May 29-30, 2013
May 29 07:58 Matt Dean announces interest in Michele Bachmann's seat May 29 11:58 IRS scandal expands May 29 21:13 Michele will be missed...by the DFL & DCCC May 30 09:11 Holder SPIN ALERT: 'Mistakes were made' May 30 09:37 CNN, AP, NY Times rebuff Holder's off the record meetings May 30 11:59 The definition of evil
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Matt Dean announces interest in Michele Bachmann's seat
In an exclusive interview with LFR, Matt Dean has confirmed that he's thinking about running for the seat left open by Michele Bachmann's retirement.
While Jim Graves, the DFL and the DCCC are undoubtedly happy that Minnesota's Sixth District is now an open seat, they shouldn't think that this will be an easy seat to win. Matt Dean is a formidable candidate. First, he's got a good understanding of the Sixth District. He's participated in townhall meetings throughout the District, including in St. Cloud. Second, his message is a great fit for the Sixth District. Third, Matt's got the ability to work across the aisle without sacrificing his principles :
A commendable thing happened last week after the Minnesota House failed to override Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto of the bill preserving General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) for the very poor: The two House members leading their respective parties' efforts on the matter, DFL Rep. Erin Murphy and GOP Rep. Matt Dean, just kept working.
Constructively, too. On Friday, a deal was struck that has the blessing of the Legislature's top leaders in both parties. It's expected to go to the full House and Senate this week.
That praise was written by Lori Sturdevant, one of the most openly liberal writers at the Strib. It's important to note that the compromise was built on conservative principles.
Third, he's got a great understanding of two issues that are important to the Sixth District: health care and education. Fourth, he's got a track record of being the taxpayers' watchdog :
Rep. Dean started this investigation right after a long, tough legislative session. He saw money being spent foolishly so he started an investigation into the mismanagement.
House Majority Leader Matt Dean (R-Dellwood) is doing his own inquiry into how the Minneapolis Public Schools spends it money after reading this Star Tribune report. The story revealed Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson's decision to award $270,000 in retroactive raises to central office administrators at the same time the district cut more than 100 jobs including 52 teaching positions.
The Sixth District needs a congressman a) whose principles are solidly conservative and b) who pays attention to the details on whether government is doing its job or if it's failing the people.
If Rep. Dean decides to jump in, I suspect that announcement will come sooner rather than later.
UPDATE: Welcome Powerline readers. Follow this link for more information on the early shape of the race.
Posted Wednesday, May 29, 2013 9:21 AM
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IRS scandal expands
Lisa Myers' article on the IRS scandal means that the scope of the scandal is expanding:
Jay Sekulow, an attorney representing 27 conservative political advocacy organizations that applied to the Internal Revenue Service for tax-exempt status, provided some of the letters to NBC News. He said the groups' contacts with the IRS prove that the practices went beyond a few 'front line' employees in the Cincinnati office, as the IRS has maintained.
'We've dealt with 15 agents, including tax law specialists -- that's lawyers -- from four different offices, including (the) Treasury (Department) in Washington, D.C.,' Sekulow said. 'So the idea that this is a couple of rogue agents in Cincinnati is not correct.'
Among the letters were several that bore return IRS addresses other than Cincinnati, including "Department of the Treasury / Internal Revenue Service / Washington, D.C.," and the signatures of IRS officials higher up the chain. Two letters with "Department of the Treasury / Internal Revenue Service / Washington, D.C." letterhead were signed by "Tax Law Specialist(s)" from Exempt Organizations Technical Group 1 and Technical Group 2. Lerner's signature, which appeared to be a stamp rather than an actual signature, appeared on a letter requesting additional information from the Ohio Liberty Council Corp.
If the IRS scandal reaches into the Treasury Department, then that's another blast of oxygen to an already raging fire. This information will help stoke the fire, too:
Cleta Mitchell, another attorney representing conservative groups that allege they were targeted, said an IRS agent in Cincinnati told her a 'task force' IRS office in Washington, D.C., was making the decisions about the processing of applications, and that she subsequently dealt with IRS representatives there.
