Random thought: is GOP fixation on Benghazi taking oxygen away from IRS story?

[geek tragedy]

Public doesn't care about Benghazi, and doesn't trust the GOP on it anyways.

IRS is a better story for them. I say we keep Darrel Issa in the news talking about "act of terror" vs "terrorist attack" as long as possible.

[MotherPetrie]

1. Not on DC's all-news station WTOP. It's all IRS story, all the time.

[jberryhill]

2. The IRS story is booby-trapped

The IRS commissioner is a Bush appointed holdover.

It already appears that to the extent there were any politically-motivated audits, it was against groups that were supporting primary opponents of GOP congresscritters.

They can throw themselves on that grenade if they want to, and we should give them room to do it.

[Scuba]

3. +1

[Tx4obama]

4. Yep. Douglas Shulman, who presided over the agency during the alleged targeting, was Bush appointee

[Enrique]

6. their target is not a person

their target is the enforcement of campaign finance laws by the IRS regardless of who the commissioner happens to be.

[geek tragedy]

7. What's the substantiation on that angle?

It would be a useful one to push, but it'll take some weight behind it for it to make an effective pushback.

[jmowreader]

9. These weren't even audits!

They were investigating 501(C)(4) applications, and in this case the IRS was completely in the right to intensely scrutinize the Tea Party applications. 501(C)(4) is for Social Welfare organizations. Why in hell Crossroads GPS and the other dark-money operations retain their 501(C)(4) statuses I don't know, but "Tea Party" groups, which are political clubs, should not receive the status.

If we liberals decided to form a similar system, we shouldn't receive the status either. Groups attempting to influence politics aren't what 501(C)(4) is intended for.

[dkf]

10. Organizing for America is a 501(c)4. So is NARAL and the Brady campaign.

It's used by both sides.

What type of tax status should these organizations have?

[jmowreader]

11. Organizing for America, NARAL and Brady Campaign are social welfare organizations

They're in the right tax status.

If Democrats were to set up something like the tea party, which was formed specifically to influence elections, and they were to seek 501(C)(4) status, they'd have the taste slapped out of their mouths, and it would be justified. Same thing needs to happen to the teabaggers.

[dkf]

12. What social welfare do these organizations provide that are so much more significant than politics?

[Life Long Dem]

5. Michele Bachmann thinks it's the other way around

On the IRS story - Bachmann, who chairs the House Tea Party caucus, said it’s the Benghazi scandal.

“There’s no doubt this was not a coincidence that they dumped this story today, a Friday dump day,” Bachmann told WND. “This is when they put their negative stories out.”

http://www.wnd.com/2013/05/why-obama-released-embarrassing-irs-bombshell/

That's one who will keep the Benghazi story going.

[geek tragedy]

8. Bachmann, as usual, both insane and stupid, nt