"Not Even A Smidgen Of Corruption"

That's what the President said about the IRS on Sunday during his interview with Bill O'Reilly. O'Reilly was trying to get answers concerning the IRS targeting of conservative groups and the President blamed two things...  people who didn't know how to do their jobs properly and FOX News.

The following is a transcript of the President's remarks to O'Reilly (edited for fluency but not content):

OBAMA: Bill, when you actually look at this stuff, there have been multiple hearings on it.  What happened here was it that you've got a...  you've got a 501(c)(4) law that people think is focusing.  No -- that the folks did not know how to implement...
O'REILLY:  OK...
OBAMA:  -- because it basically says...-- if you are involved...
O'REILLY:  -- so you're saying there was no corruption there at all, none?
OBAMA:  That's not what I'm saying.
OBAMA:  That's actually...
O'REILLY:  No, no, but I want to know what you're saying.  You're the leader of the country.
OBAMA:  Absolutely.
O'REILLY:  You're saying no corruption?
OBAMA:  No.
O'REILLY:  None? No?
OBAMA:  There were some -- there were some bone-headed decisions...
O'REILLY:  Bone-headed decisions...
OBAMA:  -- out of -- out of a local office...
O'REILLY:  But no mass corruption?
OBAMA:  Not even mass corruption, not even a smidgen of corruption, I would say.

Really, Mr. President? Let's take a quick look at the facts. Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller, who took over when Douglas Shulman left the IRS in November of 2012, left his position shortly after the scandal broke. Lois Lerner, the director of the Exempt Organizations department, the woman in charge of tax exempt status, pleaded her 5th Amendment rights before Congress, then promptly retired. It has been stated that Miller was already slated to leave in June of last year because his temporary assignment was over. That's convenient. But O'Reilly should have asked the President about Lois Lerner, at least.

Douglas Shulman testified before Congress that there had been no targeting of conservative, evangelical and pro-Israel groups when, in fact, there had been 104 conservative groups targeted. Of those 104 only 48 were approved for tax exempt status. 56 are still outstanding or have been withdrawn by the organization.

Liberals like to claim that it wasn't "targeting" because some liberal/progressive groups had also had their tax exempt status held up by the IRS.  And it's true - at least  liberal groups had their tax exempt status delayed by the IRS. All 7 of those were approved. Nope - no targeting there.

Just one more little tidbit of information that seems pertinent - at least to those who don't blindly accept the President's statement. The attorney from the IRS Civil Rights Commission appointed to investigate the "alleged" targeting of conservative groups by the IRS, Barbara Bosserman, (by pure coincidence I'm sure) has been a loyal financial backer of the Democrat National Committee since 2004 and has personally donated multiple times to President Obama's two campaigns. Her personal donation total to the DNC and Obama reaches $6,750.

So - an IRS attorney who happens to be a strong Obama supporter is investigating alleged corruption within her own agency that could affect the President. It's rather like Eric Holder assigning one of his own people to investigate dishonest and/or illegal practices within the Justice Department. Nope - no corruption there either.

President Obama and his henchmen make Nixon, Haldeman and Erlichman look like high school pranksters. And look what happened to them. Of course - that was back when members of Congress weren't scared to death of the media and political polls....