In Two Hours Obama Destroys the GOP’s Benghazi and IRS Scandals

[Tx4obama]

In Two Hours Obama Destroys the GOP’s Benghazi and IRS Scandals

Just as Republicans and their media lackeys were getting their Obama scandal machine fired up, President Obama killed both the Benghazi and IRS “scandals” in a couple of hours.

The president put a stake through the heart of the GOP’s attempts to revive Benghazi by releasing 100 pages of emails. (Now, the world can see how badly Jon Karl and ABC News got played when they used the summaries of someone else’s notes.) The Washington Post’s Greg Sargent published an email from Tommy Vietor, who until recently was the spokesperson for the National Security Council. Vietor wrote, “Regarding the talking points, it’s not surprising that the entire government would want the chance to look at and edit that language. This was a dynamic situation and new information was constantly flowing in, and different agencies had important concerns that had to be addressed – the State Department had security concerns, the FBI was worried about its investigation, and the CIA had a major, yet still undisclosed, role.”

Republicans are putting out vague statements about contradictions, but Benghazi is pretty much finished as a scandal. It is difficult to accuse the White House of a cover up, when they’ve released all the emails.

The second part of the one-two punch was Obama speaking about the IRS scandal.

-SNIP-

Full article here: http://www.politicususa.com/hours-obama-destroys-gops-benghazi-irs-scandals.html

[creon]

1. Perhaps

He may have done that. But, maybe not
But, there are many people in the Village who do not want the scandals to end.
There are reasons: to punish political enemies; to get 'high' from participating in the 'chase' ( the story!); following the line of least resistance and going along to get along; to make a name for themselves and be important.

It will be hard for many Villagers to chill as they think that they have a lot to gain.

They will stop mainly because they are bored and tired.

There are many in Washington who are fatuous and fickle.

[cilla4progress]

2. Tell it, creon!

You sum up the truth forcefully and succinctly!

[creon]

19. thanks

[obama2terms]

3. Another thing I read

About the IRS Scandal was that several liberal leaning groups were also targeted by the IRS because they were applying for tax exempt status. Here's a link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/15/report-the-irs-also-targeted-at-least-three-liberal-groups/
I hope this blows over soon, the IRS shouldn't be specially targeting groups left or right. Maybe there is more to that than we know but for now, it's no bueno.

[Tx4obama]

4. Liberal Groups ‘Progress Texas,’ Emerge America,’ And ‘Clean Elections Texas’ Targeted By IRS

Liberal Groups ‘Progress Texas,’ Emerge America,’ And ‘Clean Elections Texas’ Targeted By IRS

-snip-

“Progress Texas and the Tea Party strongly disagree on the role of government,” the group’s executive director, Ed Espinoza, said in a statement. “Yet, when we applied for tax-exempt status, Progress Texas received the same type of additional scrutiny that Tea Party groups are complaining about. The similar treatment indicates the IRS was likely addressing a flood of 501c4 applications after Citizens United, and undermines the paranoid notion that Tea Party groups were singled out.”

An IRS letter…published by Progress Texas online Thursday showed the liberal group was given 22 days to respond to a list of 21 questions. Some of the questions included up to nine sub-questions.

The questions resembled the list of 35 questions (PDF) sent to the Liberty Township Tea Party, which has complained of IRS harassment.

Though the line of questioning was generally the same, there were some key differences between the lists of questions…

Bloomberg reported Tuesday that at least two other liberal groups, Emerge America and Clean Elections Texas, also received additional scrutiny from the IRS.

http://www.alan.com/2013/05/15/liberal-groups-progress-texas-emerge-america-and-clean-elections-texas-targeted-by-irs/

[OldRedneck]

5. And. . .

Obama's two-hour beatdown of the GOTP doesn't even include the ass-kicking Holder delivered to Issa.

[MjolnirTime]

6. and the AP and GOP are going down with that ship, too.

You know what they say about loose lips.

[BainsBane]

7. They'll be talking about Benghazi until Obama is 90

They've built it up so much in their heads, they've lost track of reality--which basically sums up the GOP in most things these days.

[Half-Century Man]

8. I still hold

That in order to completely resolve this issue. I want the entirety of all 501(c)(4) applicants to be reviewed. Hell, bring in the AP to monitor the process.
Just because the Tea p's and patriots got flagged at greater frequency, doesn't mean the IRS investigators were wrong. The only way to know is to find out.

[SCVDem]

9. Just my opinion, but

all week I have been extremely pissed off at Jon Stewart and Stephan Colbert.

There was just something about the celebratory snark which really just rubbed me the wrong way.

I guess what was missing was the balance. They had the GOP as the righteous ones and the entire administration as incompetent liars and know nothings.

Did anyone else feel the same or is it just me?

[liberal from boston]

10. My Opinion

I had the same opinion. In fact my right wing friends were saying that it is all over when you have Jon Stewart mocking the President. Lawrence's program was great tonight & he showed clips of Bill O'Reilly & Charles Kruthmeir (Sp) warning Republicans not to over reach.

[SCVDem]

11. Must agree

I think Lawrence has been on point with his knowlege of the IRS and his grasp of the GOP tactics.

I very quickly tired of all this crap early on.

Worse than Watergate? Idiots!

[Cha]

16. thanks for the report on L O'D, liberal from boston

[Cha]

15. I just ignore them when they ignore reality.

[MrModerate]

18. Stewart and Colbert mock politicians who screw up . . .

It's what they do for a living.

Benghazi was a screwup (though not a scandal); the IRS investigations were a screwup (and a bit scandalous); the AP investigation was legal, but discomfiting, and certain to raise hackles — a PR screwup, in other words (though not a scandal).

It would have been irresponsible for Stewart and Colbert not to mock. And when you mock, "evenhandedness" doesn't come into the picture.

Besides, it let both comics polish their "fair and balanced" cred by savaging Obama for once. I don't think they have anything to apologize for.

Besides, the wingnutariat is certain-sure to do something stupid and odious within a day or less to draw comic attention back to the right.

[appacom]

22. I do. I haven't forgotten that Bill Maher led the charge early in the first administration.

[Billy Tane]

12. Test post

[SCVDem]

13. Welcome to DU!

[Billy Tane]

17. Thanks!

[hrmjustin]

20. Welcome to DU my friend!

[In_The_Wind]

21. Hello ~ Billy Tane

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[Cha]

14. Cool.. I've been procrastinating about posting this for the

last two hours.. I didn't see here it until now. Glad I didn't.

Don't mess with PBO.. he ain't playin'

The president put a stake through the heart of the GOP’s attempts to revive Benghazi by releasing 100 pages of emails. (Now, the world can see how badly Jon Karl and ABC News got played when they used the summaries of someone else’s notes.)

Republicans are now reduced to trying to turn the investigation of the AP that they demanded into an Obama scandal. However, the AP flap is resonating much more with the media than it is with the country at large. It is interesting to note that the mainstream media is outraged over what happened to the AP, but they were mostly silent during the Bush administration’s abuses via the Patriot Act. They also said little when the Bush administration was paying journalists and columnists to push their agenda in the media. (I am not suggesting that what happened to the AP was justified, but that the media has been wildly inconsistent over the past decade when it comes to protecting the First Amendment.)

In roughly two hours, President Obama put on a textbook display of how a president should handle those who are trying to create scandals to use against him.

Good on Jason Easley.. he's so brilliant.. thanks Tx