In May 2013, when the IRS’ Lois Lerner publicly admitted and apologized for inappropriately targeting conservative tea party groups, President Obama said, “If you’ve got the IRS operating in anything less than a neutral and nonpartisan way, then that is outrageous. It is contradictory to our traditions, and people have to be held accountable.”
He didn’t mean it, which is probably why he used the word “if.” Just a few months later in an interview with his biggest fan, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, Obama brushed off the scandal as faux outrage from conservative groups while advisers continue to declare the White House had no involvement in the targeting.
“They’ve got a list, and suddenly everybody’s outraged,” Obama said.
Today, IRS officials are still dragging their feet when it comes to getting tea party and other patriot groups their tax-exempt status. One of the largest tea party groups in the country, Tea Party Patriots, waited three years before finally receiving their tax-exempt status in February 2014. Conveniently, the IRS’ slow response to hundreds of groups waiting for an answer comes just before the 2014 midterm elections, when tea party groups could have a big impact.
Read more: TownHall
