Was the White House involved in the IRS's targeting of conservatives? No investigation needed to answer that one. Of course it was.
President Obama and Co. are in full deniability mode, noting that the IRS is an "independent" agency and that they knew nothing about its abuse. The media and Congress are sleuthing for some hint that Mr. Obama picked up the phone and sicced the tax dogs on his enemies.
But that's not how things work in post-Watergate Washington. Mr. Obama didn't need to pick up the phone. All he needed to do was exactly what he did do, in full view, for three years: Publicly suggest that conservative political groups were engaged in nefarious deeds; publicly call out by name political opponents whom he'd like to see harassed; and publicly have his party pressure the IRS to take action.
◼ White House counsel should resign if she knew about IRS abuses - Lanny J. Davis/The Hill
If Ms. Ruemmler did know about this IRS story and didn’t inform the president immediately, then, respectfully, that must mean she didn’t appreciate fully the mammoth legal and political implications for the U.S. government as well as the American people of a story involving IRS officials abusing power and possibly violating criminal laws.
It is also hard to understand why some people in the media who apparently knew about this foreknowledge by the White House counsel and her failure to tell the president missed this story and its significance.
◼ Flashback: Schumer, Franken urged IRS to target tea party in 2012 - Jeff Poor/Daily Caller
Long before the Internal Revenue Service revealed it had improperly targeted conservative 501(c)(4) groups, a group of Democratic senators led by New York Sen. Chuck Schumer urged the IRS to do just that....
◼ Why did the IRS keep the scandal quiet until after the election? Update: Treasury Dep’t knew last year - Allahpundit/HotAir
◼ Report: IRS Deliberately Chose Not to Fess Up to Scandal Before Election - Daniel Halper/Weekly Standard
◼ IRS henchwoman got $103,390 in bonuses - Did Obama OK them? - Mark Tapscott/Washington Examiner
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., described the Ingram awards as "stunning, just stunning."
Bonuses as large as those awarded to Ingram typically require presidential approval, according to federal personnel regulations.
◼ What is Sarah Hall Ingram’s Role in the IRS Scandal? - Viral Read
Imagine if we -- if you can -- what would have happened if this fact came out in September 2012, in the middle of a presidential election? The terrain would have looked very different."
IRS stalled conservative groups, but gave speedy approval to Obama foundation...
Agency used 'planted' question to reveal scandal...
'Absolutely Not Illegal'...
'IS THIS STILL AMERICA?'
Charlie Rangel outraged: 'Wrong to Abuse the Tax System'...
◼ Democrat Baucus warns: More to come out on IRS scandal - Paul Bedard/Washington Examiner
◼ Obama #IRS Scandal Amnesia - the Other McCain
Ingram received a $7,000 bonus in 2009, according to data obtained by The Washington Examiner from the IRS, then a $34,440 bonus in 2010, $35,400 in 2011 and $26,550 last year, for a total of $103,390. Her annual salary went from $172,500 to $177,000 during the same period
It would be a gross understatement to say that ex-IRS acting commissioner Steven Miller was an uncooperative and unhelpful witness at today’s House Ways and Means Committee hearing. Everything about the IRS scandal can apparently be divided into two categories:
1. Things Steven Miller does not know; and
2. Things Steven Miller can not remember
Despite this, some actual information got pried loose today:
The hearing’s one clear revelation came ◼ when Mr. Miller conceded that the I.R.S.’s apology for targeting was prompted by a question planted by the agency last Friday at an American Bar Association meeting. At that meeting, Lois Lerner, the head of the I.R.S.’s division overseeing tax-exempt organizations, was asked about an inquiry of the targeting issue, eliciting an apology that quickly leaked out of the closed-door session. The I.R.S. then scrambled to issue a formal release on the issue.
Mr. Miller divulged that the exchange was not an impromptu apology but a planned exchange between Ms. Lerner and Celia Roady, a tax attorney at the Washington law firm Morgan Lewis. That revelation only underscored the ham-handed way the scandal has burst into view.
◼ ‘Best rant ever!’ Huge applause after Rep. Mike Kelly nails acting IRS chief [video] - Twitchy
