IRS's Blackberry and Burger King in Canada

Mark Levy
Fri, 29 Aug 2014 21:00:00 -0700
Opinion

Dear Mark: I am deeply disturbed at the news that the Blackberry phone of embattled IRS employee Lois Lerner was mysteriously destroyed during the investigation into allegations that the IRS illegally targeted conservative groups. The IRS is the most powerful agency in Washington, and this obvious cover-up should scare all Americans. Don't you think Richard Nixon would be proud of this scandal? — Remembering Watergate

Dear Remembering: Richard Nixon might be proud of this scandal, but famed journalist Edward R. Murrow is rolling over in his grave over the lack of journalistic curiosity in today's reporters.

Much of the successful prosecution during the Watergate scandal and subsequent resignation of President Nixon was due in large part to the tenacity of the media in the 70s. Fast forward 40 years, and today's media has hardly raised an eyebrow concerning a story that affects millions of Americans.
Updated: Sat Aug 30, 2014

Dear Mark: I am deeply disturbed at the news that the Blackberry phone of embattled IRS employee Lois Lerner was mysteriously destroyed during the investigation into allegations that the IRS illegally targeted conservative groups. The IRS is the most powerful agency in Washington, and this obvious cover-up should scare all Americans. Don't you think Richard Nixon would be proud of this scandal? — Remembering Watergate

Dear Remembering: Richard Nixon might be proud of this scandal, but famed journalist Edward R. Murrow is rolling over in his grave over the lack of journalistic curiosity in today's reporters.

Much of the successful prosecution during the Watergate scandal and subsequent resignation of President Nixon was due in large part to the tenacity of the media in the 70s. Fast forward 40 years, and today's media has hardly raised an eyebrow concerning a story that affects millions of Americans.

Back in the day, journalists despised anything coming close to government overreach, and this scandal is tailor made for Pulitzers. It involves the IRS, one of the most feared agencies in Washington. It involves the illegal political targeting of private citizens that is traditionally reserved for tyrannical dictators. This scandal involves the intrigue of obstruction of justice and the blatant destruction of evidence, not to mention the contradicting stories from IRS officials. So the question remains, where is the media?

Could it be that as Rush Limbaugh so succinctly put it: "The media no longer reports the news; it manages the news?" I believe the media's lethargic response to Lois Lerner and the IRS's abuse of power is because of the fact that today's media is nothing more than ideological lapdogs for the Democratic Party and their messiah, Barack Obama.

The destroyed Blackberry is a softball clue that could easily blow up the IRS's lame plausible deniability. A cub reporter can start on the trail by simply finding out who destroyed Lerner's phone and who placed the order. The IRS's defense should easily unravel after a few "deep throats" start squawking.

Dear Mark: Barack Obama and other liberals are going crazy over the fact that Burger King is moving its headquarters to Canada to save on taxes. Libs are so ignorant when it comes to business and profitability. If it makes good business sense, then why shouldn't a company do that? Wouldn't it be irresponsible for Burger King not to move? — Give Me a Whopper

Dear Whopper: You're darn right liberals are ignorant when it comes to capitalism, and President Obama and Vice President Biden are leading the charge. President Obama is claiming that Burger King's corporate inversion is a result of a corporate loophole in the tax code. And not to be outdone by presidential ignorance, Joe Biden claims that paying taxes is patriotic.

First of all, President Obama uses the term "loophole" to imply some kind of mistake, when in fact, it's the law. As for Biden's ridiculous statement, since when is it patriotic to pay more taxes than you should to a supersized, double-meat-and-cheese government, just so it can waste the money? That's a ridiculous notion that even liberals should take exception.

It is the responsibility of corporations to be as profitable as possible in order to benefit shareholders, which brings me to another example of liberal ignorance. Most liberals believe that shareholders are all suit-wearing Wall Street types who gallivant on private jets. The reality is that anyone who has a 401k is affected by the profitability of corporations. That includes blacks, whites, union, nonunion, retirees, rich, poor, middle class, and even cities, states and school districts. Investments won't grow unless corporations make money.

Maybe President Obama is simply jealous that Burger King gets to use "king" in its name.