President Obama’s cheerleaders were on edge for a while there, as the IRS revealed it had been singling out conservative groups with names including “Tea Party,” “patriot” and “9/12” for extra and often invasive scrutiny. Some conservatives say their applications for nonprofit status were delayed over the course of multiple election cycles, effectively silencing them while IRS agents demanded reading lists, Facebook posts and contents of prayers. But wait!
IRS delivered more than 20 BOLOS here to the hill. we've seen 1 that uses term "progressive." im told other liberal terms likley in others
— Dana Bash (@DanaBashCNN) June 24, 2013
Today, though, another report has been released, and liberals are practically celebrating the idea that progressive groups were targeted for their beliefs as well. Check out this excerpt of a newly unearthed BOLO list making the rounds:
It’s strange, though. The public first heard about the IRS targeting conservatives as the result of a planted question during a conference call that preceded the release of an inspector general’s report. The IRS apologized, and President Obama himself convened the press to issue a rare evening statement calling the targeting “intolerable and inexcusable.” Acting commissioner Steven Miller was asked to resign. Meanwhile, liberals circled the wagons in defense, suggesting that right-wingers were asking for it by criticizing the IRS and the government. Bette Midler thanked the IRS twice for targeting “hate groups” like the Tea Party.
But wait. The IRS reportedly flagged progressive groups too? Never mind. No scandal here. It was just a big misunderstanding that only today is being cleared up.
IRS also screened for "Occupy" and "progressive"; New evidence debunks claim Tea Party was singled out http://t.co/hXNgw64UQy
— Salon (@Salon) June 24, 2013
oh look, IRS also used "progressive" and "occupy" to target non-profit groups. i.e. worst. "scandal." ever; http://t.co/Lo37f3LAVk #Zzz
— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) June 24, 2013
gee, kinda makes sense now why WH wasn't involved in any way w/ IRS story; IRS was targeting BOTH LIBS AND CONS; #worstscandalever #Zzzz
— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) June 24, 2013
@EricBoehlert Did any liberal groups complain though? All Ive heard is con groups.
— Dan Collins (@SuezCanal98) June 24, 2013
That is strange, isn’t it? Why didn’t these groups come forward to straighten out Midler and crew? Why did Miller allow himself to be thrown under the bus? Why did Lois Lerner plead the Fifth rather than set the record straight then and there?
Sure. Let's see the 500+ groups on the left targeted. IRS tries spinning tea party persecution. http://t.co/zAo3m2XuC1
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) June 24, 2013
Amazing how no Occupy groups came forward to complain about IRS harassment. But I'm totally sure they exist… http://t.co/3INJTlIW6t
— Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) June 24, 2013
So if the IRS also singled out "Occupy & Progressive" groups. Why are @dailykos and @ericboehlert mocking Issa? Where's the outrage?
— Jimi (@Jimi971) June 24, 2013
I believe the IRS also targeted progressive groups about as much as I believe the Benghazi attack was due to an anti-Islam Youtube video.
— (((AG))) (@AGHamilton29) June 24, 2013
Wait. You mean the IRS magically found BOLO lists for progressive groups? C'mon now.
— RBe (@RBPundit) June 24, 2013
A month and a half later, after admiting to wrong doing, the #IRS decides to claim they targeted progressive groups? Bullshit!
— Savannah (@thesavvy) June 24, 2013
* * *
Update:
As anxious as Media Matters and friends are to declare the IRS scandal a non-event, National Review’s Eliana Johnson says not so fast. As hard as it is to believe, the mere presence of the word “progressive” on a document doesn’t prove that liberals were in for the same treatment as Tea Party groups.
Actually, IRS employees were specifically directed to treat "progressive" groups differently from "tea party" groups: http://t.co/VHyaNZ5seV
— Eliana Johnson (@elianayjohnson) June 25, 2013
Whereas screeners were merely alerted that a designation of 501(c)(3) status “may not be appropriate” for applications containing the word ”progressive” – 501(c)(3) groups are prohibited from conducting any political activities – they were told to send those of tea-party groups off for special screening “to Group 7822.”
That means the applications of progressive groups could be approved on the spot by line agents, while those of tea-party groups could not. Furthermore, the November 2010 list noted that tea-party cases were “currently being coordinated with EOT,” which stands for Exempt Organizations Technical, a group of tax lawyers in Washington, D.C. Those of progressive groups were not.
@elianayjohnson @NRO What a shock! Certainly nobody could have guessed that was going on!…
— Richard A Blake (@Olentzaro) June 25, 2013
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