Senator Richard Shelby said today in an interview with Now This News that he sees a lot of similarities between the Obama Administration and the Nixon Administration. “It reminds me of the old dark days we’ve had around here,” Shelby said. “I was hoping we would never go back to this.”

Here are some other notable quotes from the interview, which can be viewed in its entirety in the video above.

On the IRS:

“If laws were broken, and they probably were, then people ought to be prosecuted.”

“My feeling is it probably came from higher up. Did it come directly from the White House? I don’t know, but we should find out.”

When asked if this is a low point for the Obama White House, Shelby said, “Absolutely. I think a lot of things have come together — a lot of things we feared.”

On Benghazi:

“We knew something was wrong about Libya… They were trying to sell a narrative to the American people that was not true. And the Administration got caught on it.”

On similarities between the Obama and Nixon Administrations:

“Now we have found out that they have used the IRS inappropriately… and they’re attacking the AP… There are a lot things wrong with this Administration… A lot of the American people are just now beginning to find it out.”

“Using the IRS, missusing the Attorney General’s office, not telling the truth to the American people about Libya… That’s what wrecked the Nixon Administration, and that’s what I believe is going to wreck this Administration. “

On Obama’s legacy:

“I don’t see a great legacy. He might see that he’s building one. I think historians will look at it differently.”

[Details from Yellowhammer's exclusive interview with Senator Shelby will be posted next week. Stay Tuned.]

What else is going on?
1. Alabama Should Push Forward with School Choice
2. Scandals Engulf D.C.
3. Rumors & Rumblings
4. Luther Strange weighs actions over IRS-tea party scandal
5. Campaign finance reform to get a shot on last day of session

The Governor’s executive amendment would immediately put into effect the portion of the Accountability Act that gives schools the flexibility to opt out of certain rules and regulations, but would delay for two years the ability of parents with children in failing schools to get a tax credit to help send their children to a non-failing public or private school. It would also delay for two years a scholarship program set up for children from low income families to do the same.

The amendment sent shockwaves through GOP circles and set the Governor’s team in motion working to frame the debate as an issue of fiscal responsibility.

The Governor’s argument is that the Accountability Act jeopardizes the state’s ability to pay back $423 million to the state’s rainy day fund by September of 2015, as is constitutionally mandated after the passage of Amendment 1 last year. “To be fiscally conservative Republicans,” the governor said, “We’ve got to pay our debts.”

It’s a compelling, easy-to-explain argument. While the overwhelming majority of Alabamians support school choice, it takes longer to explain the importance of what the Accountability Act will do than it does to simply say “we need to be fiscally responsible.”

That, in short, is what has put the Governor in such a strong position as he communicates his message on this issue around the state.

But it’s not that simple.

The Governor’s position is based entirely on the premise that the Accountability Act will jeopardize the state’s ability to pay back the rainy day fund. That premise is rejected by both the House and Senate budget chairmen, as well as one of the Senate’s chief budget hawks, Senator Scott Beason.

After spending most of Thursday digging into the nuances of the education budget with members of the Governor’s staff and the House and Senate budget chairmen, I’ve come to the conclusion that fiscal responsibility and the Accountability Act are simply not mutually exclusive.

Will there be a greater chance we will pay off the rainy day fund on time if the Accountability Act is delayed? Absolutely. Any time you take a line item out of the budget it makes it easier to pay the bills. However, I have not seen definitive evidence that the state’s ability to pay back the trust fund on time is in jeopardy should the Accountability Act be fully implemented.

But the question I have not been able to answer is, when did the Governor have the revelation that the Accountability Act is fiscally irresponsible? Was it fiscally irresponsible when he signed it in March? If so, why did he sign it? If not, what has changed?

Governor Bentley also believes that allowing the flexibility portion of the bill to go into effect immediately would give failing schools a window of opportunity to improve. But what truly makes this bill work — the very reason it got its name — is the accountability that comes with failing schools realizing if they don’t shape up, their students will leave. People respond to incentives. That’s the free market at work!

Without that accountability, we’re leaving this all in the hands of the same education establishment that has fiercely defended the status quo for decades — the same people who made the phrase “thank God for Mississippi” commonplace among Alabamians who were thankful that, hey, at least our state’s education system isn’t ranked 50th.

