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A Campaign of Intimidation, Nothing New to Mr. Obama

Tam

Well-known member
A Campaign of Intimidation, Nothing New to Mr. Obama
by Mark Polege
May 24, 2013

Kimberly Strassel of the Wall Street Journal came out with a great article on May 23rd that puts the IRS intimidation tactics of Conservative and religious groups into context. Those on the Right are not the only targets of this administration, more so anyone Not For Obama is considered Against Obama. In the past that general categorization has included the likes of Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.


The White House insists President Obama is “outraged” by the “inappropriate” targeting and harassment of conservative groups. If true, it’s a remarkable turnaround for a man who helped pioneer those tactics.

On Aug. 21, 2008, the conservative American Issues Project ran an ad highlighting ties between candidate Obama and Bill Ayers, formerly of the Weather Underground. The Obama campaign and supporters were furious, and they pressured TV stations to pull the ad—a common-enough tactic in such ad spats.

What came next was not common. Bob Bauer, general counsel for the campaign (and later general counsel for the White House), on the same day wrote to the criminal division of the Justice Department, demanding an investigation into AIP, “its officers and directors,” and its “anonymous donors.” Mr. Bauer claimed that the nonprofit, as a 501(c)(4), was committing a “knowing and willful violation” of election law, and wanted “action to enforce against criminal violations.”

The article, which is definitely worth reading, then describes some of the tactics of Bob Bauer, general counsel for the campaign, which included a wave of intimidating letters sent to donors of both Hillary Clinton & John Edwards during the 2008 campaigns. The same tactics were also used in 2012 against the Romney campaign.


None of this proves that Mr. Obama was involved in the IRS targeting of conservative nonprofits. But it does help explain how we got an environment in which the IRS thought this was acceptable.

The rise of conservative organizations (to match liberal groups that had long played in politics), and their effectiveness in the 2004 election (derided broadly by liberals as “swift boating”), led to a new and organized campaign in 2008 to chill conservative donors and groups via the threat of government investigation and prosecution. The tone in any organization—a charity, a corporation, the U.S. government—is set at the top.

This history also casts light on White House claims that it was clueless about the IRS’s targeting. As Huffington Post’s Howard Fineman wrote this week: “With two winning presidential campaigns built on successful grassroots fundraising, with a former White House counsel (in 2010-11) who is one of the Democrats’ leading experts on campaign law (Bob Bauer), with former top campaign officials having been ensconced as staffers in the White House . . . it’s hard to imagine that the Obama inner circle was oblivious to the issue of what the IRS was doing in Cincinnati.” More like inconceivable.

And this history exposes the left’s hollow claim that the IRS mess rests on Citizens United. The left was targeting conservative groups and donors well before the Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling on independent political expenditures by corporations.

With this kind of intimidation history in dealing with his enemies in BOTH parties, do you really believe that the first Mr. Obama knew about the IRS intimidating of Conservative & religious groups was on the evening news?

And guess who was targeted? YEP anyone opposing Obama's Liberal Progressive US BANKRUPTING Agenda and Muslim Loving Foreign policies. Can we just admit the total control hands on Obama had his hands all over the control of the top secret leaks, the Conservative targeting and the 12 time edited talking points. No Democrap is going to admit their hero is involved but nobody can be so blind to what is going on around him.
 

Tam

Well-known member
A Double-Trouble Scandal for Obama The Justice Department scandal has outraged two of the president's most reliable allies: the press and liberal activists.
By KIMBERLEY A. STRASSEL

The verdict is still out on how much political damage the current trio of scandals will inflict on the Obama White House. For now, the one that might hurt most is the one the public cares about least.

A new Quinnipiac poll shows President Obama's job approval falling to 45%, but the survey also ranks the public's focus on today's Washington controversies. Nearly 45% of voters said the IRS scandal is most important, followed by 24% who picked Benghazi. A mere 15% thought the Justice Department's seizure of press records was a big deal.

No surprise. The IRS is an agency that touches nearly every American, and both the IRS and Benghazi scandals revolve around the sort of big, breathless questions—Did the White House lie? Was the administration targeting enemies?—that rivet public attention. Most Americans don't much care what happens to the press, and if anything wouldn't mind seeing it get some grief.

What this verdict misses, however, is two important realities. The first is that—unlike the IRS and Benghazi scandals—the facts of the DOJ's press intrusions are clear and uncontested. We know Justice has seized records of reporters, that Attorney General Eric Holder himself signed onto a warrant that suggested a journalist was a "co-conspirator" in a national-security leak. We also know that government has violated its own guidelines on probing journalists.

So this is a scandal that can't be ignored or dismissed as a Republican witch hunt. Moreover, it is a scandal that has, for once, outraged two groups that Mr. Obama deeply depends on for his political success: the press and liberal activists.

For years, much of the Washington press corps has served as this White House's front-line defense. As recently as a month ago, the press was still playing no-see-um with Benghazi.

Yet since the AP story broke, the Beltway media have been doing a passable impression of a credible Fourth Estate. White House press secretary Jay Carney's daily briefings now resemble "Survivor" episodes, with journalists firing off questions, rejecting answers, and even rolling their eyes at responses. The White House's evasiveness on the press scandal has suddenly got the press corps wondering what else this administration isn't being straight on.

