Coming February 6, 2024 . . .
MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE
by Michael Wolraich
Pre-order at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop
Coming February 6, 2024 . . . MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE by Michael Wolraich Pre-order at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop |
By Chris Cillizza, Washington Post, May 14, 2013
It’s only Tuesday. But President Obama is already in the midst of one of the worst weeks, politically speaking, of his presidency — besieged by an burgeoning scandal at the Internal Revenue Service, revelations that the Justice Department secretly obtained phone records of reporters at the Associated Press and ongoing Republican criticism over the terrorist attack in Benghazi last fall.
Any one of those stories would be enough to knock an Administration back on its heels. All three — and with the IRS and AP stories coming in rapid succession over the past 96 hours — threaten to permanently derail Obama’s plans to fortify his presidential legacy in the first 18 months of his second term.
The problems are both practical and symbolic [....]
Comments
Also at The Atlantic, Jill Lawrence suggests Eric Holder and the acting IRS commissioner may not be long for this world.
by artappraiser on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 5:13pm
Watch Jay Carney Dodge Approximately One Billion Scandal-Related Questions at His Daily Press Briefing
by artappraiser on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 6:50pm
...and he thought all he had to do was cut Social Security to achieve victory!
Obama might have waited for the IG report on the IRS before expressing 'outrage'. The GOP howls and Obama jumps.
The IRS may be that rare find in government, were they just doing their job?
Does anyone really believe the Tea Party bunch are anything but political?
Tax exempt 501(c)(3) organizations are not permitted to engage in political activity, endorse or oppose political candidates, or donate money or time to political campaigns, does that sound like the Tea Party?? ANY new group claiming tax exempt status SHOULD be thoroughly investigated.
And since when does revealing that a terrorist bombing was stopped pose such a huge threat to national security that the AP phone logs have to be turned over? I assume the terrorists were the first to know the plan failed?
by NCD on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 7:06pm
...and he thought all he had to do was cut Social Security to achieve victory!
Hah! And Putin's kicking out an American spy and doesn't get a single brownie point for that from anyone, it seems!
More seriously, I find the IRS story somewhat thought provoking. Here's a V.P. from "Common Cause" making the strong argument that they should be scrutinizing political groups more, not less. And an average person would certainly be suspicious that groups that advocate against taxation might be more likely to try to illegally avoid taxes than ones that don't, so the I.R.S. being suspicious shouldn't be like "I'm shocked, shocked, what were they thinking?" On the other hand, one could argue that our political system really was founded partly on disputing taxes.....shouldn't it sort of be sacrosant that one can do that politically without ramifications from the federal government?
by artappraiser on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 7:34pm
You're absolutely correct AA--these groups are obviously suspect. On the other hand, and I honestly haven't been following this closely, but the IRS, if it targeted the anti-tax groups, acted beyond its mandate and is either setting or observing a horrible existing precedent.
by Bruce Levine on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 7:49pm
Those in power know the Tea party or Patriot parties are a threat to the plutocracy. You "serfs" are not to be allowed a different or unknown financial support system, it is a cause of great consternation to them. "You must obey the rules" THEY have established, to keep them in power. They control the money and they want every opportunity to discover any finances that they can't control or doesnt benefit them....... Derivitives and shadow banking is okay, because it's one of their people and if caught, the Justice Department (in their hip pocket), will just slap the
culpritsmisguided hands anyways........ Hypocrites: offer a 2 million dollar reward, for the arrest of those who dared to attack the established system in place, one that rewards friends of the plutocracy, The plutocracy' friends couldnt be incarcerated. ...... Bankers and tycoons, meet the new Robin Hood/ Jesse James gang The Tea party scares them and they want to know who finances the very ones they fear.by Resistance on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 8:41pm
The CIA guy apparently had bags of dollars, disguises and was roaming Dagestan looking for terrorists or informers on terrorists. Keystone Cops comes to mind.
Obama always seems to be out front whenever Republicans are upset about something. I really think he should have shut up until the IRS IG report was completed, nothing like dumping on gov't employees on hearsay. Oh, I forgot, Obama also sequestered federal employees/agencies in his game of cut government chicken with the GOP.
I fully expect Obama to be totally stymied by the GOP the rest of his term on virtually everything.
by NCD on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 7:50pm
Stymied? You mean to say; Obama (r) won't have to move unwillingly to the left after all; he's been saved by the scapegoat? Appearances are deceiving.
by Resistance on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 8:54pm
Those who control the the purse ....CONTROL ... Get rid of the income tax; most everyone knows; the only ones paying, are the middle class anyways ........ Defense of the United States should come only from duties and tariffs....... If your State wants to ignore it's own citizens .... MOVE or change your leaders, (it is easier since it's local control)....... The IRS is the tool of the Plutocratic controlled capitalist parties, leaving the rich alone (the Masters) and going after the middle class (serfs), to support the Plutocratic capitalist parties agenda....... STOP ALL the tax exemptions, everyone pays. No favoritism...... STOP the FEDERAL INCOME TAX ...If in your State, you want a bridge to nowhere; let your State pay for it. We The People should not be enslaved to the Federal government, who is owned and controlled by the Plutocracy. If you want to continue to live on hurricane ravished shores YOU pay the price. if you want to live in landslide areas YOU pay the price, quit stickin it to those smart enough to avoid such areas. PS .. Quit subsidizing the Barge industry so we can move our NATIONS water resources, to areas where we need them.
by Resistance on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 8:18pm
On the other hand, one could argue that our political system really was founded partly on disputing taxes.....shouldn't it sort of be sacrosant that one can do that politically without ramifications from the federal government?