Why would we wait two years and lose another wave of students who aren’t ready for college or to enter the job market? What do we say to that tenth grader who would lose her last opportunity to get the education she deserves before graduating? Sorry?

“We only have one constituency when it comes to education in Alabama and that’s the children,” Sen. Del Marsh said in a statement. “For too long, students in failing schools have been stuck with the status quo and denied the opportunities they deserve.”

Every parent deserves a choice, and every child deserves a chance.

I have a great deal of respect for Governor Bentley and admire that he always does what he believes in his heart is right, on this issue and many others. And we could go in circles all day, as I have over the last 24 hours, debating who’s right or wrong about the budget projections.

The truth is, both sides in this debate are genuinely working hard toward the same goal — they just differ slightly on the path to get there.

But we can’t waste any more time. There are children in failing schools today, and we need to go get them.

Right.

Now.

[Yellowhammer will break down the political angles to all of this in an article to come.]

What else is going on?
1. Scandals Engulf D.C.
2. Rumors & Rumblings
3. Luther Strange weighs actions over IRS-tea party scandal
4. Campaign finance reform to get a shot on the last day of sessions
5. Media bias laid bare

White House Press Sec. Jay Carney

It’s mass chaos in Washington, D.C. right now.

Literally one third of congressional committees are currently tied up in investigating the Obama administration.

None of this is going away any time soon.

From Benghazi to the IRS to the DOJ, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney has the toughest job in the country right now trying to defend the indefensible. He was visibly flustered toward the end of an hour long beat down at the hands of the White House press corp during which he fielded about sixty questions.

The revelation that the Department of Justice secretly obtained phone records of AP reporters seems to have been the tipping point for the press, who have been in Obama’s pocket since the moment he set foot on the national stage — until now. POLITICO posted a story last night titled “D.C. turns on Obama” that pretty much sums it up.

The more info that comes out on these stories, the more D.C. insiders are expecting resignations from major department officials and White House staff.

On the campaign front, it appears the scandals are already affecting Democrat candidate recruitment. The Dems this week lost a top South Dakota Senate recruit who they were hoping could retain Sen. Tim Johnson’s seat when he retires in 2014.

It will only get worse. The NRSC and NRCC will be slamming potential candidates with these scandals from here on out.

The scandals have become so numerous and overwhelming that one of the top Democrats in the House, Rep. Steny Hoyer, actually lost track of which one he was talking about during a meeting with reporters on Tuesday.

Yahoo!’s Chris Moody reports:

“At Rep. Steny Hoyer’s weekly meeting with reporters on Tuesday, the Maryland Democrat was asked if he was concerned about the DOJ seizing phone records from Associated Press journalists working in the House press gallery in the Capitol building. Hoyer’s answer was well-delivered: Articulate, clear, firm and precise. One problem: He responded to the wrong scandal.”

He was asked about the DOJ targeting the AP, but launched into an answer about the IRS targeting conservatives.

One senior GOP aide in D.C. gave Yellowhammer his perspective via email Wednesday morning.

“The sudden change in the political dynamic in Washington since the middle of last week is striking. The common thread between the Benghazi response, IRS & Tea Party, and AP stories is the potential misuse of government power. The feeling is that the full truth has yet to come to light, and Republicans are pushing hard now on the specifics. There will be more investigation and oversight. Even if the individual problems are not of the President’s direct making, he is ultimately responsible — yet his response has been very weak. He looks isolated, passive, and out of his league. Where is the leadership? He certainly falls well short of Truman’s ‘the buck stops here’ mentality.”

With two more weeks to go before the Memorial Day recess, Democrats are just trying to keep their heads above water.

What else is going on?
1. Rumors & Rumblings
2. Luther Strange weighs actions over IRS-tea party scandal
3. Campaign finance reform to get a shot on last day of session
4. Media bias laid bare
5. Roby Makes Her Move

“Rumors and Rumblings” is a weekly feature that runs each Wednesday. It includes short nuggets of information that we glean from conversations throughout the week. Have a tip? Send it here. All sources remain confidential.

Wiregrass Senate Maneuvering

Two weeks ago in Rumors & Rumblings we discussed rumors that Dothan Young Republicans Chairman Brandon Shoupe is considering a run for State Senate in District 29. Since that post we’ve had a flood of calls about the potential candidates who could unseat Sen. Harri Anne Smith.

