Today the Intramuralist shares an interesting observation.\u00a0 I\u2019ve noticed something.\u00a0 Put away your partisan hats.\u00a0 Squelch any innate motive to passionately pounce.\u00a0 Follow me here…<\/p>\n
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Each of us likes to claim we are honest and full of integrity.\u00a0 Most of us believe we actually are<\/em> honest and full of integrity.\u00a0 But even the person who is not will still stake such a claim.\u00a0 Sometimes they are aware they are not but they know the claim looks good\/sounds good\/is<\/em><\/strong> good.\u00a0 Sometimes they are not aware.\u00a0 And friends, intelligence has zero to do with the awareness of integrity.\u00a0 As oft repeated amidst these posts, wisdom and intelligence are not<\/em><\/strong> synonyms.\u00a0 I have a son who has Down syndrome, and while he may not score as high on some intelligence tests, he has incredible<\/em> wisdom.\u00a0 Wisdom is by far<\/em> more important.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So I continue to wonder why administration after administration stakes the claim that they will be the most ethical… most transparent… and most responsible executors of government.\u00a0 And I continue to wonder why administration after administration is not<\/em> the most ethical… most transparent… and most responsible executors of government.\u00a0 Again, no partisan pouncing; \u201cadministration after administration\u201d includes all parties.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I am currently concerned about the extent of the Dept. of Justice and IRS scandals.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The DOJ privately sought affidavits\u00a0\u2014 signed off on by Eric Holder, the Attorney General\u00a0\u00a0\u2014\u00a0claiming they needed secret access into phone lines and computers, citing the potential criminal behavior of reporters.\u00a0 The Associated Press, CBS, and FOX News each reportedly (thus far)<\/em> were tapped; one reporter\u2019s parents\u2019<\/em> phone records were seized; the DOJ cited the reporter as a flight risk. \u00a0But there was no criminal suspicion; there was no probable cause; the DOJ unjustly scrutinized them\u00a0\u2014 secretly. \u00a0 The DOJ acted illegally even though they are supposed to be the administrator of justice in the land.\u00a0 Questions:\u00a0 who will be next?\u00a0 Where else will the Dept. of Justice unjustly act?\u00a0 Will we know?\u00a0 Who in the administration knew? \u00a0This is alarming.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What concerns me as much \u2014 and what should unsettle every citizen \u2014 even though the DOJ activity is alarming \u00a0\u2014 \u00a0is the overreach of the IRS.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After the rise of the Tea Party in 2010, the IRS intentionally targeted conservative groups associated with either the party or 2012 election.\u00a0 The tax-exempt status of those organizations was either delayed or denied. \u00a0Existing group status was upheld.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you are no Tea Party fan, perhaps the overreach concerns you little.\u00a0 Perhaps quietly somewhere in the back of your mind you\u2019ve thought somebody should<\/em> keep those rebel-rousing patriots in place.\u00a0 Therein lies the problem… the fact that some thought it was ok… that our federal government secretly used their power to squelch the citizens\u2019 influence… and the conclusion\u00a0\u2014 \u00a0just like the Justice Dept.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0that if it\u2019s a conservative group this time, there will be<\/em><\/strong> a next time… and it may not be a group you dislike.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Back, no less, to what looks good\/sounds good\/is<\/em><\/strong> good…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There is no positive way to spin these scandals. \u00a0In regard to the IRS, we know that the IRS and White House have known about this scandal for some time.\u00a0 We know that the two toyed deliberately with how to break this story to the public.\u00a0 We don\u2019t know exactly who knew what when, as the answers continue to be ambiguous.\u00a0 The former IRS chief, Douglas Shulman, can\u2019t tell us how it happened…\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t say that I know.\u201d\u00a0<\/em> The acting IRS commissioner, Steven Miller, doesn\u2019t remember who was responsible… \u201cI don’t remember, to be honest with you.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 And Lois Lerner, the director of the IRS division that actually singled out the groups, pleaded the 5th Amendment before Congress yesterday. \u00a0She said she didn’t do anything wrong; but then again, she refused to testify.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n These are seemingly intelligent people, friends\u00a0\u2014 in both the IRS and DOJ\u00a0\u2014\u00a0but from our limited perspective, they have not acted wisely. \u00a0Their actions continue to be disturbing. \u00a0They are not being ethical, transparent, nor responsible.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hence, more questions:\u00a0 what other motives are in play?\u00a0 Who or what are they trying to protect?\u00a0 Are they still claiming to be honest and full of integrity?\u00a0 Or do they even realize they are not?\u00a0 “NOT” is the key word.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Respectfully,<\/p>\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today the Intramuralist shares an interesting observation.\u00a0 I\u2019ve noticed something.\u00a0 Put away your partisan hats.\u00a0 Squelch any innate motive to passionately pounce.\u00a0 Follow me here… Each of us likes to claim we are honest and full of integrity.\u00a0 Most of us believe we actually are honest and full of integrity.\u00a0 But even the person … <\/p>\n