Tea Partiers harassed by IRS?

[Neil]

So, where we at with this IRS thing. I read they uncovered more targeting. Not just teabagger targeting.

Who were they targeting now?  People who posted anti-tax manifestos online?  At any rate, fuck 'em.  People need to stop cheating on their taxes.

[derspiess]

So, where we at with this IRS thing. I read they uncovered more targeting. Not just teabagger targeting.

Who were they targeting now?  People who posted anti-tax manifestos online?  At any rate, fuck 'em.  People need to stop cheating on their taxes.

Yeah, even if they're not.

[CountDeMoney]

So, where we at with this IRS thing. I read they uncovered more targeting. Not just teabagger targeting.

Who were they targeting now?  People who posted anti-tax manifestos online?  At any rate, fuck 'em.  People need to stop cheating on their taxes.

Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS is a tax-exempt 501(c)(4) "social welfare" organization.  Spent $70M on political campaign ads for the 2012 election.

And yet, it's the IRS that gets the grief for scrutinizing similar groups trying to get in on the action.  Funny, that.

[Razgovory]

So, where we at with this IRS thing. I read they uncovered more targeting. Not just teabagger targeting.

Who were they targeting now?  People who posted anti-tax manifestos online?  At any rate, fuck 'em.  People need to stop cheating on their taxes.

Yeah, even if they're not.

That's why we need to investigate.

[11B4V]

So, where we at with this IRS thing. I read they uncovered more targeting. Not just teabagger targeting.

Who were they targeting now?  People who posted anti-tax manifestos online?  At any rate, fuck 'em.  People need to stop cheating on their taxes.

FWIW

(Newser) – The IRS scandal goes beyond the Tea Party: Documents show that over the past two years while evaluating applications for tax-exempt status, officials also zeroed in on groups that criticized the government or educated Americans about the Constitution or the Bill of Rights; as well as groups that were interested in taxes, government spending, or government debt; limiting or expanding the government; improving America; or "social economic reform."

The documents show how the Cincinnati office frequently redefined the types of groups that should be targeted for increased scrutiny, even after division chief Lois Lerner objected in June 2011, the Washington Post reports. In March 2012, then-IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman testified before Congress that the IRS was not singling out conservative groups, the Wall Street Journal reports. It wasn't until May 2012 that a neutral policy was adopted, with the IRS agreeing to target any group that was significantly concerned with political campaigns. The documents don't make it clear who the decision-maker was, Reuters reports.

[Queequeg]

Wasn't there something floating around showing that there had been something like 17 attacks on US embassies in the past 10 years?

Bombs get set off next to US embassies all the time.  That's why we build them like the Maginot Line.

The Consulate in Istanbul is massive, on top of a hill, has three layers of security, and is protected by massive Turks with Iraq and Afghanistan experience.  I actually talked to a Circassian guy who worked there for about 15 minutes.  It's a weird, weird place. 

[mongers]

Now let me get this straight, The IRS backed Al-Qaeda in North Africa, but Ron Paul found out about it, so they had to whack the Ambassador, to stop the NRA finding out that South poverty action was running guns to support the Al-Assad regime in Syria ?   

[Admiral Yi]

I actually talked to a Circassian guy who worked there for about 15 minutes.

What kind of severance package did he get?

YUK YUK YUK

[mongers]

Wasn't there something floating around showing that there had been something like 17 attacks on US embassies in the past 10 years?

Bombs get set off next to US embassies all the time.  That's why we build them like the Maginot Line.

The Consulate in Istanbul is massive, on top of a hill, has three layers of security, and is protected by massive Turks with Iraq and Afghanistan experience.  I actually talked to a Circassian guy who worked there for about 15 minutes.  It's a weird, weird place.

It's a pretty weird place that only employs people for 15 minutes at a time, but hey ho, that's outsourcing to the private sector for you.

[Neil]

So, where we at with this IRS thing. I read they uncovered more targeting. Not just teabagger targeting.

Who were they targeting now?  People who posted anti-tax manifestos online?  At any rate, fuck 'em.  People need to stop cheating on their taxes.

Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS is a tax-exempt 501(c)(4) "social welfare" organization.  Spent $70M on political campaign ads for the 2012 election.

And yet, it's the IRS that gets the grief for scrutinizing similar groups trying to get in on the action.  Funny, that.

Maybe you guys need to fix that loophole, although I suppose that would have to involve Congress.  And the only thing Congress is interested in is nonsense.

[Sheilbh]

Raz, I think the answer to your question is you don't put diplomatic staff in a position where they will have to fend off an attack by 150 armed men.

According to Raz that's their job.

I'm skipping most of this thread because it exploded today. But it is their job and I think most foreign service staff would accept that there's risk, in fact I think that's why many of them go for the job. The US needs diplomatic representation where it has interests and needs diplomats willing to be posted to places like post-war Tripoli, or, back in the day, Tehran. It's a public service and there's risk for them.

It's worth remembering though that Benghazi was mostly a CIA base (why the State Department apparently changed public references from a 'consulate' to 'diplomatic post') - of the 30 staff rescued only 7 were from State and I certainly think spies have to accept risk as do the diplomats who normally provide them cover. It's part of the job. And it's also why the State Department deserves more money

I would add that personally I think it'd be a scandal if the White House or Secretary of State knew about the individual risk assessments of one diplomatic post in the Middle East, or indeed any of them. It would make Carter look like a model of hands-off management.

[11B4V]

So, where we at with this IRS thing. I read they uncovered more targeting. Not just teabagger targeting.

Who were they targeting now?  People who posted anti-tax manifestos online?  At any rate, fuck 'em.  People need to stop cheating on their taxes.

Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS is a tax-exempt 501(c)(4) "social welfare" organization.  Spent $70M on political campaign ads for the 2012 election.

And yet, it's the IRS that gets the grief for scrutinizing similar groups trying to get in on the action.  Funny, that.

Maybe you guys need to fix that loophole, although I suppose that would have to involve Congress.  And the only thing Congress is interested in is nonsense.

Maybe, but that would have robbed us of Rove's epicness on election night. Fair trade-off IMO

[11B4V]

Raz just called someone childish?

Yea, he threw the tantrum and calls me childish.

[CountDeMoney]

Maybe, but that would have robbed us of Rove's epicness on election night. Fair trade-off IMO

Especially with those loooong shots of Megyn Kelly's looong legs. 

She's a partisan hack and a vapid talking head, but I'd pound that so hard she'd be screaming for socialized medicine.

[derspiess]

Looks like it goes beyond the Cincy office.  So hopefully the President is proportionately more outraged.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-denounces-reported-irs-targeting-of-conservative-groups/2013/05/13/a0185644-bbdf-11e2-97d4-a479289a31f9_print.html