I'd like to hear from some of the Democrats on here as to what they think of the President of the U.S.......turning his 2012 campaign into a tax-exempt 501(c)(4)? Were you aware before this thread that this is what he's done? He kept the money they was left over.....money raised through campaigning.....and simply changed it all over to the form of a tax-exempt 501(c)(4). How can the president of the United States who is supposed to be the president for ALL the people have a political advocacy group? How can it NOT be more campaigning and not have as its primary purpose campaigning? For instance.....in March 2013, the president spoke before the group as did his former campaign manager Jim Messini and WH Adviser David Plouffe. Even the New York Times has reported that any donor who contributes $500,000 or more to OFA will receive "special" access to the president. "Since OFA is now a nonprofit under section 501(c)(4) of the tax code, it is no longer required to disclose its donors and can accept unlimited contributions from any source. This freedom from scrutiny for a group linked to the president has brought harsh criticism from campaign reform groups and transparency watchdogs. OFA earlier announced that it would disclose donors who gave more than $250 on a quarterly basis and would refuse contributions from corporations and lobbyists." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/12/organizing-for-action-donors_n_3072032.html So.....as a 501c4, they aren't required to release donor names. But they claim they will for anyone contributing over $250? How many believe they'll keep that up.....or not conveniently forget one or two since it won't really be against the laws? And special access to the president? How in the hell is that NOT political and have anything to do with "social welfare?" Looks like the prez got his little tax-exempt group okayed in record time!! No hassle!! And no flags from inside the IRS. Just amazing!
Countdown until progressives explain that OFA adheres to their definition of "social welfare" 3....2....1
And then there's the other hedging angles... "now that ObamaCo's been caught, I think there should be no tax breaks for any group"....."I think the law is at fault because it's too confusing and arbitrary..."
How in hell can a campaign organization designed to elect Darth Obama to office simply morph into a 501(c) tax exempt organiztion? Where are the progressive clowns that want to defend the IRS now?
The "Obama Message" is so indispensable, it requires a permanent [tax-exempt] PAC. Cult of Personality stuff...I suspect as the Boy King's term enters Autumn, they'll be subtly trotting out the "benefits" of FDR's third and fourth terms....
Lois the liar Lerner approved this one in record time...huh??? - - - Updated - - - Lets see....Tea Party, Patriot, 9/12 project in their names gets denied. Any group with the name Obama gets approved in record time.
That's the law. Don't like it? Support its change. No organization that is involved in politics should benefit from a tax-exempt status or being able to hide the sources of its cash. I take it that you've been calling for the repeal of the supremes' idiotic ruling that allowed this situation to mushroom and that you have been supportive of the IRS investigating those who have been playing that shell game, eh? Anything else would be hypocritical.
In 2010, the conservative US Supreme Court handed down one of the most catastrohic rulings to come out of any Supreme Court in nearly a century (which is saying something, considering that it's immediate predecessor decided a Presidential election on partisan lines). The Citizen's United decision essentially made speech something that could be sold to the highest bidder. Once the money floodgates were open, the next thing was to figure out how to hide who the donors are. The GOP got to work right away, by the fall of 2009, even before the ruling, poltical consultants were advising activists, lobbyists and corporations that they could spend as much as they wanted on political advertising without disclosing anything as long as they hid behind the 501c4 status. This was big party of the tea party push in early 2010. Dozens of GOP operatives criss crossed the country essentially marketing tea party in a box to local groups. One of the key ingredients in each box was 501c4 tax status. This exemption is nothing less than poltical money laundering. It allows anyone to put as much money as they want (thanks to Citizen's United) into a political campaign without any sort of campaign finance disclosures at all. Essentially, it's a legalized version of the same think that Jack Abramoff went to jail for. When Citizen's United was handed down, one of its sharpest critics was President Obama. He correctly predicted what would happen (much to the shame of Antonin Scalia) The GOP rushed to make his prediction come true as well. Unlimited secret campaign cash was a holy grail for the GOP. Immediately after the Citizen's United ruling, the Democrats introduced teh Disclose Act. The GOP filibustered it. In 2011, the Democrats re introduced the Disclose Act, the GOP wouldn't vote it out of committee. Unlimited secret campaign contributions are what the Republicans want. Their Supreme Court gave it to them, and they defended the corrupt practice in Congress. Am I happy that the Democrats have had to join the GOP? No. But, since the GOP has made it clear that pay to play unlimited secret campaign contributions are what they want, and they have the power to defend and preserve a blatantly corrupt system, the opposition has little choice but to play by those rules.
