"I first learned about it from the same news reports that I think most people learned about this. I think it was on Friday. And this is pretty straightforward."
Well, it turns out now it's not so "straightforward."
A just published New York Times article entitled "I.R.S. Inquiry Status Told to White House in April" (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/20/us/politics/white-house-told-of-irs-scrutiny-of-groups-in-april.html?_r=0), written by Jonathan Weisman and Brian Knowlton, informs us:
"The chief White House lawyer, Kathryn Ruemmler, learned last month that a Treasury inspector general had concluded an audit of the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of conservative groups, weeks before the matter became public, according to a senior White House official.
The White House counsel’s briefing came about the same time that Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew met with the Treasury inspector general for tax administration, J. Russell George, to learn the conclusions of his draft audit of the controversial I.R.S. effort, the official said. "
Pulling no punches, a just published Wall Street Journal article entitled "Obama's Counsel Was Told of IRS Audit Findings Weeks Ago" (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323648304578493081906824260.html) by Peter Nicholas, similarly reports:
"The White House's chief lawyer learned weeks ago that an audit of the Internal Revenue Service likely would show that agency employees inappropriately targeted conservative groups, a senior White House official said Sunday.
That disclosure has prompted a debate over whether the president should have been notified at that time.
In the week of April 22, the Office of the White House Counsel and its head, Kathryn Ruemmler, were told by Treasury Department attorneys that an inspector general's report was nearing completion, the White House official said. In that conversation, Ms. Ruemmler learned that "a small number of line IRS employees had improperly scrutinized certain . . . organizations by using words like 'tea party' and 'patriot,'" the official said.
President Barack Obama said last week he learned about the controversy at the same time as the public, on May 10, when an IRS official revealed it to a conference of lawyers. The president's statement drew criticism, focusing attention on his management style and whether he has kept himself sufficiently informed about the agencies under his authority."
Who is this anonymous White House official who concurrently informed both The Times and The Wall Street Journal of this fact?
What was the motivation of this anonymous White House official who simultaneously went to two newspapers to inform them of this information?
Is he/she covering his/her buttocks?
Is it even remotely possible that after being provided this information, Kathryn Ruemmler simply sat on it and didn't inform anyone else in the White House?
Answers:
You can guess for yourselves the identity of the anonymous White House official. I know on whom I'm placing my bet.
Ruemmler just sat on the disclosure and didn't inform anyone else at the White House? Yeah, right.
Treasury Secretary Lew didn't know in April? In the words of Ray Charles, my advice to Lew:
"Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more."
And Obama was purposefully kept in the dark?
This revelation comes after Senior Advisor to the President for Strategy and Communications, Dan Pfeiffer, fibbed on "Face the Nation" yesterday (see: http://jgcaesarea.blogspot.co.il/2013/05/face-nation-dan-pfeiffer-tells-bald.html).
Even if Obama wasn't told by Ruemmler or by anyone else in his administration, all of this speaks volumes concerning Obama's incompetence.
Even if Obama wasn't told by Ruemmler or by anyone else in his administration, all of this speaks volumes concerning Obama's incompetence.
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