Yeah, well that era ended pretty quickly with the whiskey rebellion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskey_Rebellion
The farmers who resisted, many war veterans, contended that they were fighting for the principles of the American Revolution, in particular against taxation without local representation, while the Federal government maintained the taxes were the legal expression of the taxation powers of Congress.
Washington called up that "well regulated militia" mentioned in the 2nd amendment and personally led them. The farmers all ran home and that was the end of that.
Personally I wish the gun nuts and tea party idiots would stop talking about tyranny and "fertilizing the tree of liberty with the blood of patriots" and do something about it like the whiskey rebellion "patriots." The army, or in most cases simply the local police, would put an end to their nonsense just as fast and we could get about solving some problems and getting something done.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/is-the-n-r-a-un-american/
Is the N.R.A. Un-American?
The more militant members of the N.R.A. and most of its leaders may be un-American.
By “militant” I don’t mean those who wish to protect recreational shooting and hunting; nor do I mean those who, like Justice Antonin Scalia, believe that there is a constitutional right to defend one’s home and family with firearms. These are respectable positions (although I am deeply unpersuaded by the second). I mean those who read the Second Amendment as proclaiming the right of citizens to resist the tyranny of their own government, that is, of the government that issued and ratified the Constitution in the first place.
by ocean-kat on Wed, 05/15/2013 - 1:12am
The colonist wanted neither British BS or the new and improved British BS...... From my perception, the Constitution wouldn't have been ratified, if you had told the colonists "throw off the Kings yoke and put on ours"..... Those who financed, the colonization of the New World, suffered a slight set back, during the Revolution, as business as usual was temporarily disrupted...... With patience, those monied interests have brought back their Yoke of servitude, but this time they are the wiser. They will not allow an underground movement, to thwart their efforts at World domination, open your financial records, answer to the IRS tax man as he reports back his findings to his Master .... You'll have their mark of approval or else suffer financial ruination or worse. You might evn be destroyed by a drone without a trial? This World Wide monied interest, Syndicate/CO OP with the support from the lackeys of their New World colony, will be the miltary arm, to assure compliance, as they project strength around the World, as these Masters of the World proclam "Who is like us? Who dares to object to our rule? " "Let us show all the World "Shock and Awe" ... As they force us US citizens through taxation , to do their will, building up their military, not ours; forcing us, to our knees, begging for jobs in order to feed our families. When your'e hungry enough; will you capitulate on your regulations? Will you work as cheap as the rest of the World's workers; if so, maybe they'll end their JOBS blockade? In the meantime; sign up for 10 years of war service. to force others to comply...... How much military do we need, to protect our Nation? How much military do they need, to control the world? ......Freedom to grovel for the crumbs that should fall from their tables? Ask the Masters can we please have a retirement, can we have healthcare? ........If they can investigate the AP, how long before written dissent will be banned? Of course OUR Attorney General abdicated. ... IDIOTS who want to disarm the citizens, who might want to defend against tyranny and abuse?.... Go back to England, we don't want your influence, to corrupt our freedoms. Freedom of the Press being paramount. Freedom of Association being another, but that threatens those, who want to control. I am too old, but we all must assure that our children have the means to defend themselves. This is not my world, I am only borowing it from future generations and I don't wish to enslave them with no means to resist, because our generation was stupid.
by Resistance on Wed, 05/15/2013 - 5:11am
by artappraiser on Wed, 05/15/2013 - 10:11am
David Rohde for The Atlantic: How Obama Has Contributed to His Own Aura of Scandal, May 17: In his handling of multiple national security-related uproars, the president's biggest sin is being aloof and disengaged.
by artappraiser on Fri, 05/17/2013 - 5:45pm
While the Tea Party and the GOP are upset about Conservative groups facing more detailed scrutiny, a Liberal group was denied. If there was a political agenda at work it seriously misfired.
by rmrd0000 on Fri, 05/17/2013 - 6:23pm
Republicans handed out altered emails from Deputy National Security Director Ben Rhodes and US state Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland to suggest that there was a cover-up of events in Benghazi.
by rmrd0000 on Fri, 05/17/2013 - 6:37pm
Polling suggests that Hillary Clinton is more trusted than Congressional Republicans over Benghazi
by rmrd0000 on Fri, 05/17/2013 - 7:00pm
ABC News reported that there was White House involvement in the "scrubbing" of the information released on Benghazi. The report was touted as exclusive by ABC. The Sunday morning news show were Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi. Some Republican leaked altered emails to ABC. ABC reported the altered emails as data they obtained. ABC did not obtain the emails, they had doctored documents.
ABC has not corrected its false report. ABC has not revealed who fed them the false information. ABC is keeping the public in the dark
by rmrd0000 on Fri, 05/17/2013 - 9:17pm
Thanks for adding links to the thread, rmrd.
As far as the Benghazi story, I wonder whether politically it is worth counteracting much any more. They are like beating a dead horse with that one, I think....it's becoming kind of like being a birther....you're either going to continue to be all upset about Benghazi or you're not, few are going to change sides. All the other stuff is different, I think, it's fresh blood in the water, as they say....
by artappraiser on Sat, 05/18/2013 - 2:35pm
Note: I've quoted the whole article because it's not original content; the article is totally piggybacking off the New York Times.
by artappraiser on Sat, 05/18/2013 - 3:15pm
by artappraiser on Sun, 05/19/2013 - 1:50pm