Everyone Hates the IRS

      Everyone hates the IRS, so it is an easy target to fire up the political "base," especially if the latter are the non-thinking type who throw around innuendo as if it were facts.  We have had a lot of experience debunking Tea Party claims, probably because they have managed to be in the news far more often than other non-mainstream political organizations and have claimed more absurdities.
      We have commented earlier about their most recent ploy (attacking Obama Administration about IRS actions) to stay relevant.  Action by the IRS in reviewing 501c4 applications hardly seemed unusual and the recent article "When the IRS Targeted Liberals" confirms what we suspected.  For those of us who have the misfortune to deal frequently with the IRS, what the Tea Party was whining about seemed IRS SOP.  As we said in our earlier post, "Been there; done that."
      We have nothing against the Tea Party and support their efforts to get spending in control.  The current course of government spending should have everyone concerned. Not since Reagan ballooned the federal debt have things financial gotten so far out of control.  Anybody remember Ross Perot and his charts?

      However, we do have issues with hypocrisy, imagined conspiracies, and just plain "getting your facts" accurate. We need to keep a LOT of pressure on Washington to get its "books in balance," but doing it in a credible fashion would be much more efficient and have a longer impact.  Also, let's not forget that the during the Bush Administration our debt projections took a $11 Trillion negative swing.  Half was due to errors in government budget projections and half was due to the uncontrolled spending course that was set during the Bush years (remember Iraq War, Bush Tax cuts, and the Prescription Drug Bill.)
      The Tea Party types accuse Obama Administration of excessive spending, but choose not to define "excessive" and never inform its "base" that the Executive Branch can only spend what Congress appropriates.  What Congress appropriated for Obama Admin was no more than they had previously appropriated for the Bush Admin.  Hypocrisy, oversight, or intentional misinformation?
      This is what happens when you loose credibility.  Tea Party is on the right issue.  They just need to keep it accurate.