What happened, Dartz, is that you have a bunch of conservative-alligned (But non-partisan! That's the important part 
groups that like to promote things like political awareness and such that applied for tax exempt status because they are non-profit organizations. Now, the non-profit part is true. But if you're espousing political ideals, it's tough to say whether or not you're actually non-partisan, especially with the way the party lines are so sharply defined these days (republicans are absolutely conservative and democrats are absolutely liberal and nothing you say will change that to many Americans).
So, naturally, the IRS gave these groups a some extra scrutiny when their applications passed under the noses of their bureaucrats. It simply won't do, you see, to have mouthpieces of the Tea Party and Republican Party running around, espousing their ideals, and not have to pay a penny in tax dollars while doing so. That's right. The concern was whether or not they were being directly, or indirectly, funded by conservative superpacks.
Natrually, the Tea Party being the Tea Party, they have cried foul on this whole deal. And it really does seem unfair... at first glance.
Dig a little deeper and you'll find that they weren't the only ones scrutinized by IRS. Liberal groups, in particularly one here in Texas known as Progress Texas was scrutinized as well. After all, the Democrats can't get away with the same thing. That'd just be unfair. What does Progress Texas have to say on the matter? TO: Tea/Republican Party: SUCK IT UP, BITCHES. Well, not quite so colorfully, but the sentiment was there.
Now, someone may want to fact check me on this, but what I heard on the radio was that the Tea Party and Republican groups only made up about one-third of these non-profits that the IRS scrutinized. If this is true, then these people really don't have a leg to stand on. Your mileage may vary, though.
groups that like to promote things like political awareness and such that applied for tax exempt status because they are non-profit organizations. Now, the non-profit part is true. But if you're espousing political ideals, it's tough to say whether or not you're actually non-partisan, especially with the way the party lines are so sharply defined these days (republicans are absolutely conservative and democrats are absolutely liberal and nothing you say will change that to many Americans).So, naturally, the IRS gave these groups a some extra scrutiny when their applications passed under the noses of their bureaucrats. It simply won't do, you see, to have mouthpieces of the Tea Party and Republican Party running around, espousing their ideals, and not have to pay a penny in tax dollars while doing so. That's right. The concern was whether or not they were being directly, or indirectly, funded by conservative superpacks.
Natrually, the Tea Party being the Tea Party, they have cried foul on this whole deal. And it really does seem unfair... at first glance.
Dig a little deeper and you'll find that they weren't the only ones scrutinized by IRS. Liberal groups, in particularly one here in Texas known as Progress Texas was scrutinized as well. After all, the Democrats can't get away with the same thing. That'd just be unfair. What does Progress Texas have to say on the matter? TO: Tea/Republican Party: SUCK IT UP, BITCHES. Well, not quite so colorfully, but the sentiment was there.
Now, someone may want to fact check me on this, but what I heard on the radio was that the Tea Party and Republican groups only made up about one-third of these non-profits that the IRS scrutinized. If this is true, then these people really don't have a leg to stand on. Your mileage may vary, though.