Greetings!
It’s been a rough month for the Obama administration as they fight scandals on all fronts. Whether it’s because of RepubliCon obstruction and grandstanding or the administration’s own ineptitude, the focus on these scandals prevents any action on the real issues facing our nation. And the American people are the ones who will suffer for it.
The attack on the embassy in Benghazi was an attack on our country and a failure of security that rightfully deserves investigation. Just as the NTSB dissects every aspect of a plane crash to prevent it from happening again, we need to learn everything we can about the failures in Benghazi to keep our people safe in the future. But the RepubliCons have turned what could have been an informative inquiry into a witch hunt focused on insignificant details. They’ve eliminated the possibility of any useful outcome, and our foreign service will pay the price down the line.
If the IRS was being used by the administration as a political cudgel against anyone, that’s an abuse that can’t be ignored. But despite Darrell Issa’s vague assertions, there doesn’t seem to be any evidence that Obama was involved. And the whole scandal hinges on the idea that the IRS behaved inappropriately. 501c-4 groups are supposed to be social welfare groups (wink wink), not political action groups. Since the Tea Party is an unashamedly political movement, it might seem logical to look closely before giving them tax exemptions. But, since the question is “who’s being targeted” instead of “why do obviously political groups get tax exempt status to begin with”, we can’t do anything about the flood of anonymous money corrupting whatever remains of our democracy.
The AP scandal, to me, seems the most valid of the three major scandals hamstringing Obama right now. It highlights the struggle of any remaining shreds of real reporting to remain free. This story, along with Obama’s track record on whistleblowers, the travesty of Bradley Manning, and the continuation of the Bush-era wiretap policies, all point to the death of our First Amendment under the pressures of the Security State. But if the other scandals are any guide the emphasis will be on political positioning instead of increasing the governmental transparency and public oversight necessary to stop Big Brother.
Finally, just the existence of these scandals makes it impossible to address any other legitimate issues. Senator Chuck Grassley sang the song perfectly. When asked about Obama’s nomination of three Federal judges at once to highlight the GOP’s obstruction of judicial nominations, Grassley immediately replied that this was “an effort for the president to direct attention away from Benghazi and IRS and AP reporters being harassed by the Justice Department”. It’s a depressing refrain that we’re likely to hear again and again as the summer wears on, and the action we need remains undone.
Take Care and Make a Great Day!
