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For tax-exempt status based solely on political views is completely unacceptable. it is a disservice to the american people. but let me be clear. it is also disservice to apply a partisan lean to an issue that concerns all americans. since the days of the bush administration, groups with very political leanings have been scrutinized. every single person in this room knows this. we must be honest with ourselves and with each other. this has nothing to do with red versus blue. in fact, for the past 10 years all of the irs commissioners have an republican appointees, appointed by president george bush. between 2004 and 2006, many liberal groups, including the nacp, a progressive church and an environmental group were targeted by the bush administration. ....
Jon: i thought becky garrettson put it particularly well in that phrase when she essentially said, look, you know, i am an ordinary, free american, your jobs exist to maintain my freedom here in the u.s. congress, and that has been abused essentially by this agency of government. it just takes you back to the founding fathers, and what this country and what this government was set up to do. keep in mind, again we go back to this ridiculous comment that it was bad customer service. jon: yeah. the i.r.s. is an organization, is a federal agency that can bring the power of the law down on you. you hear from the i.r.s., the words come in your mind, right, audit, fines, potential prosecution. i mean these are dangerous hammers that this agency has at its disposal, and i think that is what is really coming through in all of this testimony is both ....
It is a great distance. thank you for being here and thank you, mr. chairman, i yield back the time. mr. nunez is recognized. thank you, mr. chairman. mr. kookogey, among the irs agents who demanded answer . jon: the hearing goes on. we have to take a quick break, pay some bills. we ll be back with more coverage on happening now. ....
Necessary coach today, joe? no, but i could use one. jon: what about the political impact? we just heard congressman jim mcdermott from washington state in the hearing suggesting that there have been abuses directed at democrats in the past as well. is there going to be trouble for the administration because of all of this? look, i think it s clear that there will be. and, look, there may well have been some progressive groups that were hit like this. but that is no defense of an any of it. you have to be appalled what they were telling the stories about the i.r.s. s abuses of them. that is unreasonable defense. i thought the acting director made the better case yesterday that you have to admit that there was abuse and a failure, and that we have to get all the facts out. i think that is what the ....
Where was the outrage then? where was this sense of righteous indignation? as members of this committee, we must exercise our oversight role and honesty and fairness the american people expect and deserve. as we sit here today, let us also remember, that the irs has many good, hard-working employees who do a great job enforcing the tax code. we must not let the actions of misguided few hurt the reputation of the entire agency. if anything we must come together and find a bipartisan solution to a bipartisan problem. again, i want to thank each of you for taking the time, coming here, especially coming from wetumpka, alabama ba, not too far from montgomery where i grew up. ....