The Blaze – by Buck SextonIn just one week, President Barack Obama’s political machine has switched from endless campaign to survival mode. And for the first time in Obama’s presidency, the damage to his regime may be permanent.
Three revelations have come together like an avalanche. First, there was a Benghazi hearing that proved beyond any reasonable doubt that this administration is feckless, dishonest, and cravenly politicized. But in its aftermath on Friday, an executive branch information dump dropped another bombshell: the IRS does indeed target and intimidate conservative groups.
This appalling admission from a senior IRS official was obviously meant to slide into the news cycle and dissipate over the weekend. This unseemly public relations gambit has become a hallmark of the Obama approach to all issues, regardless of their importance to the nation. Deny or delay, spin and win.
And, to the discredit of our electorate, it has worked—until perhaps now.
As the country was still reeling from the gut-wrenching testimony of three Benghazi whistleblowers and the IRS mea culpa, yet another log was thrown onto the bonfire of the Obama administration’s credibility. Yesterday the Associated Press broke a news story that Obama’s Justice Departmentcollected phone data on dozens of AP reporters as part of a national security leak investigation.
Such sweeping intrusion upon a news organization’s privacy—exposing all its sources and chilling all speech in the process—makes a mockery of the Constitution’s guarantee of not “abridging the freedom of speech.” We can now add the First Amendment to the butcher’s bill of Obama administration overreach and nascent autocracy.
These three scandals have encircled the Obama administration. They threaten to turn the President’s second term into an ongoing partisan dogfight as the GOP pushes for answers that could trigger investigations, resignations—yes, possibly even impeachment, depending on what is found.
Here’s a brief rundown of the current debacles facing Obama:
1) IRS as a Political Weapon
The IRS singled out and harassed conservative political groups, including during the election year of 2012. The mere mention of the IRS understandably sends a jolt of anxiety through most Americans, so the implications of this conduct for Tea Party and other conservative groups are obvious. This was the worst kind of dirty politics, and an affront to even the most basic trust in government.
While the IRS admitted this egregious conduct, already there have been lies peddled about the depth and scope of this malfeasance. At first we were told that the breaches were limited to low-level civil servants in a few field offices. But that was also false, as we now know Washington DC-based IRS officials were involved too.
The familiar script from Obama and his phalanx of public relations protectors in the White House—that the IRS abuses are not political, and only those who want answers have any political motivations—sounds increasingly obtuse, and pathetic. All the obfuscation on these issues come from the same direction, and benefit the same side of the political aisle.
And ultimately, incompetence and ignorance are poor excuses for a chief executive. The president can only claim he didn’t know what his agencies were up to so many times before someone asks the President that all important question– what would you say, you do here?
2) Frontal Assault on the First Amendment
If a free press is the foundation upon which representative government is built, the Obama administration has allowed the Department of Justice to take a sledgehammer to it. The wholesale investigation of a major news outlet like the Associated Press undermines the intent and spirit of laws meant to promote the discourse necessary for democracy.
And this sets a very dangerous precedent. Unknown to much of the public, there is no special exception for the media to publish classified government information, nor are there hard-and-fast statutory constraints on calling members of the press to divulge their sources under pressure of subpoena. If Obama’s DOJ can do this once, there is no reason they can’t make it standard operating procedure. That would mean bye-bye, fourth estate.
Until now, the federal government has been generally aware of the tension that exists between national security and the First Amendment. Not this administration. Leakers, at least the ones not authorized from the White House itself, are punished severely.
At this early stage, it seems likely the Obama administration recognized that, despite its loud proclamations of outrage, no arrests have been made over the string of national security leaks over the past two years. In order to make it look like they take all leaks seriously, and to send a message to any prospective whistleblowers, Obama officials probably decided to go all in after one unauthorized leaker without the benefit of White House connections. That frenzied effort may have led to the unprecedented, secret seizure of Associated Press records.
3) Benghazi Lies Laid Bare
While the audacity of hyper-partisanship from Obama is jarring, it’s not shocking. So much about this administration, and for so long, has been venal, petty, and undignified. The most recent iteration of the Benghazi hearings solidified those feelings and left even the most ardent administration supporter defending the indefensible. But many questions remain:
Who made up the story about the YouTube video? Was Hillary Clinton incapable of calling her own employees to find out what happened? Where was President Obama during the 8-hour attack? What is being done to bring the attackers to justice? These are just some of the unknowns that require continued investigation despite the administration’s efforts at stonewalling.
It’s impossible to tell at this point what the consequences of these scandals will be for the Obama administration. To be sure, more information on the IRS targeting, DOJ snooping on journalists, and Benghazi is certain to come out. And while it will be damning overall, we can’t yet tell whether the sum total will be an ironclad implication of President Obama or his cabinet.
