Watching the Republicans - Runaway Train

[Lamplighter]

Back to the IRS thing for a moment...

Is it possible that the cure is going to be worse than the disease ?

The IRS has set up a voluntary process for groupsthat
have been waiting for tax-exempt status for more than 120 days
to "self-certify" that they will comply with key rules limiting their political activity.
Such groups have to agree that they will not spend more than 40%
of their time or money on political campaign activities.
In exchange, they can win automatic tax-exempt status.

Sure, that'll work out well, because no one would ever cheat on the IRS !


The quote above is from this article...

USA Today
Deirdre Shesgreen
6/23/13

IRS: Other 'inappropriate' screening of groups done

WASHINGTON — Internal Revenue Service agents in Cincinnati
used additional "inappropriate" lists to flag certain tax-exempt applications
for extra scrutiny, IRS Principal Deputy Commissioner Danny Werfel said Monday.

He declined to say what criteria or terms were on the additional watch lists,
but congressional Democrats released a document showing that IRS
agents targeted groups with "progressive" in their names.
"Common thread is the word 'progressive'," the November 2010 IRS document says.
"Activities are partisan and appear as anti-Republican."<snip>

The IG audit said that of 298 organizations given extra scrutiny, about 96 were tea party groups.
The report did not specify why the other 202 applications were singled out.

The November 2010 IRS document, released by Democrats
on the House Ways and Means Committee, shows an entry titled "progressive"
and advises agents that such groups' activities "appear to lean toward
a new political party" and may not be eligible for tax-exempt status.

In a news release, the Ways and Means Committee Democrats said
they have verified that some of the 298 organizations examined by the Inspector General
were liberal organizations. Rep. Sander Levin, the top Democrat on the panel, said
he would ask the IG why that information was omitted from his initial report
and ask for a new hearing on the issue.

Oh, by the way... regarding Werfel quote above about "self certification":

Werfel [also] said the agency can always review these
groups' activities afterward, to make sure they are in compliance.

[Lamplighter]

There are moments in legislative proceedings when someone must "think on their feet".
Last night, the Texas Senate demonstrated this to a world of viewers
while Senator Wendy Davis was filibustering the latest circus on abortion.
But Sen Davis was only one of three heroines of the night.

Heroine # 1
#StandWithWendy Trends Online During Texas Senator's Abortion Filibuster

Without putting the issue to a vote, Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst ruled
that an attempt by Davis to talk about a previous sonogram bill in the context of SB5
was not "germane" to the SB5 bill.

Heroine #2
Senator Judith Zaffirini brought up the rule that the topic of "germaneness" must be
brought up three times or more before a strike could be issued;
however, at that point, the acting chair, Senator Robert Watson, dismissed her point of order
as having come after the ruling on Davis' topic was made.

Now enters Senator Leticia Van de Putte Heroine #3 to deliver a perfect "estocada"...



"At what point," Senator Leticia Van de Putte asked in the wake of the overridden objections,
"must a female senator raise her voice or hand to be recognized over male colleagues in the room?"

Throughout the night the public in attendance frequently disrupted the proceedings
with chants of "Let Her Speak," making it so hard to hear on the Senate floor
that they had to be ordered out of the courtroom at one point.

But at the last minute, the crowd noise proved to be the real deciding vote.
Tensions were visibly high, and as the final vote to dismiss the filibuster and pass the bill began,
at just ten minutes until midnight, the noise of the crowd rose to a fever pitch,
in one last desperate attempt to disrupt the assembly and forestall the debate.

On the floor was utter chaos.

UPDATE: Wendy Davis and the Texas Democratic Party confirmed that Senate Bill 5 is dead.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

UPDATE: Wendy Davis and the Texas Democratic Party confirmed that Senate Bill 5 is dead.

But not before the Republicans tried to fraudulently alter the timestamp on the vote to make it seem to have occurred before the deadline.

[Lamplighter]

And now, Mr Brooks, have you ever used the word "mutt" ?

NY Times
DAVID BROOKS
Published: June 27, 2013

A Nation of Mutts

<snip>
Moreover, up until now, America was primarily an outpost of European civilization.
Between 1830 and 1880, 80 percent of the immigrants came from Northern and Western Europe.
Over the following decades, the bulk came from Southern and Central Europe. In 1960,
75 percent of the foreign-born population came from Europe, with European ideas and European heritage.

Soon, we will no longer be an outpost of Europe, but a nation of mutts,
a nation with hundreds of fluid ethnicities from around the world, intermarrying and intermingling.
Americans of European descent are already a minority among 5-year-olds.
European-Americans will be a minority over all in 30 years at the latest, and probably sooner.
<snip>
Because high immigration is taking place at a time of unprecedentedly
low ethnic hostility, we’re seeing high rates of intermarriage.
This creates large numbers of hybrid individuals, biracial or triracial
people with names like Enrique Cohen-Chan.
These people transcend existing categories and soften the social boundaries between groups.

Will someone please tell David his star has faded.