The Obama administration says that the White House wasn't involved in any IRS irregularities, but Bob Woodward says that's nonsense because, well, it just is:
The Washington Post's Bob Woodward says the Obama administration has explaining to do on the IRS scandal and needs to answer questions about who knew what, when.Here's what Woodward said to O'Reilly (video at Fox News Insider):
"This fiction that somehow [The IRS is] totally an independent agency is absurd," the legendary journalist said Monday on "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News, saying that in the Nixon era, the Treasury secretary refused to audit Democratic groups when the IRS commissioner was asked to do so by the White House.
"Clearly in the pipeline, lots of people knew some of this or should know it...."
It's part of the government. This fiction that somehow it's totally an independent agency is absurd. When George Shultz was the treasury secretary for Nixon, and the IRS commissioner at the time, Johnny Walters, came to see Shultz and said, "The White House wants me to audit this list of Democrats," you know what George Shultz did? He said, "If they want me to do that, they can get a new treasury secretary." He refused to do it. Clearly, in the pipeline, lots of people knew some of this, or should know it.Wait -- that's your argument, Bob? The IRS must have been politicized by someone high up in the White House, because it was politicized that way under Nixon, the most criminal-minded president of our lifetime? Isn't that like looking at Rob Ford and Marion Barry and concluding that when any big-city mayor does something ill-advised, it must be because the mayor was smoking crack, because that's what mayors do?
I understand the suspicion, but "Nixon did it, so they all do it" hardly constitutes proof.
10 comments:
Actually, it's worse than that. It's more like someone in the City Assessor's office decides to do a reappraisal of all buildings with "Luxury" in their name -- because the mayor was smoking crack.
It's unfortunate to see Woodward devolve into such a hack. I don't know what it is about Obama he dislikes, but it's obvious he does. He goes out of his way to criticize Obama on everything.
Oh well, he thought Bush was a great wartime leader...
Scott,
Woodworth was always, at least partially, a hack.
What he respects, is power.
And what he loves, craves, is power that give him open access, and treats him with respect - the kind of treatment a "great" man and reporter, like him, deserves.
And that's his problem with Obama. He and his administration, didn't show this hack enough deference.
They didn't kiss his ass as often, deferentially, and deeply, as he'd have liked.
Spot on, Victor, and the observation applies in general to the Beltway punditocracy.
It's like when you can say "Washington", or "the government", or "the administration", or "the White House", or "the West Wing", and be understood as meaning the current POTUS, while never actually being exposed to having said any such thing.
I think the correct response to Ol' Bob would be along these lines: No, fortunately, not every president is as bad as Nixon, just as - again, fortunately - not every journalist is as bad as Woodward.
Woodward rode Bernstein's coat-tails, 3P, and various accounts have him either obstructing the investigation or outright sabatoging it. His name should not have been on the book, and considering that he hasn't done anything outside of suck Republic dick since pretty leaves him devoid of justification for its existence.
Yes, "it". It, is less than sufficiently evolved, less than human.
(some days I just want to go on a rampage that doesn't end 'till the cops gun me down.
The wonder of having advanced degrees in computering and internet infrastructure is the ease of finding things. Nice tie, Dennis, cute kids.
Did you wipe? Or do wear Depends® and walk around all day with it hanging off your lips?
Anytime you'de care to step outside.
I've made it clear to Dennis that he's not welcome here. All of his comments are removed as soon as I see them. Please don't feed or threaten the trolls (threatening them is feeding them).
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