An IRS watchdog group delivered a stunner this week, unearthing reports that the Internal Revenue Service had been targeting Conservative groups like the Tea Party for extra close attention over the past couple of years. Documents reveal the IRS gave extra scrutiny to groups that criticized how the country was being run and even groups that sought “to make America a better place to live.” The IRS is reeling from the scandal, with Lois Lerner, the IRS’ director of tax-exempt groups, saying “We made some mistakes; some people didn’t use good judgment. For that we’re apologetic.”
The admission has caused largely bipartisan outrage, with Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins telling CNN’s “State of the Union” that, “It contributes to the profound distrust that the American people have in government.” Democratic Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus called for a full investigation, saying “These actions by the IRS are an outrageous abuse of power and a breach of the public’s trust. Targeting groups based on their political views is not only inappropriate but it is intolerable.” For his part, President Barack Obama told reporters, “If in fact IRS personnel engaged in the kind of practices that have been reported on and were intentionally targeting conservative groups, then that’s outrageous. And there’s no place for it” …
