The Hill reports that some Democrats whose pro-Obama votes may cost them their jobs want the IRS to remain operative against Republicans.
In the wake of the IRS targeting scandal, the Democrats are publicly prodding the agency instead of lobbying them directly. They are also careful to say the IRS should treat conservative and liberal groups equally, but they’re concerned about an impending tidal wave of attack ads funded by GOP-allied organizations. Much of the funding for those groups is secret, in contrast to the donations lawmakers collect, which must be reported publicly.
One of the most powerful groups is Americans for Prosperity, funded by the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch. It has already spent close to $30 million on ads attacking Democrats this election cycle.
“If they’re claiming the tax relief, the tax benefit to be a nonprofit for social relief or social justice, then that’s what they should be doing,” said Sen. Mark Begich (D), who faces a competitive race in Alaska. “If it’s to give them cover so they can do political activity, that’s abusing the tax code. And either side.”
Asked if the IRS should play a more active role policing political advocacy by groups that claim to be focused on social welfare, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) responded, “Absolutely.”
We can officially mark the Democrats’ feigned outrage at the IRS targeting conservative groups from 2010 through 2013 as dead. They weren’t really outraged about it then when the IRS engineered its disclosure, and they want even more of it now. Even the systematic persecution of Catherine Engelbrecht by multiple executive branch agencies doesn’t bother them. Democrat Rep. Elijah Cummings piled on even more persecution.
It isn’t as though the Democrats are hurting for money or lack similar groups of their own. George Soros has poured piles of millions into leftwing groups for years. Democrats never complain about that. Malik Obama’s foundation got fast-tracked to tax-exempt status while the IRS was slow-rolling conservative groups — the Democrats haven’t asked about that. As Ed Morrissey points out, the Democrats themselves hyped their ability to raise a billion dollars to re-elect Obama. Despite its alleged independence as mandated by law, Organizing for America is blatantly political. It even runs POTUS’ Twitter feed. Enroll America, which is supposed to be a non-partisan Obamacare enrollment agency, is made up of former OfA staff. It’s just a holding tank for operatives who will staff the next big Democrat campaign.
What the Democrats really want is to silence everyone who disagrees with them. They want a weaponized IRS to make that happen.
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