Some Dothan-area political insiders told Yellowhammer that while Shoupe has a big future ahead of him, his name recognition in the community may not have quite reached the the point where he would a viable candidate to take on Smith.

Dothan businessman George Flowers, who was beaten by Smith in 2010, is said to still be mulling over whether or not to run in 2014.

But the potential candidate who is garnering some early enthusiasm from the wiregrass Republican faithful is Houston County Commissioner Melinda McClendon.

“She took on four candidates in the primary and won without a runoff,” a Dothan-area Republican told Yellowhammer. “She would be a formidable candidate. George Flowers would probably give some consideration to jumping in behind her rather than running himself. That’s how highly we all think of her.”

Smith has not yet announced her intentions for 2014. She has one of the poorest attendance records in the Senate and speculation around the State House is that she’s at least considering leaving the legislature after this term — her fourth.

“Smith and [Jimmy] Holley (R-Elba) are big buddies,” a lobbyist told Yellowhammer Monday morning. “They’re both thinking about hanging it up after this quadrennium.”

If they were both to leave, the wiregrass area senate delegation would look drastically different in 2015 after a decade and a half of stability.

Another Republican eyeing secretary of state

Former Montgomery County Probate Judge Reese McKinney is making the rounds, testing the waters for a possible run for Secretary of State. Joe Reed’s Democrat political machine unseated McKinney in his bid for a third term in 2012. He was one of the last remaining Republicans in a deep blue county.

McKinney is highly thought of in Republican circles. he would start with an established electoral and fundraising base. He raised half a million dollars for a probate judge’s race. That makes him a formidable candidate in a lower ballot statewide race like Secretary of State. McKinney’s niece is U.S. Representative Martha Roby, so he would likely benefit some from her network as well.

Crenshaw County Probate Judge, and new Republican, Jim Perdue is said to still be angling for a potential run, too. And State Representative John Merrill remains the only official entrant into the race. Merrill has been beating the bushes statewide working to shore up early support.

Top Tax & Spender eyeing mayoral race?

The legislature’s top tax & spender, Democrat Rep. Joe Hubbard, has found himself in a tough spot. With Montgomery’s population shrinking, his House district will be eliminated in 2014.

A lot of folks in Montgomery have speculated that Hubbard might make a run at Rep. Jay Love’s seat. Hubbard has taken numerous opportunities to take shots at Rep. Love at the mic on the House floor since the new district lines were revealed.

But one insider told Yellowhammer over the weekend that Hubbard is now weighing a possible run for mayor of Montgomery instead.

“He knows he can’t beat Representative Love,” the insider said. “Jay has too much money and his name ID is too high. That’s made him take a look at mayor. But to be honest, that’s just about as crazy as taking on Love.”

On the flip side, sources say Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange is not going to seek reelection, so it will likely be an open seat.

One more day to go

All eyes will be on the Senate on the final day of the 2013 legislative session. Here are a few things that insiders are watching:

1. With both budgets already passed, there is no longer a need to pass a Budget Isolation Resolution before tackling a bill. But when it gets right down to it, how much work actually gets done on Monday will depend on whether or not Senate Rs and Ds come to an agreement to work together. Lobbyists will be pressuring both sides to work things out, but it won’t be easy.

There are almost 100 local bills and sixty confirmations pending in the Senate. How did it get to that point? Without getting too far down into the weeds, Senate Republicans made a decision early in the session with regard to Sunset bills that spread them out over weeks rather than just hammering through them in a few days. It’s debatable whether that was a good or bad idea, but it prevented them from pursuing the regular order of business which is designed to make the process work.

The result is that House messages, committee reports, confirmations and local bills all got backed up to the point that there are a ton of them left and barely any time left to pass them.

As a result, Democrats now have a pretty significant amount of leverage. It will be interesting to see how both Republicans and Democrats respond to the pressure that will be on them to get some work done on the final day.

2. Anybody who has a bill left that they’re trying to pass is concerned with the governor saying he may send the Accountability Act back for a third go-round. That would burn a lot of time in both houses.

3. Sen. Bryan Taylor’s campaign finance reform bill will likely be sent to conference committee where it will be tweaked before final passage in both Houses. The PAC to PAC transfer tweaks are one portion of the bill that is expected to be taken out. The AEA hates this bill with a passion and will be maneuvering to block it if at all possible.

