After the emotional testimony from a Tea Party leader during Tuesday's House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the IRS' targeting of conservative groups, Democrat Rep. McDermott tried to point the finger right back at the TEA Party. The accusations were so outrageous it prompted Glenn to urge America to "fumigate" Congress of the infestation happening. Paul Ryan was not having any of that and gave a pretty solid response to the Democrat representative.
Becky Gerritson, Wetumpka TEA Party leader, delivered a powerful account of her experience of political intimidation via the IRS yesterday.
“I’m not here as a serf or a vassal. I’m not begging my lords for mercy. I’m a born-free American woman, wife, mother, and citizen. And I’m telling my government that you’ve forgotten your place.”
“It’s not your responsibility to look out for my well being and to monitor my speech. It’s not your right to assert an agenda. The post that you occupy exists to preserve American liberty. You’ve sworn to perform that duty and you have faltered.”
After her moving statement, Gerritson was met by Democrat Representative Jim McDermott point the finger right back at her.
Sounds like McDermott's blaming conservatives for the IRS scandal…right?
"I would not have been able to stay silent," Glenn responded after hearing the statements.
Well, Glenn wasn't there to speak up, but Paul Ryan was.
"I'm going to fever cite from my original question in response to what I just heard," Ryan started.
Paul Ryan, who had a question of his own decided to forgo his planned remarks to respond to what he just heard come out of McDermott's mouth. McDermott repeatedly tried to stop and interrupt Paul Ryan's response.
"We had a former IRS commissioner Shtollman, who knew about the political targeting long before Congress implied the organizations were responsible for the targeting because they chose to apply for tax extent status. So you are to play, I guess to the met an here. Do you think that you were targeted based upon your political beliefs, your religious beliefs, or just because you chose to apply?" Ryan asked.
"Our beliefs, our views," the TEA Party leader responded.
"It's pretty amazing, because they are the only ones, the only ones who were targeted were Tea Party and like-minded, like 912 groups," Pat noted. "Like 4606 them were looked into, but they were not targeted. The only ones they specifically looked for, so that they could give extra scrutiny to were conservative groups. That's what this is about. It's not that nobody else was looked into."
"America, hear me, hear me clearly," Glenn started, "You are on the right side if you believe the IRS is out of control. If you would actually stand for this, if this were being done to the left, you would be sadly
mistaken. You would be wrong. This cannot happen to any American, and you have the golden opportunity. I have never thought in my life we could abolish the I was. I never thought you could overturn that. You have the opportunity right now. You have the opportunity to abolish the IRS."
Glenn reminded listeners that silence is also sending a message. If Americans don't speak up they are giving the government and the IRS more power, simply through silence. Despite being given an extra week, the IRS hasn't even so much as responded to Congress yet — something Glenn believes the public should be outraged by.
"Why have we not bolted those doors yet?" Glenn asked. "Why have we not seized their assets? Why have we not frozen their payrolls? Why have we not done that? Congress should be demanding. Congress holds the purse strings. Congress should shut down the IRS, until they comply, because I have news for you. They do it you. They do it to me. They do it to every single business without a warrant, they padlock your doors, throw you in jail, affine you until you just beg for mercy. Well, what's good enough for the goose certainly is good enough for the gander. Why is Congress -- ask yourself, why is Congress pussy footing around with the IRS? They have the power to shut them down. You comply or you go to jail. You are in contempt of Congress. Shut them down. Enough with the speeches. Shut them down, Congress, and don't you ever forget. You do have the power. You do. I don't know how much longer you have the power, but you do have the power right now, and if people would get together and they would march peacefully, they would stand and they would make the case right now, abolish the IRS. You have a chance."