'(The IRS agent in Cincinnati) told me that in fact the case would be transferred to a special task force out of Washington, and that he was told, he was the originally assigned agent, that he wasn't allowed to make decisions, the decisions were all going to be made in Washington,' Mitchell said. 'I know that this process was going on in Washington because I've dealt with those people.'
If documentation or direct testimony is provided verifying this information, then Congress will have a major scandal to investigate. Congress will certainly want to know who created the special task force. They'll want to know if it was formed via executive directive. They'll want to know the extent pro-Obama unions were involved. They'll want to know if Bob Bauer, President Obama's first White House Counsel, was involved.
The regime tried minimizing, then compartmentalizing, this scandal. They've tried to keep it away from DC. Thanks to NBC's reporting, it appears those attempts will fail.
Posted Wednesday, May 29, 2013 11:58 AM
Comment 1 by Bob J. at 29-May-13 12:01 PM
If NBC is reporting this, the information has to come from inside. There's no Republican on Earth who could make NBC News report objectively on Barack Obama.
Interesting, though, how the empty suit known as 0bama is coming so completely unraveled at the first hard pull on a loose thread.
Michele will be missed...by the DFL & DCCC
Tom Steward's article contains some spot-on analysis of the impact Michele Bachmann's announcement will have on the DFL and the DCCC:
Strategists say it's not a good day, however, for Graves' chances to wrestle the seat out of the Republican column.
'Graves doesn't have Bachmann to run against and partly I think he was benefiting by her being a lightning rod,' said political analyst David Schultz of Hamline University. 'So now he's got to worry about perhaps now there may be another Republican running who's less of a lightning rod and doesn't come with all the baggage Bachmann has."
'Jim Graves' candidacy is based on the fact he's not Michelle Bachmann,' said Ben Golnik, a Republican consultant. 'Graves went from a slight shot to virtually little chance of winning against a Republican candidate with a fresh slate.'
Jim Graves shouldn't be underestimated. He's got tons of money he can spend on his campaign. The media will take every opportunity to pretend that he's a "new Democrat." The DCCC will dump tons of money into the race.
That said, Graves' only shot at winning in 2014 hinged on his ability to remind voters that he isn't Michele Bachmann. That strategy disappeared this morning about 3:00 am. Whether it was Pelosi vilifying her or Bill Clinton vilifying Newt Gingrich, the reality is that Democrats need to a) run as something they're not and b) run against a boogeyman.
When Michele's video got noticed, the DFL's and the DCCC's biggest boogeywoman disappeared.
The loss of Bachmann also complicates Democratic messaging and fundraising well beyond the borders of her district. 'Bachmann has been a great boon for Democratic fundraising and MSNBC has loved her,' Schultz said. 'She's become basically the person they get to rail against for ratings and to fund raise against and in the state of Minnesota she has been part of the face of the Republican party in Minnesota for the last eight to ten years. Her leaving just makes it harder for people to identify a boogeyman to run against.'
John Hinderaker's post highlights just how foolish Democrats sound in their messaging with this commentary:
This morning the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out an email commenting on Michele Bachmann's announcement that she will not run again in 2014. The email employed the breezy, low-rent tone that the Democrats have perfected. You wonder who writes these things; is it a 22-year-old slacker, or is there some middle-aged guy who gets paid millions to impersonate one?
In their email fundraising appeal, they talked themselves into a circle. They started with this:
THIS IS HUGE! Now that the Tea Party's ringleader has called it quits, Boehner has to be wondering who's next to go. If we can sweep up 17 Republican seats, we can take Boehner's Speaker's gavel and win a Democratic House for President Obama!
Then they say this:
Bachmann's announcement is a huge blow to vulnerable House Republicans, so we need to put the pressure on them while they're still reeling.
The DCCC essentially said that she's a crazy nutjob who is the key to the Republicans keeping their House majority. That's as credible as saying that Jim Graves is a policy heavyweight. Now Graves is a man without a boogeyman to run against.
Posted Wednesday, May 29, 2013 9:13 PM
Comment 1 by J.C. Massoletti at 30-May-13 03:28 PM
MB's ripple effect of her announcement will likely continue for some time so let's take this opportunity to start focusing on who some viable candidates are with some True North reporting on who we can get behind and promote to keep the 6th out of Democrat control. It might also encourage people to volunteer and get involved with campaigning. Just my two cents from western Stearns. The vibe I'm hearing so far is let's get to work and win!