But if this administration can get away with using federal agencies to stifle political dissent, harassing and spying on journalists, and lying about the origins, actions, and aftermath of a terrorist attack, America is no longer worthy of the Constitution left to us by the Founders.
It’s time for answers and accountability. The dignity and future of the Republic hangs in the balance.
Only three? Aren’t you forgetting something?
I think its about time that congress goes for the whole enchilada,right here right now.demand that obamas records be unsealed.with that and bengazhi,the irs scandal,and obtaining the associated press phone records. we can be totally finished with all of this lying,corrupt administration.hang everyone of them for treason against the united states and the American people. Hillary Clinton included.and show any future wanna be dictator that these sort of things will never be tolerated in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.SO HELP ME GOD.
Ever notice the timing of this deluge? Just as Kerry and Obama and Putin begin discussing a Peace Deal in Syria. Which the zionists want
flattened. But Obama has refused to obey. Why didnt all this clamor and media outrage result over the WMD lies which killed over five THOUSAND troops- not just 5? Because that little endeavor was what the zionists wanted, a war to flatten Iraq. Not a word about those guys dying for nothing. Clinton mentions Palestine Statehood and – bang! Lewinsky impeachment… Hello? Earth to idiots???
Wake up fools, you are being played like morons, who never learn no matter how many times you are repeatedly led down them same road by the same perps. Advice from history, 1922 when THAT Pres tried to disobey the zio-banksters:
. “And if after having elected their man or group, obedience is not rendered to the Jewish control, then you speedily hear of “scandals” and “investigations” and “impeachments” for the removal of the disobedient.”- Henry Ford, car manufacturer.
The birth certificate didnt get him in line, so they upped the ante- WAKE UP!
Right on, the RepugniRats are just as evil, zionist loving scum
While I agree wholeheartedly that the administration is vile and deserves whatever it gets, I also believe that the present “crisis” is being fomented by zionists working at the american media outlets.
They are punishing him for not attacking Syria and Iran. If he relents and attacks Syria, the crises will “go away”. This same trick was used on the last several presidents.
It is to be hoped that the administration does not cave in to the zionist stooges. He will pay a (deserved) price, but it is his own fault for not outing them from the start.
Evil never prevails. Im gonna kick back and watch these idiots destroy themselves. Id still enjoy to watch them get bitch slapped for treading on our Lady Liberty
I’m not a fan of OBOMBA, but why didn’t they go after him last Fall, when they had the original Benghazi hearings?
I think OBOMBA is being taken down by the Israeli Lobby, since he hasn’t bombed Iran or invaded Syria, both high on Israel’s list.
From JFK, to Carter, to the first President Bush, to Clinton, all learned there’s a price to pay when you don’t completely bow and scrape to the land thieves from Khazaria.
I agree. Rothschild owns the AP, which is how and why these stories are being spotlighted by the MSM. We can expect a major diversion: either a USA military surge in the Middle East that explodes into WWIII, or a false flag event that rivals or exceeds 911. However, Obama has shit on so many people whom he has depended on to secure his administration, it will be unlikely that he can function in his capacity as a dictator, let alone get support to initiate a major diversion. Three strikes and your out!
this is a distraction, Lewinsky style. Were democrats, Clintons, AP and the bankers working together? We even get Ron Brown tears. How about that gold smash and flight to the new machine? The next great fleecing is on the horizon. FOMC hint…
The only way Obama will get through this is through a war. The fact that he falls way way short of everything people were hoping for five years ago is already confirmed for some time. The fact that he can be manipulated into war to save his skin makes it even worse.
Yes, they need a neocon puppet to make their war on Iran…
Mama always said that any lies told would come back to haunt you.
“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”
-Mark Twain
This moron is so evil and corupt, he really needs to go….
Like the good old days let him go the way of JFK…….
Please save America……
I’m with SamAdams on this one. All of these “scandals” are pure distraction. They’ll dominate the headlines and eventually climax in impeachment hearings, which will produce a months-long media circus that gives Americans the false belief that we still have a functioning justice system.
While the idiots are staring into the tube waiting for justice to be served, greater injustice will be done. This is a feature-length distraction, and nothing more.
The C.I.A. writes the headlines for A.P. Who cares if they collect their phone data?
If these three scandals ARE the diversion, then what are they covering-up? It would seem rather stupid for Obama to implicate his administration with three scandals, when he could have launched another false flag, instead.
Don’t throw in the towel just yet.
Doubtless we won’t have long to wait for the next one.
i believe the diversions are not best described as a cover up but more or less a careless attempt to recognize the walkers from the sleepers. pure, shameless, total.