As usual, Joe will defend Obama at any cost, and as usual, Joe tries to change the topic of the OP. Hey Joe, the OP is about the IRS discriminating against conservative 501 4c groups, while approving in record time anything Obama or liberal groups apply for. It is you who are a hypocrite, you blast the rules and law, but yet give Obama a pass because if falls in favor of your liberal views. You are the benchmark of liberal hypocrisy on this forum Joe, because this hypocrisy is about freedom of speech, and not the rules and law. - - - Updated - - - It's about discrimination Tommy, try and keep up
While I agree with you, I think the Democrats are all done with their benefit from it. Why eliminate it when conservatives are capable of raising enough money in 2014 and 2016 to bury the Democrats for good using the very same laws. What benefited the Democrats in 2012 WILL be used to smite them in the next two. So let it roll. They can't just say well we did it but it stops now, no turn about is fair play. Bush was bashed on the then fairly new medium called the internet from 2000 on mercilessly. What happened in Jan 2009, the same thing the Democrats did to Bush is now happening to Obama. Myself I would just as soon see the Congressional Republicans focus and bring to justice those responsible for the Benghazi cover up, that's the pay dirt in neutralizing Hillary for 2016. Let the IRS thing fade away, then when they take the White House in 2016, terminate every liberal in every agency Government wide. Then use the Liberals tactics right back at 'em since they were OK with it when Obama did it. Liberals can't have it both ways, allow the Obama administration to get away with is today, face the same used against them tomorrow.
They were simply put on hold (among other IRS illegalities) throughout the election of Barry Obama and thereby, nulified! Opposition to the rule of Obama was neutered by the IRS! It's what banana dictatorships do. Government oversees an uneven playing field while giving the illusion of fairness. That's what you defend.
Sounds to me like the Republicans have some of them there sour grapes over not being intelligent enough to do this themselves. Damn that president operating within the confines of the law! Maybe if you hurl enough feces at them the really stuopi folks on both the left and the right will believe he did something wrong!
"Intelligent" enough to blatantly violate the law and bring Congress down on their heads? That's very bright of you to notice. Using the IRS as a weapon to go after political opponents is NOT within the confines of the law. That's sort of why IRS bureaucrats like Louise Lerner are taking the fifth and stonewalling investigations. But It's great that you acknowledge that Obama is behind this all! It's what all smart people suspect. He's engaging in a cover up, if nothing else. Barry Millhouse Obama! It has a ring to it.
Actually, it sounds to me like you are justifying profiling and discrimination by Obama and his lemmings. Again, you and your liberal friends are trying to change the subject of this thread, because it is liberal groups following the law, it is about a libturd Obama agenda to discriminate and slow or stop the speech of conservative groups. These liberal responses are the typical stop conservative speech at any cost. You and your liberal ilk should be ashamed, but that would be a lie, because a true American you would first have to have a conscious and a moral background supporting our constitution, which you and other liberals clearly don't
It's not so much the tax exempt status, it the disclosing of donors. And I have pointed out that while all the to do was being whipped up over these tiny insignificant groups being asked to fill in a questionaire, groups like Obama's Organizing for America and Karl Roves Crossroads GPS are considered social welfare organizations even though they spend over 99% of money raised on political activity. IF congress was serious about this issue, they would clarify the law, to put a statutory limit on the % of funds that could be spent on political activity, and force groups to release donor names if they exceed the limit, and FUND the IRS sufficiently to enforce this section of the code.
I remember because it was reported Not by the MSM but either Bretibart or The Daily Caller.In fact it's a first.Never before has a White House carried over their Campaign group after an Election win.It set a new precedent. This current bunch in our White House are basically criminal.They pull crap that no one else would be allowed.And that's just the stuff that gets leaked. This was also an effort to get cute.Like what are you gonna do Americans. Sue the White House.Scold the White House.
Nice retort for your support for profiling and discrimination Maybe you can fill us in with the liberal IRS talking points this morning. 1. Change the topic quickly 2. Obama follows the law 3. TEA Party is a terror organization 4. Silence the opposition at all costs
How about the IRS hold and scrutinize all 501 c4's and not just TEA Party conservatives. Liberals try as they may to stop the speech of their opposition. Instead of arguing the points, they would rather subvert the constitution, profile, intimidate, and discriminate. (*)(*)(*)(*)ing pathetic
What, so Obama's IRS...or another administration's IRS....can target them for audits? We've been made quite aware that using intimidation to shut down dissenting political speech is the rancid underbelly of at least two of ObamaCo's scandals... call me "paranoid", but I don't think it would be wise...at all...to present any of them ANOTHER data base of potential targets. but that's just me...someone who believes Big Fed is a laughably corrupt organization.
