This Sunday on Meet the Press, David Axelrod made this statement regarding the IRS scandal:
"I've said this many times. If there was somebody political involved in this, it never would have happened because it was the stupidest thing you could imagine. I don't think that it was necessary and I don't think that it was smart."
"Really? It was so stupid that no one could have been involved?" Glenn responded after hearing the audio.
"Well, that shows you it was political. The more stupid it is, the more you believe it was politically motivated," Pat added.
"It really, it really, truly you amazes me how they always are trying to go back in to say, "We are so incompetent. We're so incompetent. Everyone is so incompetent." I've never heard any administration or any business or anybody ever claim incompetence more than this group of people," Glenn noted.
Given that this administration is also quick to tell the American people what's best for them, it's hard to believe they would want the public to find them incompetent…but that's the best line they've got right now. Keep in mind, while they're wanting Americans to believe that the IRS is incompetent and the President knew nothing, President Obama is helped push through Obamacare, which puts your health coverage in the hands of the incompetent IRS.
Kind of concerning, no?
Glenn wasn't buying it. Given the timing of the IRS targets, the healthcare debate, and the elections, there's no way politics weren't involved.
"So what is the IRS scandal honestly?" Glenn asked. "They didn't break any laws, right? I mean, unless they're intentionally targeting. "But you can't really prove that. They're just asking questions." They weren't ‑‑ they weren't doing anything... except nudging you. Isn't that interesting? Just nudging the entire time."
Glenn continued, "now, whose theory is that? Well, that's Cass Sunstein. What is Cass Sunstein's job? Paperwork. He's the regulations czar. When you think of regulations, government regulations, you think of paperwork. How was the IRS nudging people? Through paperwork. But, of course, Cass Sunstein, you know, would never have anything to do with something like that. Now, the IRS had 157 meetings at the White House, 157. When they asked the IRS chief, "Why 157 meetings? That's an awful lot." I mean, Hillary Clinton went how many times? 20? Eric Holder was there I think 40 or 50? Why 157 meetings? Now, these 157 meetings happened all during the time of this scandal and the healthcare debate."
Glenn quickly reminded listeners who is was leading the fight against Obamacare: the Tea Party, making it all the more unusual that no political discussion would occur involving the Tea Party during these meetings with the IRS regarding health care reform.
"I find that incredibly ridiculous you to think that humans didn't have that conversation," Glenn said.
"Tell me this conversation never happened at the White House," Glenn started:
"You know, Ralph, I mean, here we are working, last 100 days. I mean, is there a chance that, like, none of this is going to happen? I mean, maybe we don't get the opportunity to help America by creating 16,000 new jobs. Maybe we don't grow our departments and gain just so many great things for the IRS and for America. I mean, have you seen what the crazy TEA Partiers are sayin'?"Ralph responds, "I know, Jim. I mean, these 9/12 people and these TEA Partiers, I mean, they really think that there are death panels. You hear that? Sarah Palin was saying death panels."
"Yeah, well, actually they're... there are death panels."
"Really?"
"Yeah, yeah. In fact, the IRS, your team, is going to be part of that."
"But I... I thought the president said there weren't going to be any death panels and those people like Sarah Palin who said there were death panels, those were just crazy conspiracy theories."
"Yeah, yeah. Well, I think what happened was... you know, nobody ever talks to the president. I'll just bet you that ‑‑ I mean, is just so incompetent, I'll bet you that he didn't know and nobody told him about the death panel thing when he was saying that it was a conspiracy theory because I mean, he wouldn't lie."
"I know. He's the most honest guy ever, right? He wouldn't lie. I know that."
"Yeah, me, too. I know it too. Oh, but those TEA Party people, oh, they're such good‑hearted people. I ‑‑ sure, I disagree with them but, man, they're good‑hearted people but they just don't know what's in their best interest."
"Yeah. Kind of like what the president was sayin' about them Jews in Israel."
"Exactly. They just don't know what's in their best interest. Oh, man."
"I wish there was some way we could stop 'em, or at least slow 'em down so we could get this through."
"I know. I know."
"You know, if Cass just — I mean, if he hadn't given that one idea for merely academic reasons, you know, we could just flood them with regulatory paperwork. Stay within the law, of course, but then if they said anything to the press, we'll just say Cass' advice and just label them as conspiracy theorists and deny it."
"Yeah. But what would happen if it turned out to be true, like a couple of years down the road?"
"Yeah, I know. That's what Cass wrote about in his academic paper. That's exactly what he said to do. Even if it turned out to be true, later we would just say, oh, well, we didn't know."
"Yeah, I know. Boy, that would be good, but that was an academic paper, right?"
"Yeah, no, Cass said it was just an academic paper."
"Crap. So we can't even consider using that idea for some strange reason."
"No, uh‑uh, it was just academic. We can ‑‑ even though he works right down the hall, we can't even talk to him about that because that was ‑‑ that was just academic."
"Right, okay, yeah. Oh, well, let's just get back to work for the American people, help them and create a better, more streamlined healthcare system, you know, where there are no death panels and the IRS oversees all the paperwork in a friendly and efficient manner."
"Yeah, right. But... Ralph, remember, only for those who choose universal healthcare."
"Oh, oh, I know, I know. Because if you have a doctor you like... say it with me... you'll be able to keep him."
"That never happened?" Glenn asked sarcastically. "That conversation never happened? Here's the guy who is in charge of all of the regulations. What is the IRS if it isn't regulatory ‑‑ a regulatory process? What is it? And so nobody brought up the purely academic study that tells the IRS to do exactly what they did, tells the EPA to do exactly what the EPA was doing to conservative groups as well?"