4. The Omnibus Gun bill has one more hurdle to clear before heading to the Governor. The House should get it out with no problem. There are only about forty bills on the House calendar, roughly ten of which are local bills. The House appears to be in pretty good shape to sprint to the finish line.

Richard Shelby one-on-one

Yellowhammer spent some time late last week with Senator Richard Shelby discussing his economic vision for the state of Alabama. Be on the lookout in the next few days for an exclusive write up of our conversation.

What else is going on?
1. Luther Strange weighs actions over IRS-tea party scandal
2. Campaign finance reform to get a shot on last day of session
3. Media bias laid bare
4. Roby Makes Her Move
5. IRS Admits to Targeting Conservative Groups

“This situation demands full accountability from the IRS and procedures to ensure that safeguards are put in place so that this type of egregious abuse of the public trust does not occur again,” Strange said in the release. “It only makes sense for the President to appoint a special prosecutor to fairly and impartially investigate these troubling allegations to determine who directed these activities and if anyone in or associated with the White House knew of these activities and failed to stop them.”

An al.com story by George Talbot on Monday had revealed two groups, the Mobile-based tea party group Common Sense Campaign and the Wetumpka Tea Party, were targets of IRS. In a follow-up interview with Yellowhammer, Strange said that inspired his query and explained that he was in the fact-finding stages to see if any laws had been broken.

“The more that comes out about this unfolding scandal – the fact that two Alabama groups are known to be targeted, it just occurred to me it could really be far-reaching in our state,” Strange said. “I don’t even know how many groups that are interested in good government here in Alabama, whether they’re related to the tea party or not. My goal is to find out.”

“I plan to get that information together and get it to hopefully what will be a special prosecutor, but if not, to the law enforcement authorities in D.C. and make sure we get to the bottom of it,” he added.

The Alabama AG stopped short of saying his office was considering any action against the federal government on these groups’ behalf. Instead, he emphasized “coordination and cooperation” with federal law enforcement.

“The basic rule in law enforcement is coordination and cooperation between different law enforcement agencies,” he said. “So if laws have been broken, I would hope that whatever authority has jurisdiction would cooperate with us to help get to the bottom of it.”

He did however underscore the serious nature of these revelations.

“It’s one of the most frightening things I’ve encountered in my time in office,” he said. “You know, the awesome power of the federal government targeting people for their political beliefs is extraordinarily troubling. I’m going to be very interested to see how widespread it is. I think that’s something that will be helpful in whatever direction this goes in. If we got a significant number in Alabama, you can be sure that they’ll be a significant number in other states as well.”

He said any groups that felt they were unjustly targeted by the IRS should contact his office at 334-242-7300.

Jeff Poor is the media reporter for the Washington, D.C.-based Daily Caller. He is also a columnist for Mobile-based Lagniappe and a Yellowhammer contributor. He is a graduate of both Auburn University and the University of South Alabama.

What else is going on?
1. Campaign finance reform to get a shot on last day of
2. Media bias laid bare
3. Roby Makes Her Move
4. IRS Admits to Targeting Conservative Groups
5. Barry Mask: From Aubie, to Legislator, to CEO

But there is one particular bill that has not gotten a lot of publicity, but may actually have a more significant immediate impact on the Alabama political landscape.

Senator Bryan Taylor’s campaign finance reform bill (SB445) would implement numerous common sense changes to make Alabama’s campaign finance laws clearer and more enforceable — including removing the $500 cap on donations a corporation can give to a candidate.

The bill would eliminate duplicative filings, close a potential loophole in the PAC to PAC transfer ban, increase transparency by requiring any candidate who raises or spends $1,000 to file disclosure reports, and strengthens the law’s enforcability by clarifying that the candidate or PAC treasurer is held responsible for filing campaign finance reports.

Those are just a handful of the positive changes Taylor’s bill would make.

But the elimination of the corporate contribution limits will get the lions share of the attention because nothing makes a liberal’s brain explode faster than the thought of evil corporations having access to first amendment rights.

Rep. Mike Ball, who amended Sen. Taylor’s bill to remove the limits on corporate campaign contributions, told Yellowhammer that this is an issue of transparency.