It has even led to the extraordinary sight of major media outlets this week banding together to boycott meetings planned by Eric Holder to discuss Justice's press investigations. The organizations balked because the meetings would be off the record. Since the press is not known for resisting the spin of anonymous Obama officials, this reaction is progress.

Will it last? That may depend on how many more revelations about press intrusions come to light. But the notable thing is that Mr. Obama has lost the media's loyalty at this critical moment of his presidency, as other scandals over the IRS and Benghazi continue to swirl.

Then there are the White House's left-wing allies. Justice's press mess is particularly toxic in this regard, since it riles up liberals regarding both press freedom and transparency, while reigniting their long-simmering fury over Mr. Obama's national security policies.

As the Nation's editor Katrina Vanden Heuvel explained on ABC's "This Week," the only "real" scandal is "that this administration picked the baton from Bush and failing to uphold what it promised, has had the worst record on press freedom." She moved on to indict the White House on the Patriot Act and wiretapping. Bloomberg columnist Al Hunt admitted it was "true" that "Obama is no better than Richard Nixon." Liberal radio host Bill Press tweeted: "What 'breach of national security' are we talking about re the AP story? It's BS and Holder should be fired."

Congressional Democrats have shown little appetite for defending the White House on the press issue. The risk to the administration is that Democrats begin to sense it is in their political interest (given the outcry from the left) to actively join in the criticism. Mr. Holder has survived past controversies because they were viewed as Republican attacks. Can he withstand a bipartisan barrage?

The White House's success in last year's election hinged in part on its liberal activists, who played a big role in getting the base out to vote. That's the model Mr. Obama and his Organizing for America political-support group are betting on for the 2014 midterms, too. So you can bet the White House is concerned about the fury coming from these allies now.

That's why, of all the scandals, the White House is pouring the most effort into damage control on Justice. The administration has revived its media-shield legislation. It has been summoning the press to the White House for sweet-talking sessions with the president. The president's speech last week at the National Defense University was a convenient platform for Mr. Obama to reassure liberals he was restarting his drive to close Guantanamo and addressing their concerns on drone strikes.

The left and the press have always been with Mr. Obama when it really mattered, and that may well remain the case. The particular significance of Justice's press scandal is that it has deprived Mr. Obama of support at a time when he is vulnerable on so much else. Who knows what will come of that?

WOW when Obama's Adminstration clearly illegally steps over the line with them the friggin press finally start doing their jobs, verse butt kissing an Administration that has been lying to them from day one. One has to wonder if any of these upstanding reporters will go back and take a second look on the rest of the LIES they have been fed and have covered up for Obama and his corrupt gang of crooks.

But then it is not like they didn't know they were being controlled by the White House pretty early on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhsf8tOyveM
 

101

Well-known member
Loomixguy, I sure hope your right, But if I was a betting guy I would lay some money your wrong!!! This guy is soooo slick, :mad: Sure hope your right tho!! 101
 

Mike

Well-known member
loomixguy said:
Holder will resign, willingly or unwillingly, by June 15. Maybe even sooner! :!: :D :D

I don't think so. The only way he will go is kicking & screaming.

Buckwheat will have to fire him if he goes.
 

Tam

Well-known member
IF he does go at all it will be only after things quiet down a bit and he will announce he is stepping down to spend more times with his family. And Obama will reluctantly except his resignation and praise the job he has done for his country. The fact he called his country a "country of cowards", dropped intimidation charges against the NBP when the charges were backed up with media reports and VIDEO of the perps, was held in Contempt of Congress over Fast and Furious and had to have Obama's Executive Privilege bail him out, was caught red handed targeting the Press after lying to Congress by saying he didn't support such things WILL NEVER BE MENTIONED IN OBAMA PRAISING SPEECH ABOUT HOLDER. :roll:
 

Steve

Well-known member
The fact he called his country a "country of cowards"

he was right on that one... since the 2008 election the cowards have used race to avoid debate and criticism..

and most republicans were to afraid of the R word to fight actual racism..

now... most conservatives have realized the word has no power.. and we are no longer afraid of being called a racist... ..

but many elected republicans and almost all democrats and liberals are still cowards. and for the life of them,... can't seem to "change"
 

Tam

Well-known member
It is clear to see that the "R" word most Conservatives/Republicans fear is not "Racist" it is "Republican", as if there is any signs that you are supporting a Republican and you dare speak out against Obama, being called a racist is the least of your problems. What your truly feared and rightfully so problem is IS BE TARGETED BY THE CORRUPT IRS AND DOJ. One of those that is filing a lawsuit against the IRS said she and her husband and their business has been investigated 18 times over the last 3 years and before they filed for the tax free status for the Tea Party they are a part of, they had been in business for 30 years and had never been investigated by any government law enforcement agencies. Some of those targeted told Hannity last night that they were loosing supporters as those wanting to support the Tea Parties were backing out in fear their membership would make them a TARGET FOR THE IRS.

If that is not USING THE IRS,THE MOST FEARED GOVERNMENT AGENCY IN THE US, TO INTIMIDATE YOUR OPPONENTS WHAT THE H*LL IS? :mad:
 
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