Joe Scarborough’s IRS hypocrisy

[One of the 99]

Joe Scarborough’s IRS hypocrisy

The MSNBC host is outraged about the Tea Party's treatment, but sought to "yank" NAACP's tax-exempt status in 2003

By Alex Seitz-Wald

This week, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough joined the chorus of those decrying the IRS for targeting Tea Party groups for extra scrutiny in applying for nonprofit status. “You can’t allow the government to tread on political speech,” Scarborough said. “The Internal Revenue Service — the taxman — to go after their political beliefs. … I can’t imagine much worse than this,” he added.

Targeting nonprofit groups because of their political beliefs is wrong — pretty much everyone agrees on that. So today’s Scarborough must be outraged by his 2003 self, which gave this monologue on his show “Scarborough Country” on July 13, 2003:

The leader of the NAACP bashes President Bush and the Republican Party. Why is this clearly partisan group still being funded by your tax dollars? [...]

[T]he NAACP continues to get a free ride off of taxpayers because of the tax-exempt status that’s conferred to them by our federal government, now, this despite the fact the NAACP produced and ran the most vicious campaign attack ad in the history of televised presidential campaign. [...]

As Americans, NAACP members are free to speak their mind any time, day or night. But they shouldn’t be getting a tax-free ride on the backs of hard-working Americans who don’t get such preferential treatment. President Bush and members of Congress should have the guts to yank the tax-exempt status away from these left-wing activists. And while they’re at it, take away the tax exempt status of any right-wing activist who thumb their noses at the law as brazenly as does the NAACP.

http://www.salon.com/2013/05/16/joe_scarborough_in_2003_yank_the_naacps_tax_exempt_status/

[Baitball Blogger]

1. Sounds like one for the Daily Show to illustrate.

[malaise]

2. Oh My - get thee to the Greatest Page

Joe Scum is a shameless ReTHUG scumbag.

[Augiedog]

3. Credibility?

He still needs to explain the dead woman in his office, maybe she wasn't a sufficient tax deduction so off with her head. Does anyone know if she was pregnant when she was killed?

[TinkerTot55]

4. Dear Republicans.....

....don't remember the things you said in the past?
It's OK, we have the YouTubes and the Google; we'll remind you.
Notes to yourself: Try to remember to be consistent. Think your policy positions through, and if they're philosophically or ethically sound, s t i c k w i t h t h e m.
( You're welcome! )

[RockaFowler]

5. He was so smug this morning on the Today Show

I wanted to smack him. I guess Salon and Kos will send this to MSNBC - like they will do anything about him. He's such a hypocrite and liar. So glad I don't watch that stupid show!

[CTyankee]

11. Hell, I am going to copy and paste Scar's statement re NAACP and email it to the MJ

website address. Everyone here at DU should flood their site with the same thing!

Go to msnbc.com and click on the Morning Joe listing at the top of the main page. Scroll down and you'll find the "What Should we be Talking About" section where you can email them. Hit Submit and you are done!

Do a separate email on the Salon article about Jonathan Karl. He was idolized on the show last week and now he ain't lookin' so great...

[AndyA]

6. Scarborough is a fat headed hypocrite.

He must be a huge @sshole in person.

[Dustlawyer]

7. K&R! It's funny that they are up in arms about Republican Tea Party groups being singled

out by the IRS. I just watched a Tom Hartman interview with former Alabama Governor, Don Seigleman's daughter. Here is a guy who was clearly singled out by Carl Rove, who hand picked the prosecutor (Her husband was campaign manager for Seigleman's opponent) and the Judge (appointed by Bush and given a big Defense contract during the Governor's trial) who was railroaded and now in jail. Where is their outrage for this partisan prosecution making Seigleman a political prisoner right here in the good ol U.S. of A.!!! Our system is completely broken and corrupt! We need to stop the tit-for-tat, Dems vs. Repugs game they have us playing and start working with each other to clean up D.C. We need COMPLETE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM (CCFR)! That should be demanded by citizens identifying themselves as either Democrat or Republican! It is not an accident that the Stock Market is setting records while everyone else has to suck it up!
Change the tax code to have clear and enforced rules on these groups. The NAACP runs campaign ads but also does a lot more. These groups are supposed to stand for, and do things other than run these transparent ads. Revoke them all and we will all be better off! The only good thing about living in Texas is that very few ads of any stripe are run here. I feel for the folks in Ohio, Florida and other battleground states that have to see and hear this bullshit all of the time!

[Veilex]

8. As long as private (Read:corporate and special interest groups) can influence elections...

more than the average citizen, the IRS SHOULD be scrutinizing any and all political parties. No party should be exempt! An exempt party is a party that will inevitably try to pull shinanigans... more so than without the scrutinization.

[Thinkingabout]

9. K & R

I remember the scrutiny given to NAACP and Acorn, the GOP is still bringing up those two. The GOP wanted unlimited Citizens United, they got them and way too many groups applied for tax exempt.

[malaise]

10. Kick for the Saturday crowd

has anyone sent this to Morning Joe Scum?

[CTyankee]

12. AS I said above, I will most certainly send it to them first thing Monday a.m.

Gonna get it in at the bang of 6 am, as I have heard they only read emails during the actual program. I'll also email the J. Karl stuff, too.

Yay! Two sticks to beat them with first thing Monday!

C'mon Joe, make my day again!

[malaise]

13. I'll be watching