Mean IRS Manager Who Picked On Innocent Conservatives Is A Conservative, Not Trying to Holocaust America

Oh for the love of Moses, are we still rending our garments about the fauxspiracy that is IRSghazigate? That issooooolast month. Despite all the super-earnest attempts by Republicans to make it A Thing -- a we-must-impeach-Obama-thing , an Obama = Nixon thing , a this-is-why-we-should-repeal-Obamacare-but-seriously-you-guys-for-reals-this-time thing -- it is so not a thing and never really was, except in the fevered imaginations of conservatives. And hey, look, here's yet another story , this time from the Chicago Tribune, demonstrating just how not-a-thing this dumb thing is:

A U.S. Internal Revenue Service manager, who described himself as a conservative Republican, told congressional investigators that he and a local colleague decided to give conservative groups the extra scrutiny that has prompted weeks of political controversy.

In an official interview transcript released on Sunday by Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings, the manager said he and an underling set aside "Tea Party" and "patriot" groups that had applied for tax-exempt status because the organizations appeared to pose a new precedent that could affect future IRS filings.

Ohhhhhh. So the eeeeeeeevil librul Obama hack who was persecuting teabaggers by not telling them, "You want to not pay your taxes? Okay then!" was actually a conservative Republican? But but but but ... fury and outrage and stuff!Who cares if report after report has shown that nuh uh? Who cares if, oh, say, "a close examination of these groups and others reveals an array of election activities that tax experts and former I.R.S. officials said would provide a legitimate basis for flagging them for closer review"? There is evil conspiracy afoot, say Republicans . Theremustbe, because Obama!

Still, Republicans have raised questions about whether the scrutiny was directed politically at Obama's opponents and have sought evidence of any White House involvement.

Yeah, they've questioned it and repeatedly been told "No, you dumb shits, this was not an Obama conspiracy to destroy America," but this is the party that refuses to take no for an answer. (See, for example, the bazillionth failed vote on repealing Obamacare.)

As Rep. Cummings said (more or less), "Yo, this shit is settled, let's move on," but Rep. Darrell "Car Thief" Issa is all, like, "Investigations now, investigations forever!"

"I strongly disagree with ... Cummings' assertion that we know everything we need to know about inappropriate targeting of Tea Party groups by the IRS," the California Republican said in a statement released by his office.

Well, Issa can "strongly disagree" with reality all he wants -- after all, Republicans are so very good at that -- but hot damn, this story is deader than fried chicken, and no, it is not going to lead to the American Holocaust , so it really is time for Republicans to find some other bogus worse-than-Watergate story about which to clutch their pearls as they sniff their smelling salts on their fainting couches because, um, this one's over.

"I do not believe that the screening of these cases had anything to do, other than consistency and identifying issues that needed to have further development," the manager answered, according to a transcript released by Cummings.

Asked if he believed the White House was involved, the manager replied: "I have no reason to believe that."

Sorry, fellas, move along now.

[ Chicago Tribune ]