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FROM AP: 10 Things to Know for Wednesday
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FROM AP: Malcolm X's grandson buried in NY
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
On the other end of the political spectrum from all of the foolishness in D.C. is a groundswell of terrific, on-the-ground activism and organizing work taking place across the country in just about every state, with tangible results.
On the face of it, the Tea Party seems autonomous and even a thorn in the side of the GOP. But that façade masks the real truth about the Tea Party, which is that ultimately it is less a political organization than a contract killer working for the Republicans.
Nonprofits are rightly concerned that the partisan coverage of this issue will confuse the public and leave the wrong impression that charitable organizations are engaging in political activity. We can't allow these impressions to stand.
Week sixteen of the Obama second-term presidency found the administration playing 'whack-a-mole' and the term 'scandal' being thrown around even when it came to the president asking Marines to hold umbrellas for himself and a visiting head-of-state during a rainy-day press conference.
Permitting Tea Party, left-wing, libertarian, middle-of-the-road -- whatever -- groups to define themselves as untaxed social welfare organizations that may accept unlimited, untaxed, secret corporate gifts and sponsor political ads is a sarcoma on democracy.
I might suggest that we first take a deep breath and make an effort to put the events of the past week in some perspective, but I know it wouldn't do any good. There is blood in the water and in deeply partisan Washington, the struggle for advantage and power always trumps reality.
Will today mark the dawning of another new era? Or will Congress miss the opportunity to examine the problems within the agency that extend beyond this one scandal?
By attacking Obama, the Republicans are throwing red meat to their base, which is an increasingly small and extreme group of right-wingers. The danger of tossing red meat to a tiger is that it becomes even more aggressive.
Imagine a Washington, D.C. where Republicans came to work each day fired up with renewed passion and zeal. A Congress where energized Republicans legislated in bi-partisan fashion on behalf of the American people.
Greenpeace is offering to testify about being the target of politically motivated audits in 2004, because regardless of which party holds power, these abuses are egregious and must stop.
We all have skin in this game to maintain our liberties. It is an ironic turn of events that the very issue of inappropriate scrutiny of our liberties is now the focus of the IRS by the public, media, elected officials; even the ACLU has raised its head.
We know you've been doing it for years now, so why hide anymore? Instead, just tell the public what you're doing is yet another service you're providing, particularly if you concentrate on those groups that really make our lives worse.
By migrating illegally, Ted Nugent is sticking it to Mexico by giving them a taste of their own medicine. Let's see how the Mexicans like it when Ted Nugent tunnels in under the border!
Not since New Coke have we as a nation seen a disaster that both sides of the aisle can agree on. America is now unanimously and officially outraged that the IRS would have the audacity to target political groups -- groups that publicly despise taxes and call for the end of the IRS.
Over the past few years the IRS has virtually stopped approving 501(c)(3) status for nonprofit news organizations. Even when applications for 501(c)(3) status aren't rejected outright, they are stacking up, unacted upon, for months and even years.
