"Especially from a bad tree!" Rick, you do have that right!

Big government statists are perceived to be on the same side as the collectors- after all, the collection of taxes enables even more of their dreams to be realized- especially with Obamacare on the near horizon. Just remember- a government employee has only one concern, irregardless of their oath of office, or resolution of the problem they were hired to solve- that concern is their next paycheck. That is why government solutions to perceived problems do not (and never will) work.

While I disbelieve O's and Holder's denials of involvement in this new scandal (not that it's all that new), it is conceivable that the IRS did this on its own. My personal dealings with IRS employees have been exemplary- they have been polite, friendly, and helpful- but I understand that isn't always the case. The relationship between the taxpayers and the tax collectors has always been contentious, sometimes even hostile, and it doesn't take a psychic to realize that IRS employees are likely to adopt an "us vs. them" mindset. Repubs (or rather conservatives/libertarians) will naturally fall into the "them" category, as their attitudes are most in conflict with the IRS's attempt to do their job, as they see it.

Maybe you misinterpreted, but you are spot on in your analysis...

I do believe you're right, but I suspect the the Ivy League is much better insulated from reality- and that is where the ruling class hails from. Just ask Sarah Palin- think about the furor over a girl who graduated from a school in Idaho, of all places, being close to the reins of power! Unacceptable! say the elites...

Well said, Steve! While I often take issue with you, this article was a home run. The real problem facing the US today (as far as gas prices go) is the loss of refining capacity- we have lost 6% of that capacity in the last three years- whole plants have been disassembled and shipped overseas, while the NIMBYs prevent even the discussion of new (and environmentally safe) refineries here. My wife lost a job she loved (and a well paying one, at that) when the Premcor (formerly Clark) refinery in Blue Island, IL shut down and was sent to South Africa. The reason? It was uneconomic to upgrade the plant to meet the EPA's new sulfur content rules, in combination with other government rules that made it even MORE expensive to upgrade (and many of those rules were/are counterproductive in terms of reducing pollution- think ethanol requirements).

One of my favorites is "sustainable", you know, sustainable agriculture, sustainable growth, sustainable energy, etc. The only thing I don't hear about is "Sustainable Government"!

After reading the Chicago Trib for more than 50 years, I finally cancelled my subscription- the reason?- the Trib's endorsement of Obama for re-election. They had been cruising on their past reputation as a "conservative rag", and thought that would protect them forever. I told the person who took my cancellation order the reason, and he dutifully noted it down without comment (although he did try to keep me as a subscriber by offering me a deal). Subsequently, the Trib has tried to get me to renew several times, also by offering me a deal- even though they knew my reasons for quitting- they even mentioned it! Now the Koch Bros. might be able to offer me a deal- as long as they clear many off the editorial board who brilliantly steered that old flagship of the right into the shoals of liberalism...

I assume you are being facetious- the Matrix sequels? Seriously?

Well, yes. But conservatives are trying to warn people that the world's best health care is going the way of the dodo bird. That is NOT to say that health care was cheap, and it almost goes without saying that government interference is the main culprit in increasing health care costs. Turning almost all medical decisions over to the people who created the problem is not very logical and will neither improve service nor reduce costs. I can see it now- "Sorry, Mr. Doe, your death panel score isn't high enough for that new hip. Perhaps a call to Senator Durbin's office might help..."