Nevertheless, President Obama was compelled to comment.

That fuck in the photo probably got scrutinized for having an idiotic name like "Jesse von Doom"

Uh, it's not paranoia when it's been part of COINTELPRO since Eisenhower? The dominant political powers, dem and repub, have long used armies of accountants to shut down organizations, left and right. It's the equivalent of a cop searching your car because they observed you "rolling through a stop sign". Republicans may be jumping up and down about it now but that's only because this is baby's first taste of real repression (really it's not tho, they just have short term memories). Communists/Socialists/ and others of the left have been living under this as part and parcel for the tactics of COINTELPRO for somewhere over half a century. Reagan's IRS tried to shutter Mother Jones magazine for godsakes. What a selective memory people have when trying to squelch their enemies.

Seriously, targeting organizations titled "occupy" because they shield for profit ventures? What doesn't smack of political repression about that?

Meanwhile you allow commenters to use other people's image without penalty.

Where's all the talk about privacy now?

Slog. Your daily dose of hypocrazy.

The screening of these organizations -- all of them -- is perfectly justified, because the chances they're violating the rules are high.

I had a hard time getting excited about the original story here. If people that took the Home Office deduction or love writing meals off as a business expense were as paranoid and as well organized as the groups listed, it'd probably made the news as well.

@4: 0/10

Weak.

I would hate President Obama too if I watched Fox News. The president that Fox News has created in the minds of their viewers has no basis in reality. His wife wouldn't recognize the character they have created. Of course Fox News viewers believe these scandals that Fox News themselves are creating. How many of these "smoking guns" need to be proven false before their viewers realize that the only real scandal is the deceitful and unprofessional behavior of Fox News?

The American people, at least the people with sense and reason, have watched the character assassination the Republicans have used for many years and are well aware. By now they are also aware of the liars and crooks the teabaggers are.

The Tea Party is not a party.

It has no candidates.

There is no politician with a (T) at the end of their name on CNN.

If they want to make a 3rd party, then get going. It's the worst of all world's now where they piggyback on the GOP.

Unfortunately, whenever conservatives squawk that they've been targeted---the IRS non-scandal, Shirley Sherrod, Obama like the political coward that he is, bends over backward to defend them, unlike the left among his own base--Scott Walker's opponent, occupy, whistleblowers and their supporters.

"The tax-exempt martyrdom of the Tea Party will always be the truth, whatever the facts."

How can something be true if it goes against the facts?

@12 Good question. See Creationism.

Christ, if the IRS hadn't buckled two decades ago, we wouldn't be dealing with those idiot Scientologists anymore.

Conservative groups feel persecuted and blame liberals and government?

I'm shocked... shocked!

The IRS apologized - they did it and admitted to it. The only FAUX news I can see is your desperate attempts to blame the victims. Shame.

@18: http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/do…

Whoopsie! Seems like you actually don't know what happened.

Not to mention http://www.boston.com/business/personal-…

Slither away, troll.