“The $500 corporate contribution cap is stupid. It is a feel-good policy that actually does harm to the process and does no good whatsoever,” Ball said. “That pretend cap is the primary reason for the proliferation of PACs, because it prevents transparency by requiring contributions take an indirect route to candidates. Removing the the cap will be another step in ending the shell game that has epitomized Alabama politics for decades.”

Rep. Ball is right.

If this bill passes, instead of funneling money through a web of political action committees, companies would give money directly to candidates. Citizens could then easily access the candidate’s campaign finance reports and see exactly whose money is backing them.

There is no reason why corporations should be treated differently from individuals and other business entities, such as LLCs or partnerships. Corporations are composed of employees and shareholders whom it represents with its participation in the political process.

The Alabama Senate’s conservative majority should pass this bill to make Alabama’s campaign finance laws stronger and give us the transparency we deserve.

What else is going on?
1. Media bias laid bare
2. Roby Makes Her Move
3. IRS Admits to Targeting Conservative Groups
4. Barry Mask: From Aubie, to Legislator, to CEO
5. Teachers Union Leader Removed from TRS Board

The New York Times, for instance, did not feel it was front page news that the Internal Revenue Service targeted conservative groups for harassment. As a matter of fact, the paper did not feel like the story was even worthy of the paper’s first ten pages. They buried it on page A-11.

Perhaps even more revealing, the Times printed an editorial in March of last year titled “The I.R.S. Does Its Job” in which they suggest it was actually a good thing that Tea Party groups were feeling the heat.

“Taxpayers should be encouraged by complaints from Tea Party chapters applying for nonprofit tax status at being asked by the Internal Revenue Service to prove they are ‘social welfare’ organizations and not the political activists they so obviously are,” the Times said.

Dave Weigel, a libertarian-leaning journalist and admitted Obama voter with a well-documented history of disdain for conservative social issues, explained why the Gosnell story was not getting any attention in the mainstream media.

“Let’s just state the obvious: National political reporters are, by and large, socially liberal. We are more likely to know a gay couple than to know someone who owns an “assault weapon.” We are, generally, pro-choice…. There is a bubble. Horror stories of abortionists are less likely to permeate that bubble than, say, a story about a right-wing pundit attacking an abortionist who then claims to have gotten death threats. … So the question, raised by pro-lifers, is this: Explain to us why Gosnell isn’t a national story. Somebody else can try. I can’t explain it. … [But] I do know that a reporter in the bubble is less likely to be compelled by the news of an arrested abortionist.”

But it’s the Benghazi story that is probably the most damning for members of the media. It exposes not only their inability to separate their personal politics from their job, but also the incestuous web of relationships that has distorted the once adversarial relationship between members of the press and people in power.

It has now come to light that CBS News President David Rhodes and ABC News President Ben Sherwood both have siblings working for Obama in positions that are directly related to what happened in Benghazi. In addition to that, CNN deputy bureau chief, Virginia Moseley, is married to one of Hillary Clinton’s deputies.

Rhodes’ (CBS) brother Ben, is Obama’s Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communication. Sherwood’s (ABC) sister, Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, is a Special Assistant to Barack Obama. And Moseley’s (CNN) husband, Tom Nides, is the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources.

ABC News reported over the weekend that Rhodes’ (CBS) brother, Ben, was a key player in forming the Administration’s Benghazi talking points which are now at the very center of the alleged coverup.

The plot thickens.

And when you think about it, the revolving door between the media and positions of power has been spinning more and more in recent years.

David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs — both key players in Obama world — are now at MSNBC. Karl Rove and Dana Perino — both top aides in the Bush White House — are now at Fox News. President Obama’s current Press Secretary Jay Carney was once Time Magazine’s Washington Bureau Chief. Former Clinton advisor George Stephanopoulos is now at ABC. The list could go on and on.

For an easy-to-understand anecdote on how the combination of political ideology and personal relationships can influence media outlets’ coverage of an issue, look no further than how the cable news outlets covered the Benghazi hearings.

Fox News covered it live for 1 hour and 48 minutes. CNN covered it live for 17 minutes. MSNBC covered it live for exactly zero minutes.

Someone at the New York Times made the choice to bury the IRS story. Someone at MSNBC made the choice not to cover the Benghazi hearings. Someone at almost every major media outlet in the country made the choice not to cover the Gosnell mass murder story.

