The Politico piece's title says it all: at the first hearing we get lots of tough talk. In other words, empty posturing. This hearing is ostensibly about the truth but what we're hearing from Republicans like Dave Camp shows that's a lie. Irnonically, Camp claims to take a very dim view of lying and accused Miller of lying for 2 years to "the American people."
“Despite a two-year long investigation by this committee, the IRS never told the American people or their representatives about this simple truth,” Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) said at the beginning of the first congressional hearing on the scandal. “That isn’t being misleading, that is lying.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/irs-hearing-steven-miller-91552.html#ixzz2TZ4Fku48
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/irs-hearing-steven-miller-91552.html#ixzz2TZ6ljnpc
“Despite a two-year long investigation by this committee, the IRS never told the American people or their representatives about this simple truth,” Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) said at the beginning of the first congressional hearing on the scandal. “That isn’t being misleading, that is lying.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/irs-hearing-steven-miller-91552.html#ixzz2TZ4Fku48
Just where this is going is suggested by the fact that Camp swore in Miller. What that means is not that he wants the truth but rather is Miller says something he doesn't like he will later accuse him of not just lying but perhaps some sort of "perjury." This is where it's going. If Camp cares about the truth why does he make categorical claims without the slightest shred of evidence?
"At a Ways & Means Committee hearing Friday on the IRS scandal, Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) slammed Chairman Dave Camp (R-WI) for linking agency wrongdoing to the White House."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/irs-hearing-steven-miller-91552.html#ixzz2TZ5GyR1K
"What I'm trying to point out and basically debunk," Crowley said, "is the notion or idea of the political statements -- and, I believe, nonfactual statements -- by Chairman Camp to link these scandals to the White House or solely the targeting of conservative groups."
Camp said the wrongdoing shows a "culture of cover-ups and political intimidation" by the executive branch.
Yeah, so we see where this is going already and it's not likely to lead to any kind of truth. For all this I think Miller said something very true:
“This systemic abuse cannot be fixed with just one resignation,” he said. “And, as much as I expect more people need to go, the reality is this is not a personnel problem. This is a problem of the IRS being too large, too powerful, too intrusive and too abusive.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/irs-hearing-steven-miller-91552.html#ixzz2TZ5GyR1K
In other words, let's kill Obamacare as the IRS supposedly can't be trusted to implement it. Another pound of flesh is now being demanded: Lois Lerner.
"All eyes are now on Lois Lerner, the director of the nonprofit tax division at the center of the controversy. She has been invited to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform next week but her appearance has not been confirmed."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/irs-hearing-steven-miller-91552.html#ixzz2TZ5h7Alq
"All eyes are now on Lois Lerner, the director of the nonprofit tax division at the center of the controversy. She has been invited to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform next week but her appearance has not been confirmed."
"Lerner “should be relieved of her duties,” Michigan Rep. Sander Levin, the top Democrat on the panel, said Friday morning."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/irs-hearing-steven-miller-91552.html#ixzz2TZ5h7Alq
Yes, thanks for that Sentaor Levin. You're a Democrat but you want to feed the beast. For the record, Lerner ended the practice in question of this quite meanginless "scandal."
The last thing you would expect to hear here is the truth and it made little appearance. However, one true thing was said by Miller, aka, the first sacrificial victim.
I did not mislead Congress,” he said. “I answered the questions as they were asked.”
Still, he apologized for the targeting program and said the American public “deserves better.”
“We provided horrible customer service here,” he said.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/irs-hearing-steven-miller-91552.html#ixzz2TZ6ljnpc
I don't really agree that the IRS provided horrible customer service. They were trying. At the end of the day what mistakes they did make were quite forgivable. I do think, however, that the American people deserve better. I'm not thinking of the IRS here, however, but Congress and the Beltway press. How about the 800,000 plus federal government workers furloughted thanks to the sequeseter? I think that's where the American people deserve better.
James Carville thinks this will all blow over within 30 days. I hope he's right. I do agree it will ultimately blow over as: there's really nothing here. Whatever you think of the IRS, and it's really very small beer, it has nothing to do with the President. No doubt, the GOP will try to lead us down an open-ended fishing expedition to see if anything can be found, no matter how tanenital, to link this to the Administraiton.
Whether he's right or not, I agree it will blow over at some point and that the President will not be driven from office any more than Clinton was. I doubt very much there's anything close to impeachment-for one the Senate is Democratic, for another the GOP knows this will be the kiss of death for them this time-last time the lost 5 seats in an off year election-in 1998.
My worry is how long it goes on for. Everyday this is a big story, the public loses in public time and money. Darrell Issa and his friends in Congress are stealing from the American people and the Beltway media is their accomplice and mouthpieces.
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