I thrive on fairness, the application of fairness, and the pursuit of fairness. With that concept in mind, I believe that Republicans should consider their next full court press as the Tea Party erroneously smells victory against the Obama Administration.
Did the IRS have one department focus a portion of their customary targeting practices dispropotionately on organizations with similar characteristics requesting tax exempt status? True. Or, to use a term by Republicans - Guilty as Charged. Whether this was politically motivated is questionable.
Have previous Republican Administrations officials used the IRS to target organizations? True. Or, to use a term by Republicans - Guilty as Charged. The NAACP went through a two year investigation by the IRS mere months after running an ad that the Bush Administration did not like.
Does the IRS have authority to consider and execute blanket review of "like organizations" when considering tax-exempt status? True. Or, to use a term by Republicans - Guilty as Charged.
Are many Tea Party organizations reviewed by the IRS mere ghost and secondary organizations likely associated with larger and directly politically related? True. Or, to use a term by Republicans - Guilty as Charged.
Did these organizations merit further review? Most Americans would agree that 501(C)4 organizations are to be provided special tax status based on a community benefit further defined and useful to our democratic processes. That benefit would arguably be worthy of special tax status.
What is crucial in the IRS Scandal is that smaller, less funded organizations were cited for review rather than well-funded organizations. GPS, Cross Roads, and their ilk clearly use the Citizens United schemes yet were left virtually alone. The anger that Senate Democrats vented at the IRS stems from the clear avoidance of reviewing wealthy organization while bullying the true patriots at the grass roots level.
Yet, much of the IRS Scandal stems from a more serious threat to our government and democracy. The focus by Republicans on either IRS rogue agents or the Obama Administration skirts the much more sinister and troubling impacts of a Supreme Court decision titled Citizens United. The media's focus on the myopic view, communicated by Republicans, is similar to worrying about a wrinkle around your eye as your internal organs are entombed in cancerous tumors. Citizens United is destroying transparency in our political process, it purchases leadership in Washington, destroys any chance for bipartisanship solutions, while raising tax revenues on the smaller income earners and the individual, reducing welfare and national safety net protections, while defending and promoting corporate welfare.
When the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Corporate America, overturning key limits on Campaign Finance, it provided exceptional abilities to wealthy individuals and Corporate America to further control the democratic process. The Conservative and Activist Supreme Court, with Scalia in the lead, developed a special right which was non-existent, recognizing Corporations as individuals. This special right provides a powerful pathway for corpoations, wealthy individuals and groups to create Super PACs, protect the identy of donors, overturns any Congressional limits on contributions, and infuses the election process with billions of new dollars, whiler avoiding regulatory scrutiny or review by the public.
The clear threat of intimidation, fear and secrecy provided by the extremist Supreme Court decision, Citizens United, has impacted democracy since the 2010 election cycle. The coordinated efforts of large donors financing the Tea Party, or any other specific agenda, has already been seen as it destroys political careers in individual districts through massive increases in fundraising for political races, protecting its corporate future through Congressional strategy, or minimizing the judicial impact of its corporate impacts on society.
In seriously large amounts, individuals could, and in fact did, contribute massive amounts of dollars to districts throughout American to support and defend the political landscape in 2010 and the 2012 election cycles without fear of review, disclosure or public scrutiny. In fact, the media reported one clear decision in the 2012 campaign specific to Citizens United. The Koch Brothers gave $100 million additional dollars to Republican Super Pacs for 2012 for the Paul Ryan Vice Presidential slot. Morally called a bribe, yet, today perfectly legal.
Likely over $1 Trillion dollars was spent in 2012 by shadow organization in politics to define America's future through these 501(c)4 organizations. The IRS has been and will continue to be ill prepared to address the ramifications of Citizens United.
Ultimately, the American public and both political parties, to avoid complete and utter anarchy, should seek a Constitutional Amendment to reverse the stupidity of Citizens United and the fallacy that corporations are individuals. Until then, we will likely continue to raise questions that in fact are based in legal fact, which are morally horrible, but we will continue as a nation to be complicit in the death of democracy, or as I declare it, Guilty as Charged.
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