Were those decisions made because of personal politics, or personal relationships? At this point it’s pretty much impossible to tell.

[Stay tuned for part two of this story focusing specifically on the Alabama media.]

What else is going on?
1. Roby Makes Her Move
2. IRS Admits to Targeting Conservative Groups
3. Barry Mask: From Aubie, to Legislator, to CEO
4. Teachers Union Leader Removed from TRS Board
5. Bonner defends Alabama-built Littoral Combat Ship in appropriations hearing

The bill, which numerous legislators before Roby tried, but failed, to pass, would allow private-sector workers to receive paid time off or “comp time” for overtime hours worked.

For nearly thirty years, public-sector workers have been able to receive comp time for working overtime hours. However, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 prevents private-sector workers from enjoying the same benefit.

Under Roby’s bill, employers and employees could both voluntarily enter into an agreement, thereby removing a layer of government intrusion into the their lives. It retains all existing employee protections in current law, including the 40 hour work week and how overtime compensation is accrued.

The bill is part of the GOP’s larger rebranding effort that includes more outreach to women and working class voters.

“Endeavoring to rebrand their party, GOP elders do not want voters conjuring up names like Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin,” Real Clear Politics wrote last week. “They want you to think of Martha Roby.”

But for Roby specifically, it’s a part of her growth from freshman representative to effective legislator — one who can move the needle. And that’s a big deal for Alabama because, with 435 people in the House of Representatives, the number of people who can actually get something done is quite small.

Roby worked her bill hard.

“Martha started early building support on this bill,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor told Yellowhammer.

She dedicated a district work week to awareness of the bill, and it paid off. Before she returned to Washington the next week, she had already garnered positive press from numerous state and national media outlets including Yellowhammer, WSFA, the Montgomery Advertiser, AL.com, The Hill and USA Today.

“Alabama’s Second Congressional District is full of people with common sense, conservative values. I knew if could explain and sell the bill here, it would make explaining it to my colleagues in Congress a lot easier,” Roby said.

Once she made it back in D.C., Roby set out to navigate the legislative process.

In an effort to undercut opposition from labor unions, she brought two Alabamians to Washington, D.C. to testify in committee about the bill — a human resources professional from Huntsville and a bookkeeper from Montgomery.

Members of the House GOP leadership were impressed by her 1 hour 45 minute marathon appearance before the powerful House Rules Committee. She was confronted with opposition from labor union lackeys and took them head on.

Once the Working Families Flexibility Act reached the floor of the House, Roby drew cheers from her colleagues for her impassioned defense of the bill as Democrats moved to stop it from passing.

“Americans are tired of this game. They are tired of watching us fight each other while we should be fighting for them,” Roby said. “If it’s good enough for the federal government, it ought to be good enough for the private sector.”

The bill passed 223 to 204.

Majority Leader Cantor continued singing Roby’s praises. “She navigated the legislative process, out-hustled the opposition and finished strong. This is a commonsense, conservative bill, but not the easiest issue to explain sometimes. Martha nailed it. She stepped up and demonstrated what an effective lawmaker she is going to be for this Conference,” Cantor said.

Roby’s political operation appears to be on the rise as well.

Her campaign posted first quarter fundraising of $167,075.00 – leading the pack among Alabama House Republicans.

She recently established a “Grassroots Action Team,” which includes team captains across the Second Congressional District working to expand her reach at the grassroots level.

On the digital front, she’s seen her Twitter followers double from 2,800 a year ago to about 6,700 today and her Facebook likes grew from 2,800 to 5,400 over the same time period.

“Everyone has noticed Congressman Roby’s emergence on the legislative front, but the development of her political operation has been equally impressive,” NRCC Executive Director Liesl Hickey told Yellowhammer. “She posted a strong number for first quarter fundraising, invested in data and grown their grassroots political network. All things we love to see in political operations.”

What else is going on?
1. IRS Admits to Targeting Conservative Groups
2. Barry Mask: From Aubie, to Legislator, to CEO
3. Teachers Union Leader Removed from TRS Board
4. Bonner defends Alabama-built Littoral Combat Ship in appropriations hearing
5. Recap from the Alabama Power PSC Hearings

Well, apparently they were right.

