IRS Administrator Pleads Right Not to Self-Incriminate…
Lois Lerner went before the house oversight subcommittee investigating the IRS scandal today, and claimed she was at the advice of her attorneys going to exercise her right to plead the fifth amendment and would not answer any of the committee’s questions.
AND Testifies to Her Innocence?
The statement from her attorney says Lerner ‘has not committed any crime or made any misrepresentation,’ … ‘but under the circumstances she has no choice but to take this course.’ She echoed those arguments in her opening statement and then some.
Unfortunately, that pair of arguments cannot co-exist.
So, like, Ummm… there’s a few problems there
-1- For starters, you don’t get to have it both ways.
Pleading the fifth does NOT mean YOU get to make your own case for innocence, but the federal government simply cannot cross-examine you. Just not the way it works. There’s a fair argument that in making the case up front for her own innocence she waived the possibility of taking the fifth and refusing to answer afterward.
-2- You cannot use it to shield OTHERS, just yourself
The operative part of the 5th amendment that applies states that a witness cannot “be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself”. If she didn’t commit a crime, she could not possibly incriminate herself and is therefore trying to use it to protect others. That’s real sweet of you, honey, but it isn’t guaranteed by the bill of rights.
If she committed no criminal act…
Then she CAN’T POSSIBLY “incriminate” herself with her testimony, she can only show the wrongdoings of her superiors or subordinates.
PSSST! The fifth amendment isn’t to protect your buddies
There is simply no constitutional right to avoid being compelled to provide incriminating testimony about wrongdoings committed by your bosses and/or subordinates. It only stops the government from compelling you to incriminate yourself.
Hell, that’s one reason subpoenas were invented…
We have the ability to compel witnesses to appear precisely so the government CAN compel people to provide testimony about wrongdoings of others even if they prefer not to. So basically in addition to admittedly not being good at Math, Ms Lerner is awfully weak on the subject of Law given that she’s a lawyer.
CONCLUSION: We the people, through our elected representatives, have every right to require her testimony UNLESS it would prove she committed a crime.
BUT WAIT! They keep assuring us NO CRIMES WERE COMMITTED?
Make up your mind, cause if no crimes were committed, it’s a bit weak to say you won’t answer questions on the grounds they might prove you committed a crime.
So Ms Lerner unwittingly confirmed what we already knew…
The IRS KNOWS they committed a crime. Now it is time for congress to find out who was involved; who physically did it, who ordered them to do it, who knew about it and failed to stop it or report it. Then it is time for criminal proceedings for everyone involved.
You don’t get to use the power of the government as a political hit team
… and then simply say “I’m sorry” when you FINALLY get caught. You also don’t get to lie to congress… which Ms Lerner has already done now multiple times.
I’m Rob Jones, and I approve this message.
Annoyed about what we’ve said about Obama?
THE GREAT SCANDAL BLIZZARD of 2013
It seems that in the light of current events my posts are increasingly cataloging various failures of the executive branch… including but not limited to
- the IRS scandal in which conservatives were singled out for ill-treatment
- the DOJ targeting of AP reporters
- the Fast and Furious operation
- the Benghazi fiasco ( includes many bungles and coverups)
- punishment of whistleblowers
- attacks on the 2nd amendment
- proof of voter fraud on behalf of the president
- massive weapons purchases for the executive branch departments
- various attempts to deceive and mislead the public
…and a multitude of other issues that suggest the executive branch has been using their power for political purposes, is way the hell out of control… and needs to be reined in, and many of the perpetrators impeached, removed, or incarcerated as the law allows.
Lord of the Cockwaffles
It has come to my attention
…that many who unadvisedly bought into the whole “Hope and Change”, “Yes We CAN!”, “most transparent administration in history” stuff may be experiencing a bit of cognitive dissonance as the scandals unfold and prove definitively that this is actually one of the most corrupt and abusive administrations in history.
OH NO! YOU’RE OFFENDED?
I actually had one egregious horses ass show up here and refer to those who criticized The Boy King as “White Supremacists”. Though the problem is actually that you bought a pig in a poke instead of inspecting the candidate up front, many of the true believers have taken to ascribing “racism” as the motive for any criticism of this president or the crooks he has gathered around him.
To those who are offended
…by all posts that point out facts instead of reinforcing your ill-conceived fantasies…
We simply ask that you:
- Let us know how offended you are
- Take a number and wait
We will get back to you shortly. ~ Thanks :-)
.
I’m Rob Jones… and I approve this message.
Dateline 5-18-2013
Washington DC
Today a surprised Barack H Obama expressed regret that he’d been president for 4 years and hadn’t realized it.
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“I’d just come in from playing a round of golf and I walked into the clubhouse. The TV was playing. Then a news guy came on and said something about President Barack Obama” said the surprised former community organizer.
“Let me be perfectly clear… I was as surprised to find out as you must be. Hell, I thought George Bush was still in office. I’ve been blaming him for everything that’s happened all this time. Wow. Bet everyone thought I was a real dick for that.”