Holder SPIN ALERT: 'Mistakes were made'
During the last 24 hours, the Democrats' spin has changed. No longer are they beating up on Holder. Instead, a new response has started popping up. The first I heard of it was on Megyn Kelly's show when Richard Socarides repeatedly said that "mistakes were made" with regard to the Rosen scandal.
That isn't what happened. That's smooth-sounding spin but it isn't the truth. When Eric Holder signed the warrant application that said James Rosen might be a flight risk and that Rosen might be a criminal co-conspirator, Holder willfully told some whoppers. Holder also ignored long-standing DOJ guidelines on warrant applications for journalists.
Let's remember that Holder isn't a wet-behind-the-ears underling working in the DOJ. He's been the AG for almost 5 years. He was Janet Reno's top assistant for most of the Clinton administration. Let's also remember that the journalist warrant guidelines were put together during the Nixon administration almost 40 years ago.
Here's what we know. We know that Holder ignored those DOJ guidelines. We know that he understood that reading James Rosen's private emails was a fishing expedition. Holder knew that this fishing expedition would have a chilling effect on whistleblowers. We've known that this administration loves the thought of whistleblowers not talking to reporters.
Thanks to the reporting of the IRS scandal, especially through Catherine Engelbrecht's story, we know that this administration won't hesitate in using the federal government as a weapon against their political opponents. We know that thanks to Peggy Noonan's article about Catherine Engelbrecht's nightmare . Here's what Catherine Engelbrecht suffered through:
In July 2010 she sent applications to the IRS for tax-exempt status. What followed was not the harassment, intrusiveness and delay we're now used to hearing of. The U.S. government came down on her with full force.
In December 2010 the FBI came to ask about a person who'd attended a King Street Patriots function. In January 2011 the FBI had more questions. The same month the IRS audited her business tax returns. In May 2011 the FBI called again for a general inquiry about King Street Patriots. In June 2011 Engelbrecht's personal tax returns were audited and the FBI called again. In October 2011 a round of questions on True the Vote. In November 2011 another call from the FBI. The next month, more questions from the FBI. In February 2012 a third round of IRS questions on True the Vote. In February 2012 a first round of questions on King Street Patriots. The same month the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms did an unscheduled audit of her business. (It had a license to make firearms but didn't make them.) In July 2012 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration did an unscheduled audit. In November 2012 more IRS questions on True the Vote. In March 2013, more questions. In April 2013 a second ATF audit.
That's how other parts of the government tormented Engelbrecht. Why shouldn't we think that Holder's DOJ would use its power to intimidate whistleblowers?
Socarides' repeated statements that "mistakes were made" were intended to make it sound like Eric Holder made an innocent mistake. It was also Socarides' goal to paint the picture that this is Holder's first brush with controversy. Considering Holder's instigating Marc Rich's pardon on tax evasion charges and Holder's dropping the voter intimidation case against the National Black Panther Party, Holder isn't exactly a stranger to being on the wrong side of controversy.
Talk show hosts should reject this latest spin on Holder's blatant disregard for the Constitution and for whistleblowers to come forward to tell of this administration's wrongdoing. Holder is a bad guy who's done some nasty things throughout his career.
Posted Thursday, May 30, 2013 9:11 AM
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CNN, AP, NY Times rebuff Holder's off the record meetings
CNN, the AP, the NY Times and other media outlets have notified the Justice Department that they won't participate in an off-the-record meeting about the Justice Department's recent actions :
The Associated Press issued a statement Wednesday objecting to plans for the meetings to be off the record. "If it is not on the record, AP will not attend and instead will offer our views on how the regulations should be updated in an open letter," said Erin Madigan White, the AP's media relations manager.
The New York Times is taking the same position. "It isn't appropriate for us to attend an off-the-record meeting with the attorney general," executive editor Jill Abramson said in a statement.
Like the New York Times and the Associated Press, CNN will decline the invitation for an off-the-record meeting. A CNN spokesperson says if the meeting with the attorney general is on the record, CNN would plan to participate.