The IRS today admitted to inappropriately flagging conservative groups for review during the 2012 election cycle.

According to Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS division that overseas tax-exempt groups, organizations were selectively targeted because they included the words “tea party” or “patriot” in their applications for tax-exempt status.

The Associated Press also said that groups were in some cases asked for their list of donors, which violates IRS policy.

“That was wrong. That was absolutely incorrect, it was insensitive and it was inappropriate. That’s not how we go about selecting cases for further review,” Lerner said today. “The IRS would like to apologize for that.”

Flash back to March of 2012, after conservative groups around the country had claimed they were being singled out, IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman told Congress in no uncertain terms that the IRS does not target groups based on their political views.

“There’s absolutely no targeting,” Shulman told a House committee. “This is the kind of back and forth that happens” to people applying for tax-exempt status, he said.

But in reality, more than 300 groups were targeted by what the IRS has called “low-level workers” in Cincinnati, Ohio. Lerner says that no high level IRS officials knew it was going on. The IRS said in a statement that the practice was discovered at some unspecified time last year and that they moved to correct it.

It is unclear at this point why they waited until now to fess up.

“Mistakes were made initially, but they were in no way due to any political or partisan rationale,” the IRS also said in their statement.

I haven’t yet figured out how you can simultaneously admit to targeting conservative groups while maintaining that your intentions weren’t “due to any political or partisan rationale.”

Back in Alabama, the Wetumpka Tea Party says they were one of the groups that was targeted. “We have a hard time believing this was an ‘accident’ by low level IRS people,” they posted on Facebook.

Let’s not forget, the IRS has been tasked with enforcing ObamaCare.

That should be a real hoot.

What else is going on?
1. Barry Mask: From Aubie, to Legislator, to CEO
2. Teachers Union Leader Removed from TRS Board
3. Bonner defends Alabama-built Littoral Combat Ship in appropriations hearing
4. Recap from the Alabama Power PSC Hearings
5. Undercover inside a late-term abortion clinic

“After an exhaustive nation-wide search for a new CEO, we believe that we have chosen the very best individual for the extremely important job of helping to lead our Association into the future,” said Realtors’ Association President Richard VanValkenburgh. “Barry’s qualifications are a perfect match to AAR’s needs.”

Mask’s qualifications include his most recent stint as Executive Director of the Elmore County Economic Development Authority.

He was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2006. The relationships he’s established as one of the House’s most effective legislators will now be an invaluable asset to AAR’s lobbying efforts in Montgomery.

But Masks’ real claim to fame may always be that he was selected as Auburn University’s first official “Aubie the Tiger” mascot in 1979. He was named Best Mascot at the 1979 UCA Camp Competition. One of Auburn University’s most iconic photos is one of Aubie the Tiger leaning against a goal post wearing a Bear Bryant-style houndstooth hat. Mask was the man inside the suit.

After graduating, he began a career in governmental affairs working for the Alabama State Employees Association, the Business Council of Alabama and the Alabama Industry & Manufacturers Association.

This will actually be Mask’s second stint at the Realtors’ Association. He was AAR’s Governmental Affairs Director from 1990-1995.

House Speaker Mike Hubbard told Yellowhammer Thursday evening that Rep. Mask was a favorite of many of his colleagues.

Realtors' Association HQ

“Not only is Representative Barry Mask a valued friend, he has also been instrumental in bringing new jobs to Alabama as chairman of the House Economic Development and Tourism committee and his presence in the legislature will be missed,” Hubbard said. “I wish him the best in his new venture and I have no doubt he will do a great job for the Association of Realtors.”

Mask has landed what many in Montgomery consider to be one of the most desirable jobs in town. AAR is over 11,000 members strong and their headquarters adjacent to the Capitol building is one of the nicest buildings in the city.

With Mask at the helm, they’re poised to be a major player in both legislative battles and in campaigns.

The Governor will now have to call a special election for Mask’s District 31 State House seat. We’ll have more on possible candidates soon.

What else is going on?
1. Teachers Union Leader Removed from TRS Board
2. Bonner defends Alabama-built Littoral Combat Ship in appropriations hearing
3. Recap from the Alabama Power PSC Hearings
4. Undercover inside a late-term abortion clinic
5. Internet sales tax bill advancing in D.C.