Edited by Kyrstie Lane
Republicans: The Scandal Machine
Published in Le Figaro
(France) on 19 May 2013
by Jean-Sébastien Stehli (link to original)
(France) on 19 May 2013
by Jean-Sébastien Stehli (link to original)
Translated from
by Courtney Olsen.
Edited by .
For five years, instead of working for the common good, all the energy of the Republicans and their tea party auxiliaries — unless it’s the other way around — has been directed against Barack Obama. This week provided two grotesque examples of this systematic opposition: the so-called scandal with the tax administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Benghazi saga.
The IRS affair is a typical example of what is wrong in Washington, or how to make a mountain out of a molehill. The White House has nothing to do with the fact that officials in the revenue department are particularly interested in groups affiliated with the tea party. In this case, it must verify if these groups have a reason to consider themselves exempt from taxes, just like charitable organizations and churches. What is shocking, in the real world, is that political factions without any philanthropic or religious affiliation may benefit from tax exemption. But, thanks to the Republican scandal machine, a trivial procedure becomes a government scandal. The GOP has forgotten how one of their own, Richard Nixon, used IRS services to destroy his enemies. Mitch McConnell, the sinister leader of the Republicans in the Senate, was not afraid to assert, “This is runaway government at its worst. Who knows who they’ll target next.”
The second story: Benghazi. The Republicans desperately want to convince Americans that the White House tried to hide the truth about the death of the ambassador and members of the embassy during the attack on the Benghazi consulate by groups affiliated with al-Qaida. The publication by the White House containing 100 pages of email exchanges between intelligence services and the Department of State reveals a difference in opinion on the situation in Libya between the two government agencies, but nothing even slightly resembling a national scandal.
The real scandal is the attitude of Republicans for the last five years. Because of $85 billion budget cuts imposed by the Republicans, hundreds of thousands of civilian employees at the Department of Defense will be laid off. While gesticulating to find scandals that do not exist, Republicans ignore the drastic reduction of the budget deficit. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this year the deficit will be $642 billion, or $200 billion less than expected, thanks to economic recovery.
Obviously, Republicans prefer to scare their fellow citizens rather than discuss the good economic news. Fear mobilizes the paranoid fringe that supports them. Any good news about the economy is not going in the right direction for the GOP, which is more concerned about the destruction of the 44th president than about the good of the country.
The IRS affair is a typical example of what is wrong in Washington, or how to make a mountain out of a molehill. The White House has nothing to do with the fact that officials in the revenue department are particularly interested in groups affiliated with the tea party. In this case, it must verify if these groups have a reason to consider themselves exempt from taxes, just like charitable organizations and churches. What is shocking, in the real world, is that political factions without any philanthropic or religious affiliation may benefit from tax exemption. But, thanks to the Republican scandal machine, a trivial procedure becomes a government scandal. The GOP has forgotten how one of their own, Richard Nixon, used IRS services to destroy his enemies. Mitch McConnell, the sinister leader of the Republicans in the Senate, was not afraid to assert, “This is runaway government at its worst. Who knows who they’ll target next.”
The second story: Benghazi. The Republicans desperately want to convince Americans that the White House tried to hide the truth about the death of the ambassador and members of the embassy during the attack on the Benghazi consulate by groups affiliated with al-Qaida. The publication by the White House containing 100 pages of email exchanges between intelligence services and the Department of State reveals a difference in opinion on the situation in Libya between the two government agencies, but nothing even slightly resembling a national scandal.
The real scandal is the attitude of Republicans for the last five years. Because of $85 billion budget cuts imposed by the Republicans, hundreds of thousands of civilian employees at the Department of Defense will be laid off. While gesticulating to find scandals that do not exist, Republicans ignore the drastic reduction of the budget deficit. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this year the deficit will be $642 billion, or $200 billion less than expected, thanks to economic recovery.
Obviously, Republicans prefer to scare their fellow citizens rather than discuss the good economic news. Fear mobilizes the paranoid fringe that supports them. Any good news about the economy is not going in the right direction for the GOP, which is more concerned about the destruction of the 44th president than about the good of the country.
France. This is not the first article you have gotten wrong…but this is the worst and so far from the truth it’s pitiful.. Obama is cultivating a culture of intimidation. The 2nd amendment to our constitution says. Freedom of speech & Freedom of the press. Obama is OK with the attorney general tapping phone Linda’s snooping emails etc etc. You don’t know what ur talking about in Benghazi… The CIA was running guns into Syria out of that building.’ And also trying to buy back the Mannpads surface to air missiles before they fell into the terrorists hands….guess what. Too late. They don’t want to give them up therefore they murdered the ambassador & 3 others. Get your facts straight before printing lies.. Obama is a liar trying to cover up his illegal deeds..
As usual, the French get it right — how the Americans hate that.
To be fair, the present scandals are a mixed batch. If the Republicans were rational, they’d stick to the one that’s legitimate — the failure to hold the banks to account — but they’re more interested in whipping up a frenzy among their hysteric-prone base. They sacrifice success to making a lot of noise, signifying nothing.