He added… “In retrospect, there mighta been some clues I missed. The free vacations. Famous people paying $33,000 a plate to eat dinner with us. That funny song bands played when i went by.”
A visibly embarrassed Obama vowed to “get his butt off the golf course and do something”.
At this time there’s no knowing how finding out he is president might affect policy, particularly in the scandal plagued executive administration agencies that’ve run amuck entirely without supervision… But optimists in DC hope cognizance might be an improvement.
I’m Rob Jones, and I approve this message.
Obama official testifies before House Committee
The news is starting to look like a re-run of Wizard of Oz:
– Holder’s doing the mime dance from “If I Only Had a Brain”
– Hillary’s been pissed since they dropped a house on her sister
– Obama says “pay no attention to that man behind the curtain”
Nonetheless, flying monkeys were released on their opponents.
It’s ok though, cause they’ve assured us nobody in this administration knows anything that’s going on in this administration.
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THE WATERGATE CONNECTION
Sadly, Obama’s entire crew is systematically showing up for hearings claiming they had no idea what was happening in their agency or department. That is the very defense that failed for Richard Nixon.
Seriously. Do we have to go dig up Nixon’s body so we can apologize?
It’s Called ACCOUNTABILITY, Mr President
Once again… I said the same during Watergate… when your STRONGEST defense is to convince the public that you and everyone in whom you vested authority is so ignorant they have zero idea what vast amounts of illegal crap your subordinates are engaged in, might be an issue.
I’m Rob Jones… and I approve this message.
I’ve mentioned the quote below before. It was reportedly spoken by longterm top Obama advisor, Valarie Jarrett, at a fundraiser. She didn’t even say it in a lowered tone, as she believed she was among friends.
Fast forward to the revelation that the most feared arm of the US federal government has intentionally targeted groups that just happen to be in opposition to the political views of the administration.
We are assured this was NOT done for political reasons. The government, says the outgoing director of the IRS, did not “target” conservative groups like the Tea Party… they merely “centralized” their applications for added efficiency and to assure quality in treatment.
[Much as the SS once centralized Jews for added efficiency and to assure quality in treatment.]
At the same time we hear that the Dept of Justice is illegally targeting a vast number reporters… in contravention of laws that are supposed to be enforced by (yep)…the Dept of Justice.
I have a serious question. How much of a suspension of disbelief is required to actually BELIEVE they did exactly what his top advisor threatened to do, but he wasn’t aware of it and it wasn’t politically motivated? Can you just turn off the brain… or does it require a full lobotomy?
For the record, when the BEST defense you can find is to try and convince the public that everyone in charge is a clueless git with no freakin idea what illegal stuff their subordinates are up to… you might be in the middle of a really bad scandal.
I’m Rob Jones… and I approve this message.
The Umbrella: Obama vs Teddy Roosevelt
In 1912…
Teddy Roosevelt was about to deliver a speech when a would-be assassin shot him point blank in the chest with a .38 caliber pistol.
Teddy Roosevelt spoke for roughly an hour and a half after being shot in the chest
Waiving off his physicians, Roosevelt went on and delivered his speech, with bullet lodged in his chest, and blood seeping into his shirt. He spoke for well over an hour.
THEN he accepted medical attention.
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President Barack Obama, mindless of peril, bravely exposes his skin to excess moisture.
Today Barack Obama was delivering a speech in the Rose Garden and it began to rain. Bravely exposing himself to the danger that moisture might damage his hair-do, the president ordered an active duty United States Marine to stand in the rain holding an umbrella over him as he spoke.
No. Doesn’t leave me speechless, but I occasionally avoid profanity. Assume I used the word “candy-ass”.
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ADDED – BONUS TRIVIA QUESTION!
How many Marines were holding umbrellas on the president’s orders in the Rose Garden today?
ANSWER: Two more than he had protecting a US Ambassador in a war zone on 9/11/2012.
I’m Rob Jones… and I approve this message.
IRS and DOJ Offer Sad Comedic Fodder
Must see video. As Jon Stewart has long described the right as tin-foil-hat-wearing paranoids… hard news that the government has in fact been living down to their lowest expectations is duly (and hilariously) noted here.
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So the basic news is
- the IRS, despite previous denials of same, has intentionally targeted the Tea Party and groups of that ilk
- the Dept of Justice is over-reaching their mandate to seize phone records of hundreds of reporters
Yeah, people that think our government can’t be trusted are clearly just paranoid.
I try to remind those that say they “get their news” from Jon Stewart that there might be a problem basing your education on a channel named “Comedy Central”. Still, it’s good to see that even a hardcore lefty like Stewart must laugh at this administration’s pretense of fairness.
Most would prefer less humor in return for an administration that respects their oath to the constitution. But as other revelations show, their practice of using executive branch agencies as blunt instruments to harass political opponents is NOT limited to the IRS and DOJ.
As the saying goes… it isn’t ‘paranoia’ if they’re really after you.
I’m Rob Jones… and I approve this message.
