I like to give Obama credit when he does the right thing.
He did the right thing.
Amid outcry over revelations that Internal Revenue Service specialists specifically targeted conservative groups for scrutiny before the 2012 elections, President Barack Obama said Monday that the tax agency employees' reported conduct was "outrageous" and "contrary to our traditions."
Appearing at a White House press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron, the president said he does not want to judge the findings of an Inspector General investigation "prematurely" but said that if the reports of political targeting are found to be correct, those responsible must be held "fully accountable."
"If in fact IRS personnel engaged in the kind of practices that have been reported on and were intentionally targeting conservative groups, then thatÂ’s outrageous and thereÂ’s no place for it," he said
Obama: IRS targeting of conservative groups 'outrageous' - First Read
You don't know much about politics, do you?
Obama’s statement may have been “the right thing to do;” however, his words do not prove he is genuinely concerned about the matter. It was the right thing to do, and it was the smart thing to do, and it was the politically correct thing to do. I suspect that every politically savvy person on the planet expected him to say what he did. Politicians have done the same thing throughout history when confronted with wrongdoing which may somehow be associated with their own administration: they publicly condemn it. They condemn it to distance themselves from the whole mess. It sure as hell doesn't mean they're sincere, and it does not mean they were not involved.
News flash: politicians lie for a lot of reasons, and they will lie their ass off to protect themselves themselves from public embarrassment. There is no doubt in my mind that Obama would have said the same thing whether he was truly outraged or whether he approved of the IRS shenanigans. In reality, if Obama were personally involved in the fiasco, he had three choices: (1) admit his involvement (and we all know that would never happen); (2) remain silent which would indicate an indifference to the matter; or (3) condemn the acts, thus appearing to be concerned. I am not saying Obama was involved in the IRS debacle; instead, I am saying he would have made the same statement even if he privately approved of the actions of the IRS. Thus, his self-serving statement means nothing.
So what does ObamaÂ’s statement tell you about him? It obviously tells you he is a man of deep principle who is offended by the unethical escapades of the IRS. As for me, it tells me nothing, nothing at all. You give Obama credit for uttering those words. I give him neither credit nor criticism. Those words without appropriate action are hollow and meaningless. I have lived long enough to know that most often mere words, especially those that come from politicians, mean nothing. I am looking past his words and waiting to see what he DOES about it.