Is The IRS Silencing White House Critics?

Is IRS Targeting Obama's Enemies? -- Raven Clabough, New American

In 2010, American Thinker posted an interesting defense of a flat tax, noting that it would help preserve privacy and freedom of speech by eliminating the need for the federal government to know virtually every aspect of a taxpayer’s financial assets. Two years later, some people are seeing truth in the magazine's assessment that the administration may be using the Internal Revenue Service to silence its opposition.

Ohio Liberty Council, for instance, says they are being made to jump through hoops by the IRS, which has demanded certain documents in order for the group's process of acquiring non-profit status to move forward. OLC President Tom Zawistowski posted a letter on the organization's website detailing the difficulties:

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My Comment: The IRS requirements seem to be excessive .... but the IRS is the IRS ..... we must always assume the worse.

Clean-Energy Firms With Obama Administration Ties Are Raking In The Money

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Federal Funds Flow To Clean-Energy Firms With Obama Administration Ties -- Washington Post

Sanjay Wagle was a venture capitalist and Barack Obama fundraiser in 2008, rallying support through a group he headed known as Clean Tech for Obama.

Shortly after Obama’s election, he left his California firm to join the Energy Department, just as the administration embarked on a massive program to stimulate the economy with federal investments in clean-technology firms.

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My Comment: It's nice when you have friends in high places, especially friends that you help to elect.

Chicago Is Nation’s Corruption Capital

It’s Official: Chicago Is Nation’s Corruption Capital -- Chicago Sun Times

A University of Illinois study has found what many probably already suspected: Chicago is the corruption capital of the nation.

The study — published Wednesday as the details of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s Colorado prison assignment emerged — showed that the federal court district that includes Chicago has had 1,531 public corruption convictions since 1976, more than any other district in the nation.

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My Comment: Not an honor that I would like to boast about.

Voter Rolls Are Rife With Inaccuracies

Decentralized and paper-based voter registration is prone to error, according to a new report. Eric Thayer for The New York Times

Voter Rolls Are Rife With Inaccuracies, Report Finds -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — The nation’s voter registration rolls are in disarray, according to a report released Tuesday by the Pew Center on the States. The problems have the potential to affect the outcomes of local, state and federal elections.

One in eight active registrations is invalid or inaccurate. At the same time, one in four people who are eligible to vote — at least 51 million potential voters — are not registered.

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My Comment: The numbers are staggering .... but heh .... this has been going on for years, and no one wants to tighten it up.

Rep. Spencer Bachus Faces Insider-Trading Probe

Photo: U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus

Rep. Spencer Bachus Faces Insider-Trading Investigation -- Washington Post

The Office of Congressional Ethics is investigating the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee over possible violations of insider-trading laws, according to individuals familiar with the case.

Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), who holds one of the most influential positions in the House, has been a frequent trader on Capitol Hill, buying stock options while overseeing the nation’s banking and financial services industries.

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More News On Allegations Of Insider Trading Against Rep. Spencer Bachus

Report: Rep. Spencer Bachus faces insider trading probe -- L.A. Times
Rep. Bachus faces insider trading probe: report -- Reuters
Report: Bachus targeted in ethics investigation -- Politico
Alabama Congressman Spencer Bachus says he welcomes ethics investigation -- al.com
Bachus Predicts ‘Full Exoneration’ in Ethics Investigation -- Bloomberg
If Spencer Bachus Was Insider Trading, He Was Pretty Awful At It -- Business Insider

A Commentary On Policy Corruption

President Barack Obama meets with members of his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House, January 29, 2010. The President’s chair is marked with a plaque engraved with the date of his inauguration. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Intellectual And Policy Corruption -- Richard W. Rahn, Washington Times

Team Obama rewards its friends, punishes its foes.

Government corruption can take many forms. Last week, most of those forms could be seen in the actions of the Obama administration - everything from government officials taking simple bribes, to covering up wrongdoing, to using taxpayer money to pay off political supporters, to using government prosecutors to punish enemies, to failing to fulfill its fiduciary duty to citizens by not performing cost-benefit analyses before taking actions. Promulgating policies that knowingly hurt millions of people is far more serious than a government official requesting a cash bribe - as despicable as that may be. Pushing for tax increases without first getting rid of counterproductive or useless programs and cleaning up mismanagement is an example of policy corruption.

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My Comment: A hard hitting commentary .... and unfortunately so true.

How Political Allies Are Making Money On Green Causes

Obama Backers Are Getting Rich On Green Causes -- Don Surber

Over the holidays, the New York Times reported: “Fisker Automotive is recalling all 239 of its 2012 Karma luxury plug-in hybrid cars because of a fire hazard.”

Not mentioned in the report was the fact that the Obama administration had given this tiny car company a Solyndra-sized loan of $529 million. Banks loans the money with the understanding that if the company flops, taxpayers will repay the loan. That Fisker received a loan at all was odd, since Fisker builds its cars in Uusikaupunki, Finland. But the Wall Street Journal reported that Al Gore is a backer of Fisker. That may explain why the Obama administration approved the loan.

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My Comment: Because Green sounds good.... does not necessarily mean that it is good. Unfortunately .... government backed loans to companies that are not structured to pay them back is becoming the legacy of going Green.