It’s no surprise to long-time observers of the Obama administration, the Internal Revenue Service, or government in general that the IRS has targeted non-lefty groups for reasons the agency laughably contends are non-ideological.
The current brouhaha is only part of the story. Here’s another part. Frank VanderSloot is a businessman who donated to the Romney campaign. In April of last year, an Obama campaign website chastised several Romney supporters for such high crimes as being “high-dollar donors” with “less-than-reputable records,” interested in “pursuing a specific agenda.” Just the kind of persons that government agencies might like to especially investigate, perhaps?
In any case, within two weeks of the publication of this enemies list, a recent employee of Senate Democrats began rooting around in VanderSloot’s divorce records. Next, the IRS launched audits of his tax returns for 2008 and 2009. He’d never before been audited. Next, the Department of Labor decided to audit the three workers he employed on a cattle ranch under the terms of a visa program for temporary workers.
Coincidence(s)? VanderSloot himself suspects that the audits were retaliation for his political leanings. Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberly Strassel noted at the time that to what extent the harassment had been centrally planned was both undiscoverable and somewhat beside the point. “If this isn’t a chilling glimpse of a society Americans reject, it is hard to know what is. It’s why presidents are held to different rules, and should not keep lists.”
At least, not lists of political enemies.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
7 replies on “The Enemies List(s)”
…. The Enemies List(s) (Paul Jacob on our Nixonian era)….
Big difference.
Mr Nixon was both (1) a patriotic and essentially very decent American and (2) never actually achieved anything via the IRS. That manifestation of evil was activist-“Democrat”-controlled then, as now and simply refused to cooperate with the Nixon Administration.
The IRS has had no such qualms with many “Democratic” “presidents, though and worked its evil for the traitors and/or gangsters, Roosevelt, Kennedy, Johnson and Cli’ton before it became the political instrument of the thuggish Zero Gang.
We’ve had some outstanding conservative candidates whose campaigns were centered around total reform of the tax system. These were bold, proactive solutions ranging from instituting a 20% flat tax, a 15% flat tax, and abolishing the IRS altogether. And this was done through a reforming and optimistic spirit, not as a mere opportunistic reaction to a present scandal. I would suggest this is a good moment to reflect on the fact that both Romney and Obama were running on the success and viability of Obamacare (either in entirety or in its key components), which derives its enforcability through the IRS.
Rather than using the Republican Party to cull genuine conservatives with claims they are not “electable,” the best way forward is to recognize that reform and preservation of individual liberties are going to come through people who are nutty, real, bold, and proactive. Don’t let the press or anyone else tell you you need politicians who all went to the same schools, go to the same parties, and marry eachother’s sisters. Our Nigel Farages will each break the mold – that is how you will know them – and that is a good thing.
Mr. Allen, YOU ARE CORRECT. President Nixon was HATED AND DESPISED by the lefties ever since he proved ALGER HISS, WAS A COMMUNIST. Eleanor Roosevelt said that she was as much a ommunist as Hiss. (not sure of exact quote, can be found); and Hiss was the fair haried boy of FDR.
aND HIS SPYING WAS ON mCgOVERN, ” who started a revolution’– THE LEFTIES REVOLUTION, which is destroying our country.
The American people had ample evidence of the nature of this president but they elected him twice. He wasn’t held to higher standards, ever. This is the man who called on his supporters to punish their enemies. He spoke of bringing a gun to a knife fight. Symbolic, but illustrative. Here’s hoping Americans hold their NEXT president to a higher standard. We need leadership, not thugocracy.
[…] I’ve discussed the case of Frank VanderSloot, a wealthy businessman minding his own business preferring Romney to Obama when the Obama campaign attacked him for being a wealthy discredit-worthy Romney supporter. VanderSloot’s operations were forthwith audited by several government agencies. […]
[…] on businessmen like the Koch brothers and Frank VanderSloot (whose case I’ve talked about before). VanderSloot was targeted by the IRS, the Department of Labor and a U.S. Senate office soon after […]
[…] citizens too, as we’ve noted, have been targeted by IRS and other agencies for ruffling the feathers of the powers that […]