The Huffington Post's Washington bureau chief, Ryan Grim, also said he will not attend unless the meeting is on the record. "A conversation specifically about the freedom of the press should be an open one. We have a responsibility not to betray that," Grim told CNN.
These media organizations made the right decision. Holder shouldn't be given any breathing room on this. He willfully ignored DOJ protocols about leak investigations. He violated the Fifth Amendment's protection of people's right to due process. When he was caught lying to the House Judiciary Committee, he suddenly felt faux remorse about his despicable actions. Now he supposedly wants a private, off-the-record conversation about how to proceed in the future.
There's a simple solution to this off-the-point crisis. Holder should obey the 40-year-old protocols on leak investigations. This isn't complicated. These Watergate-inspired guidelines are sensible. They don't trample reporters' First or Fifth Amendment rights. They'd worked for 35+ years without a hitch. They still work when faithfully applied.
The only way they don't work is when they aren't applied.
A review of DOJ policies is shiny object spin designed to distract people from the fact that AG Holder willfully trampled on James Rosen's constitutional rights. Now that he's fighting for his political life, Holder is suddenly attempting to fake remorse for his lawlessness.
The AP, CNN and the NY Times shouldn't get suckered into these meetings. They should simply insist that President Obama replace his lawless attorney general with someone who respects the Constitution. They should insist on an AG who doesn't just pay lip service to the Bill of Rights.
Posted Thursday, May 30, 2013 9:37 AM
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The definition of evil
People have been outraged at the IRS's actions because the initial charges were exceptionally disgusting. That outrage is about to grow exponentially :
In March of 2012 the Human Rights Campaign published a confidential tax return of the National Organization for Marriage, which was immediately republished by The Huffington Post and other liberal news media outlets. The HRC and NOM are the leading national groups on opposing sides of the fight over gay marriage. HRC wants to redefine marriage to make it genderless, while NOM wishes to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
My organization was not the only conservative-linked political group or business that appears to have faced shady actions from IRS employees. ProPublica reported this week that the IRS handed over to them confidential documents of nine conservative organizations whose applications for non-profit status were still pending. Among them: Crossroads GPS, a key group backing Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.
This is disgusting. Tax filings are confidential by law. The thought that the IRS is handing over confidential IRS information to third parties is frightening. These organizations filed their paperwork with the understanding that it would remain confidential. The IRS didn't just violate that trust. The IRS made these organizations vulnerable to leftist organizations' intimidation tactics.
It gets worse :
In 1996 Lois Lerner, the IRS official at the center of the harassment of Tea Party groups seeking tax exempt status, was head of the enforcement division of the Federal Elections Commission(FEC). That year Al Salvi was the Republican nominee for the US Senate from Illinois, his Democrat opponent was then congressman Dick Durbin.
During the final weeks of the campaign Salvi loaned himself over a million dollars to buy ads in the Chicago media market. This in turn prompted the Democrat party's campaign arms to file complaints with the FEC and in kind the FEC, specifically Lois Lerner, filed charges against Al Salvi.
That is when Mr. Salvi contends Lois Lerner made him the following offer, 'Promise me you will never run for office again, and we'll drop this case.'
Al Salvi refused that offer and would fight the FEC complaint against him for several more years before a Judge tossed out the complaint.
It's apparent that Lois Lerner is government-employed Democratic political hack. It's apparent, too, that her decisions are based on doing hatchet jobs on Republicans in the furtherance of her political agenda.
That's the definition of evil.
Posted Thursday, May 30, 2013 11:59 AM
Comment 1 by Bob J. at 31-May-13 12:58 PM
Somebody needs to ask Harry Reid just how it was he knew that "Mitt Romney hadn't paid taxes in ten years".
Under oath would be preferred.
Comment 2 by j k at 31-May-13 01:38 PM
This is amazing...I'm going to go check the mainstream media web sites for more about this right now!
Comment 3 by walter hanson at 01-Jun-13 11:45 AM
J K:
Do you think the mainstream media will actually have the nerve to report it? The only reason for Obama's numbers holding up is because people like Tom B of NBC News who pretend that nothing horrible happened.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Comment 4 by hardrockminer at 27-Jun-13 02:41 AM
Progressives are the definition of evil.
