrastromal corneal ring segments. One or the other helps 90% of the patients.

[Up2Late]

33. Yeah, I'm probably going to try the Gas permiable contacts first...

...because I think my eyes are still changing for a few more years yet.

[One_Life_To_Give]

25. They take a licking and keep on ticking?

Would think there are better terms to describe them.

[arcane1]

27. kicking for later viewing!

[gopiscrap]

28. I love Colbert

and also I sure wish his sister would have won in SC.

[marshall]

29. I never liked using the word pussies to refer to a weak person, even in jest

But I guess it's better than him saying they are fa@@ots.